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Public commenter urges Evanston finance committee to study fiscal impact of District 65 school-closure plan
Summary
A resident told the Finance and Budget Committee that potential school closures by District 65 could reduce property values and tax revenue and urged the committee to commission a fiscal impact analysis and create a joint working group with the school district.
A resident urged the Evanston Finance and Budget Committee on Thursday to evaluate the fiscal consequences of proposed school closures by Evanston/Skokie District 65, saying such actions could reduce property values and the city’s tax base.
Martha (last name not specified) told the committee she understands District 65 is a separate entity but argued the school district’s facility plan would have direct effects on the city’s finances and asked the committee to request a fiscal-impact analysis from District 65 before closures move forward.
"The decisions that are made by District 65 will directly affect property values, tax revenue, small business activity, long term population trends, and all of those fall squarely within the committee's fiscal responsibility," Martha said. "I would encourage the finance committee to not stay on the sidelines and to be actively involved. You all have the authority and obligation to request a fiscal impact analysis from District 65's facility plan."
Why it matters: The speaker framed school-closure decisions as having citywide economic consequences — affecting housing demand, property-tax revenue and long-term planning — and suggested the city treat the matter as an issue of municipal economic stewardship rather than only an education matter.
What the commenter requested
Martha asked the committee to:
- Request a fiscal-impact analysis from District 65 that includes property-value impacts, tax-revenue projections and service-demand estimates; and
- Form a joint working group with District 65 leadership to quantify the economic effects on Evanston before closures proceed.
The committee did not take formal action on that request during the meeting; the comment was recorded during the public-comment portion of the agenda and was entered into the record for committee consideration as the council and staff continue budget and planning discussions.
Ending: The committee acknowledged the comment and the topic may be raised in future budget or intergovernmental discussions; no formal referral or vote was recorded on the request during this meeting.
