Evacuation of Evanston/Skokie District 65 Business Manager Leaves Financial Future in Limbo

The Evanston/Skokie District 65 has announced the resignation of Kathy Zalewski, who has served as the business manager and chief school business official for the district. Zalewski has been a part of the district’s business office for 23 years, starting in May 2001. Her final day in the position will be June 28, confirmed by District 65 spokesperson Hannah Dillow.

The departure of Zalewski is part of a trend of administrators leaving District 65 over the past year, following the resignations of various key personnel including former Superintendent Devon Horton, Dean of Culture and Climate Elijah Palmer, and others. With Zalewski’s exit, the district will need to find a new chief financial officer and business manager during the summer. The CFO position has been vacant since August 2023 when Raphael Obafemi left to join Oswego District 308.

During a recent public hearing regarding the potential closure of the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, former board member Rebeca Mendoza expressed gratitude towards Zalewski for her two decades of service to District 65. Mendoza also voiced concerns about the financial future of the district given the upcoming departures of key personnel and the absence of continuity in the planning process for new school initiatives. Despite these challenges,