Kingsley Elementary School Closure FAQ

The District 65 Communications team is serving as a liaison to the Kingsley PTA along with all school PTAs to support the closure and transition process. The purpose is to support outreach and engagement efforts in a complementary and supportive way, leveraging both PTA and district resources and communication channels to connect with families.

In collaboration with the Kingsley administration, District leaders held two community meetings (January 27 - in-person and January 28 - virtual) to engage in two-way conversation. This was an opportunity for Kingsley parents/caregivers and staff to ask questions and share ideas. This FAQ was developed in response to these sessions.

Additionally, questions, comments, and suggestions can continue to be sent to the following email addresses - communications@district65.net and schoolboard@district65.net.

Opportunities will continue to be available for engagement including registration-related support at parent-teacher conferences on February 10 and February 11.

In collaboration with the Kingsley administration, District leaders held two community meetings (January 27 - in-person and January 28 - virtual) to engage in two-way conversation. This was an opportunity for Kingsley parents/caregivers and staff to ask questions and share ideas.

The Academics team will continue to collaborate with Principal Davis and AP Chapman to develop systems and structures to ensure a successful academic and social emotional transition for all students.  Additionally, Melissa Messinger and Dr. Speth are working with the Kingsley PTA to develop efforts to support students and the Kingsley community 

Questions, comments, and suggestions can continue to be sent to the following email addresses - communications@district65.net and schoolboard@district65.net. This FAQ will continue to be updated and information will be shared with families through school, district, and PTA communication channels.

Availability
New school boundaries were approved by the School Board as part of the Resolution passed at the January 22, 2026 Special Board Meeting. Both an interactive boundary map and school attendance area PDF boundary maps are publicly available on the District 65 website. These will continue to be shared with families through email, text, and newsletter communications. 

Additionally, a poster-size boundary map of the north Evanston elementary schools will be available in the entry of Kingsley Elementary outside of the main office and copies will be available in the main office and at parent-teacher conferences.

Input 
The approved boundaries are largely aligned to feedback from the Kingsley community based on a November survey. The purpose was to gather more detailed information on community values and preferences for boundary placement. Top themes emerged related to walkability, providing busing if crossing Green Bay is necessary, maintaining friend groups, and more. More information is included in the November 17 Board memo.

Boundaries were developed with consideration for the preferences expressed by members of the Kingsley community in the November survey.

Kingsley families will have the opportunity to submit a permissive transfer request for their child to attend a school other than the one they are assigned. School assignment notifications will be emailed to all families during the week of February 2 and permissive transfer applications are due by March 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.

The District is unable to delay boundary decisions in order to ensure student assignment notifications can be sent to families in early February. This timing is key to ensure ample time for transition planning, including staffing decisions, student support, and community building activities.

Based on the building capacities and class sizes guidelines, there is not a single receiving school that can accommodate the entire Kingsley student body in addition to students that would be assigned to that school under the new school boundaries.

The District will make every effort to accommodate permissive transfer requests within constraints related to capacity and class size.

The District understands the need to prioritize flexibility for Kingsley students and families. Currently, there is a board-approved exception related to students assigned to attend Foster Elementary which will take priority over Kingsley in the permissive transfer decision-making process. Once those applications are processed, families impacted by school closure and consolidation (Kingsley and Willard TWI families) will receive the next highest priority.

Permissive transfers cannot be guaranteed and are based on capacity and class size guidelines.

All District 65 families received an email with their child’s school assignment on February 4, 2026. Some families may have received it on February 5.

Permissive transfer applications must be submitted no later than March 1, 2026 at 11:59pm. If an application is not submitted, students will be automatically enrolled at their assigned school.

Initial determinations will be communicated to families on April 1, 2026. This determination will note whether the application has been accepted, declined, or placed on a wait list.

The District will make every effort to grant as many permissive transfer requests within the initial determination period; however, this is not always possible. If a permissive transfer is not able to be initially accepted, placing a family on the wait list allows for additional time to determine if space will be available due to families entering or exiting the district.

We recognize that some families may not be able to wait and would benefit from knowing their child’s school placement as soon as possible and ultimately need to decide to accept their child’s assigned school placement. For others, it may be feasible to wait until the summer to see if their transfer request is accepted.

The registration team will consider permissive transfers in several rounds throughout the summer. The latest that a final determination will be made and communicated to families is at least two weeks prior to the first day of school.

Based on the building capacities and class sizes guidelines, there is not a single receiving school that can accommodate the entire Kingsley student body in addition to students that would be assigned to that school under the new school boundaries.

We will make every effort to accommodate permissive transfer requests within constraints related to capacity and class size.

We have received requests from families to prioritize keeping students in fifth grade together. Currently students are assigned to an attendance area school based on their address. If families of fifth grade students choose to submit a permissive transfer, the District will consider prioritizing available classroom space for an additional fifth grade cohort. Any decisions are subject to capacity and class size guidelines.

The board-approved ‘Bessie Rhodes exception’ will not impact permissive transfer requests from Kingsley families. This exception essentially ensures that Bessie Rhodes students have a seat at Foster Elementary, even if they live outside of the school’s attendance boundaries. 

The board-approved ‘Foster exception’ was approved in 2022 and well before any decisions were made regarding the closure of Kingsley Elementary. Permissive transfer requests for students impacted by school closure or consolidation will take the next priority for available seats in receiving schools. This includes Kingsley and Willard TWI.

No, per Board Policy transportation will not be provided for students who are granted a permissive transfer and will attend a school other than the one they are assigned.

During the initial determination period, permissive transfers will be granted at 95% capacity (per grade level) for each receiving school. This is to ensure as many families as possible are granted a transfer with as much notice as possible. Some space must be reserved for families who may move into the attendance area boundaries in the late spring and summer. If space remains available or it is possible to open a new section, the District will make that determination based on class size guidelines and capacity.

The district understands the interest in transparency around permissive transfer requests. We are currently reviewing what information may be shared publicly in a way that is clear, responsible, and protects individual student privacy. At this time, we anticipate potentially being able to share high-level, aggregate information once initial determinations have been made. Additional details will be provided as they become available.

Supporting students’ well-being, belonging, and continuity of learning is a top priority throughout this transition. The district is implementing a comprehensive, student-centered approach that includes:

• Ongoing social-emotional support through our Culture & Climate team, FACE staff, and social workers
• Coordinated academic planning with Individualized Education Services (IES) and Multilingual teams to ensure smooth, student-centered transitions
• Thoughtful, student-centered scheduling to promote continuity and minimize disruption
• Opportunities to connect before the school year begins, including open houses, meet-and-greet events, and enrollment support sessions
• Outreach from receiving schools to welcome students and families and share important information
• Peer connection opportunities, such as student buddies or mentors
• Community-building efforts in partnership with parent groups
• School spirit supports, including welcome materials or “swag bags” to help students feel excited and connected
• End-of-year celebrations to honor students, relationships, and the Kingsley community as this chapter comes to a close

Together, these supports are designed to help students feel safe, welcomed, and excited as they transition to their next school community. These efforts will be in collaboration with school leadership and the school PTA.

Yes, all District 65 schools are hosting two open houses (one in February and one in March).  Additionally, we are exploring opportunities to host an opportunity for school visits/community building during the school day. View Open House Schedule

We will also partner with and support school-based, including PTA events, designed to bring communities together in advance of the 2026-2027 school year including summer playdates and mixers. These opportunities will be shared with families within the school community.

We agree this is an important and meaningful way to support students through the transition. The district is actively exploring opportunities for students to visit their receiving school during the school day as part of broader efforts to build familiarity, connection, and community. While plans are still being developed and details are not yet finalized, this is a priority area of focus. More information will be shared as plans take shape.

Families may reach out to the Communications team at communications@district65.net and we will support connecting you with the appropriate team member to help address questions or needs.

Kingsley Elementary is home to an extraordinary team, and we are deeply committed to supporting them throughout this transition. District leaders remain in close partnership with Principal Davis and the Assistant Principal to ensure staff have the support they need. Members of the district team have also joined staff meetings to listen, learn, and hear directly from Kingsley educators about how we can best support them during this time.

In early February, the district’s Human Resources team hosted a dedicated meeting for Kingsley staff to share more information about the transition process, staffing considerations, and next steps. This meeting provided  space for questions, clarity, and dialogue, and helped  ensure staff understood what to expect and how they will be supported moving forward.

We are currently working with the Director of Student Services and IES coordinators to ensure that receiving schools are provided an opportunity to review a student profile and discuss student needs with the team from the transferring school. The Academics team is working on a comprehensive plan for all IEP, 504 and EL transitions.  

The Director of Student Services and the school based IES Coordinators will ensure that students continue to receive services and support included in the IEPs and 504 plans.  We recognize the importance of ensuring that all IES and 504 students are provided a smooth transition and will work with incoming schools to progress monitor students throughout the 2026-2027 school year.