Dr. Bessie Rhodes
School of Global Studies
School Overview
Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies is a selective enrollment magnet school serving students across District 65 attendance boundaries. All residents have the option to apply to attend Bessie Rhodes. Students are enrolled after an application process. Click here for more information on the selection process.
History
The school opened in 1957 as a neighborhood school named Timber Ridge Elementary School. In the 1970's the school was closed due to low enrollment. The school was re-opened in 1995 as Timber Ridge Magnet School as a way of balancing enrollment in the school district. The first principal was Dr. Bessie Rhodes and in 2004, the school was renamed in her honor. The school is K-8 school, with two classes of approximately 20 students in each class.
Two-Way Immersion Programming
In 2018 the Two Way Immersion Dual Language Program was expanded to begin serving kindergarten students enrolled at Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies. One grade level is added annually, eventually making the global studies school the first to offer TWI at all grade levels. As of the 2024-2025 school year, TWI is currently offered through sixth grade and will expand to seventh grade students next school year. This makes it the first district school to offer TWI in middle school.
Future of Bessie Rhodes
Currently the District 65 School Board is considering the future of the school. Under the district’s approved 2022 student assignment plan, Bessie Rhodes was intended to become a ‘school within a school’ as part of the new school building that will be constructed in Evanston’s Fifth Ward. Due to financial constraints, site limitations, and considerations for the best possible educational experience for our students, alternatives options for the future of Bessie Rhodes is under discussion. Bessie Rhodes will remain open through minimally the 2026-2027 school year and TWI will continue to be expanded within the school.