Dropping enrollment threatens Red Oak, dual-language program, according to district officials

Supporters of Red Oak School and North Shore School District 112’s dual language program showed up in force to a four-hour School Board meeting Tuesday evening, asking the district to both save the school and preserve the long-standing program.

Red Oak, a D112 elementary school, faces potential closure under Phase 3 of D112’s long-range facilities plan, which was discussed in a detailed presentation during the board’s Oct. 8 Committee of the Whole meeting.

The plan, which seeks to remodel or renovate all schools in the district, is currently in its second phase.

Included in plans for Phase 3 is the renovation of Red Oak, according to the board’s presentation.

Why a closure is being considered

The driving force behind any potential closure of Red Oak is enrollment, according to D112 Superintendent Dr. Michael Lubelfeld.

During his presentation, Lubelfeld said enrollment in the district’s dual-language program, which is housed at Red Oak and Oak Terrace schools, has declined over the past seven years.

D112 began offering a dual-language program in 1996, providing instruction in English and other languages, primarily Spanish. Currently enrollment projections have the program continuing to lose students over the next two school years.

Red Oak’s dual-language program, according to School Board data, went from 260 students in the 2020-2021 school year to a current enrollment of 225 students; however, that number reportedly also represents an increase of 17 students from last school year.

Oak Terrace’s dual-language program saw a much steeper drop, going from 435 students in 2020-2021 to 298 this year — which included a 56-student decline from 2023-2024.

In total, the dual-language program has gone from 695 students in 2020-2021 to 523 students this year — a drop of 24.7%. Current projections have the program decreasing to 489 next year and 447 in 2026-2027.

Lubelfeld said, according to enrollment trends from the 2018-2024 Illinois Report Card, D112 has seen a 26 percent decrease in Hispanic student enrollment, a loss of 300 students, during that time. The dual language program includes many Hispanic and ELL students, he said.

He refused to opine on why the decline is happening.

Leading up to D112’s successful 2022 referendum, which is funding the second phase of the district’s facilities plan, Lubelfeld said a common question was if the district would keep Red Oak open prior to the start of Phase 3.

The answer at the time was, “If enrollment continues to yield four sections in kindergarten at Dual Language, two at Red Oak and two at Oak Terrace, the district will keep both schools open.”

Lubelfeld said that answer is still true.

As of Sept. 25, dual language kindergarten enrollment at both Red Oak and Oak Terrace was 40 students in two sections. Lubelfeld said that, if enrollment is fewer than 72 students next year, three sections of kindergarten would be needed, with all classes being held at Oak Terrace and none at Red Oak.

Lubelfeld stressed that there is no immediate risk of any school closing.

“Red Oak School and Oak Terrace School are both opening in the ’25-’26 school year. That is a fact,” he said. “Our concern, though, is that the demographic shifts exist and they must be addressed.”

Later in the meeting, he said D112 is fully committed to the dual-language program.

“We will never get rid of it. Ever,” he said.

But the reality, he said, is that Red Oak may close in the future.

“It’s not our choice,” Lubelfeld said. “It’s not our plan this evening. It’s not a recommendation. It’s reality, and reality is very difficult when dealing with children and their parents and our teachers.”

Red Oak supporters speak up

Although the meeting went until after 11 p.m., that didn’t stop 25 D112 residents, mostly parents of Red Oak and dual-language students, from sticking around to share their thoughts during public comment, which was held after the presentation.

Many of the speakers said they moved to D112 specifically to enroll their children in the dual-language program. Most shared similar issues.

Parent Maria Barraza called using pandemic-era enrollment data “flawed” and criticized the School Board for not providing a Spanish translation for the meeting.

“Such a significant decision requires comprehensive input from the community most effected,” she said. “We have many families here who had no idea what you were talking about. There was no translation available.”

Brian Schwartz said that he is a dual-language parent at Red Oak but was hesitant to enroll because of “a real perceived lack of commitment in investment from the administration and school board.”

“The repeated questioning of the program is having a cooling effect on interest in the program and concerns of the program’s viability, and it’s really becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said.

Other speakers brought up the perceived lack of promotion of the dual-language program, with many saying they were only made aware of it through other parents and not from any school communications.

While there were critics of the administration and school board, some speakers said they believe the district is well-intended and offered to help, including Jesse Torres, who said “we want to spread the word” about the program.

“We’ll keep the healthy pressure on, but we want to work with you,” he said. “I trust your good intentions, so far at least, and really appreciate the time and effort you’ve put in.”

That sentiment was echoed by Luis Gonzalez.

“My request for you is I would like to see, in the next meeting, all the actions that we need to promote and increase the numbers,” he said, later adding, “What we are trying to do is help the district, to help the community continue with the program.”

The next steps

Lubelfeld said a “thought exchange survey” will be active on D112’s website until Oct. 18, where parents and community members can share their thoughts and ideas on how to proceed.

At the board’s next meeting on Oct. 22, initial ideas will be reviewed, the board will answer questions that were asked during public comment, and the results of the thought exchange will be shared.

The next time Phase 3 will be on the agenda is tentatively set for Dec. 17, where a formal update will be discussed along with a possible draft recommendation, followed by “planned recommendations” at the board’s January 2025 meeting.

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