The opening of the new Foster School in Evanston is a highly anticipated event, with a mix of emotions across the community. While some are excited, others feel a sense of skepticism and disappointment, a sentiment that has followed the school's design, construction, and financing process.
This new school shares a campus with the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center and the old Foster School, which served as a flagship for Family Focus, providing social services to the community for over four decades. The original Foster School, however, has a complex history.
Closed as a neighborhood school in 1967 and completely shuttered in 1979, the old Foster School played a pivotal role in the desegregation of Evanston's public schools. It was a magnet school that attracted white students, thereby integrating the school and the district. Yet, this came at a cost, as many Black students were bused to other schools, and the closure of the magnet school program at Foster in 1979 was met with contention and opposition from Black leaders.
The journey to build a new school in the Fifth Ward has been a challenging one. In 2012, a referendum for a new K-5 school failed, with a significant majority voting against it. However, in 2022, the board unanimously approved a new school, opting for a unique financing method involving a nominee bank and lease certificates. This approach, while innovative, has its critics, as the district is now obligated to make annual payments of approximately $3.2 million until 2042, with no option to raise property taxes to cover these costs.
The new school, while exciting, has its flaws. From the outside, it's an unappealing structure, taking up most of the former athletic field and leaving little room for recreation or landscaping. The interior, however, promises a heritage hall, showcasing the school's history and the area's rich cultural heritage.
One of the most intriguing aspects is the demographic shift it will bring. With a diverse student body projected for the new Foster School, it will impact the diversity of the three north Evanston schools, which will see a decrease in diversity due to the new school's presence.
Despite its flaws and the mixed emotions it evokes, the new Foster School is a step forward, a symbol of progress, and a place where 320 children will begin their educational journey in just a few weeks. It's a new beginning, a new chapter, and a new 'foster' for the community to embrace and shape.
