Evanston SACC Program Spared As District 65 Weighs Broader Budget Cuts

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston's school-age childcare program will continue after the Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals said it worked with Evanston/Skokie School District 65 administration to save the service from proposed budget cuts.

The School Aged Childcare, or SACC, program had been included on a list of reductions the district proposed to address budget issues.

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SACC provides before- and after-school childcare for District 65 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Children in the program take part in recreational, educational and enrichment activities, including arts and crafts, sports, STEAM projects, reading, homework assistance and creative play. The program is staffed by trained childcare paraprofessionals.

Community members value the SACC program because it serves some of the district's most vulnerable students, including children with special needs and individualized education programs, or IEPs.

The Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals represents 44 paraprofessional childcare workers who staff the SACC program.

"We are so grateful we can save this program and continue to provide an affordable after school option to hundreds of working families in District 65," said EACCP President Natalie Copper. "We absolutely love our students and are so glad we will be able to continue to help them learn and grow. We want to extend a special, heartfelt thank you to all the parents and community members who shared their stories, stood alongside us as we pushed to save SACC and who continue to support us today. We could not have done this without you. Thank you, thank you!"

The District 65 Board of Education is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Nov. 9 to vote on proposed budget cuts. Those proposals include closing two schools, eliminating the Head Start program and cutting several teaching and school staff positions.

A rally is planned for 4 p.m., just before the board meeting begins at 5 p.m. The rally is expected to draw hundreds of teachers, staff members and parents, according to EACCP, and attendees are expected to go to the board meeting immediately afterward. The rally will be held outside the Joseph E. Hill Education Center at 1500 McDaniel Ave. in Evanston, and the Board of Education meeting will be held inside the building.