In 2025, Evanston will see elections held for city and school board races, and much more. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.
Budget cuts to District 65
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will begin the year making cuts needed to balance its budget. The Board of Education approved its budget for the 2024-25 school year in September with a $13.2 million deficit, the third consecutive year that deficits were greater than $10 million.
The goal of the district’s deficit reduction plan is to cut $15 million in expenses a year.
The budget cuts are likely to result in transportation cuts, special education reconfiguration, school closures and teacher layoffs.
Envision Evanston
Envision Evanston 2045, the city’s draft comprehensive plan, or roadmap for development, for the next 20 years, is moving closer to getting approval from the city council. The plan, described by Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss as offering a “Yes-In-My-Backyard” stance, focuses on increasing the number of housing units and increasing density, especially downtown. It also focuses on putting up more buildings and fostering more sustainable practices, among other targets.
The city released a draft of what its proposed zoning code could look like once approved by the city council.
Biss said one of the benefits of having a denser city would provide more residents the city could rely on for tax revenue, which he said can be a burden to Evanston residents.
Some opponents of the Envision Evanston plans have spoken during public comment periods of City Council meetings in which Council members approved bigger apartment complexes. Some residents have complained that the new buildings are out of character and have led to a decrease in parking spots in residential areas.
“Change is tough. Change can be uncomfortable, but these are changes that we are talking about in response to concerns that folks in the community have,” Biss said in reference to concerns of higher density buildings.
Elections
The April 1 consolidated election will include races for Evanston City Council, Skokie/Evanston School District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202 Board of Education.
Biss is being challenged by Jeffrey Boarini for mayor.
None of the District 65 Board members whose terms expire this year–Soo La Kim, Joseph Hailpern, Donna Wang Su and Elisabeth Lindsay-Ryan–chose to run again for office.
Evanston Township High School main building.(Victor Hilitski/for the Chicago Tribune)
For Evanston Township High School, incumbent board members Pat Savage-Williams, Mirah Anti and Patricia Maunsell are running for re-election and Gretchen Livingston, who has been on the board since 2009, is not. John Martin, who previously ran in 2023 for the District 65 board, is running for a District 202 board position.
City Hall move
According to Biss, the city of Evanston will move its offices from the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center at 2100 Ridge Avenue to rented office space at 909 Davis Street, Evanston, in the first quarter of 2025.
Eventually, City Council meetings and other city meetings will be held at the Davis Street space. The city of Evanston has a 15-year lease on it.
The Civic Center would require repairs costing $60 million if the city were to continue its operations there, Lara Biggs, the city’s engineer, said at a City Council meeting in December. Biss said the City Council is also looking at alternative locations, which might be cheaper to rent or purchase.
Proposed CTA/Metra/Pace Consolidation
CTA, Metra and Pace are facing a combined $711 million budget gap by early next year, which if left unaddressed could lead to service cuts and fare hikes. Illinois legislators have been mulling consolidating the three public transportation agencies into a larger conglomerate.
Some suburban municipalities have expressed their position on consolidation through resolutions. Biss said the City Council has yet to publicly state its position.
Biss shared his own thoughts on the matter: “The transit revenue crisis is a serious problem for Evanston, and it’s essential that regional actors and the state work together to resolve the transit crisis,” he said.
“I think consolidation is important. I don’t think it makes sense to have CTA, Metra and Pace all in separate silos… so I support consolidation. But whatever the exact solution that’s found, what we need is a governance structure that allows for coordinated regional planning for a regional system and adequate funding to enable a world class regional system.”
