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Chicago-based commercial real estate firm, JLL, has proposed marketing school properties that Evanston/Skokie School District 65 no longer needs to generate revenue. With enrollment plummeting and the district facing a $13.2 million budget cut, officials are exploring ways to "right-size" the system by closing schools. The district's Chief Financial Officer, Tamara Mitchell, met with JLL representatives on Friday to discuss monetizing underutilized assets.

    The idea is to lease or sell parts of large parcels of land surrounding school properties, rather than selling entire sites. This could potentially allow some schools to remain open while adjacent land is unloaded. No specific proposals were mentioned, but the goal is to find innovative ways to generate revenue from district-owned spaces.

    Assistant Superintendent Stacy Beardsley noted that this idea may be just one way to explore money-making possibilities using school property. The district plans to continue thinking about options for utilizing its assets. Interestingly, one of the JLL representatives who met with the district has a daughter who may attend Orrington Elementary School in the future, which could be at risk of closure due to declining enrollment.

    The district is facing significant budget challenges and needs to cut costs. A new demographic study will provide updated school-by-school enrollment projections later this month, but discussions on potential school closures are expected to begin soon. The process of closing schools will involve considering factors such as age and condition of facilities, needed repair costs, student reassignment, and the impact on other buildings.