After backlash to a suggestion earlier this month to close Red Oak Elementary School in Highland Park and consolidate the dual-language program at Oak Terrace Elementary, North Shore School District 112 officials assured parents Tuesday that any related recommendation has been delayed to allow for more discussion.
A presentation during an Oct. 8 meeting pitched consolidating all dual language K-5 classes at Oak Terrace Elementary during the 2026-27 or 2027-28 school year due to low enrollment.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld said the next district meeting related to the future of Red Oak Elementary won’t be until Dec. 17, and any recommendations by the board will be delayed into next year as it listens to input. Red Oak Elementary will remain open for the 2025-2026 school year, he said.
This marks the second time in recent years the program has faced potential consolidation, and parents have once again rallied in support of the unique school program, which has a 50/50 split of English and Spanish-speaking students.
During both meetings, parents spoke at length about the benefits of the school. Lubelfeld said the district “welcomes and appreciates” the feedback. After the Oct. 8 meeting, the district put out a survey for parents about the potential consolidation and received nearly 1,000 responses.
“This is a pivotal part of the process, as we have a conversation about Phase 3 of our Long-Range Facilities Plan,” Lubelfeld said.
‘It would be a great loss’
Maira Martinez is a Spanish-speaking parent and Highland Park resident of 30 years whose 9-year-old daughter attends Red Oak Elementary. Martinez, speaking through an interpreter, praised the program for providing children the “gift” of a bilingual education.
“It would be a great loss,” she said. “The bilingual program is like no other. It would be sad to not see other children learning the way my children have done.”
Martinez wasn’t sure what she would do if the school were to close. Learning about the possibility earlier this month had taken her by surprise, she said.
“It’s something that has given my daughter an opportunity to learn about different cultures,” she said. “It’s something I wish they would not lose, because it’s something so unique to the neighborhood. It’s something that other people don’t have.”
About three years ago, Red Oak Elementary faced the same situation, with the district concerned about declining enrollment. Various promotion efforts, including by the parents themselves, managed to increase enrollment in the program.
Lubelfeld said while no changes were made at that time, “enrollment and demographic realities” have brought consolidation back onto the table. He pointed to the enrollment trends of the last seven years, and data showing demographics shifting in the community and negatively impacting enrollment, especially among non-native English speakers.
“The hard reality and very difficult change potential that no one wants to talk about is that Oak Terrace School could become the K-5 dual language school,” Lubelfeld said. “This is the harsh reality people need to understand.”
Red Oak Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization President Cathy Curran said the initial announcement earlier this month sent parents “scrambling” to learn why the school was again facing consolidation. Many were “surprised,” “confused” and “especially upset,” she said.
While the primary concern of the district is enrollment numbers, Curran said parents felt other factors were impacting that rather than purely demographic shifts, including the moving of an early childhood center that was a pipeline into the Red Oak Elementary program and a lack of promotion by the district.
Parents felt rushed, she said, with a recommendation initially planned for December, despite enrollment not beginning until February. “Thankfully, the administration is listening,” Curran said, with the recommendation moved into next year.
“They have now come back and said they’re delaying any sort of recommendation until they get a better feel for what enrollment is looking like, so we appreciate that,” she said.
Curran said she understands there are difficulties facing the dual-language program, and said many parents weren’t necessarily opposed to consolidation if the program truly can’t be sustained. However, they didn’t want to make a “rush decision,” that would hurt students.
“What we as parents want is a more thoughtful process, some greater effort by the district to do the right things by the program, promoting it, making sure that the resources are there to really focus on students academic achievement,” she said.
Curran said parents want to bring in a dual-language expert for an evaluation of the issue, and to have discussions with board members, rather than having parents only make comments during public meetings.
The district, for its part, seems to be receptive.
In a statement, Lubelfeld said district officials are in the process of interviewing consultants to conduct “a thorough review” of their educational programming, and collaborating with Hanover Research K-12.
“We may engage them to work alongside the district and the selected consultant to gain a deeper understanding of the best strategies for advancing the dual language program,” he said. “We will not rush this process.”
Lubelfeld also promised the district would work with the parent community throughout the process.
“Ultimately, any recommendation the administration brings to the board of education will prioritize the best interests of our students and community,” he said.