Chicago Public Schools sees uptick in enrollment, but still lower than 10 years ago
For the second year in a row, student enrollment has slightly increased in Chicago Public Schools. But the effects of a decade-long annual loss of enrollment remain, with 71,378 fewer students than in 2014.
Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools declined each year between 2011 and 2022. But the past two school years bucked that trend.
There are currently 325,305 students enrolled in CPS, according to CPS’ newly released 20th Day Membership Report.
This is the second school year in a row CPS has recorded enrollment growth after the district experienced 11 years of enrollment decline. The district’s 20th day enrollment is down 18%, or 71,378 students, since 2014. The largest decrease is Black students at 29%, or 44,680 students.
Families have been ill-served by CPS as evidenced by students’ low proficiency rates in reading and math. If CPS hopes to establish a new trend of rising enrollment and attendance, district leaders must reverse CPS’ harmful trend of low proficiency.
A closer look at CPS enrollment
There are currently 325,305 students enrolled in CPS, according to CPS’ newly released 20th Day Membership Report. That marks an increase of 2,054 students this school year compared to the 2023-2024 school year.
Despite modest year-over-year increases, total enrollment dropped by 71,378 students in the past decade, or an 18% decrease in enrollment.
CPS student enrollment by race:
- Hispanic: 47.3%
- Black: 34.2%
- White:11.3%
- Asian: 4.7%
- Multiracial students: 1.8%.
- Native American/Alaskan, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander or Middle Eastern/Norther African: >1%
The largest individual grade level by enrollment in CPS is 10th grade with 27,103 students. Elementary grade students recorded the largest cumulative enrollment, followed by high school students, middle school students then students in pre-school and pre-kindergarten.
More Hispanic students, fewer Black students enrolled in CPS
Hispanic students marked the largest increase in student enrollment since last year, with over 2,200 more Hispanic students enrolled this year compared to 2023. Amidst the uptick in Hispanic student enrollment, there has also been an increase of nearly 9,000 English learners in CPS since last school year.
The most recent test data available shows only 21.9% of Hispanic third through eighth graders could read at grade level in 2023. Only 13.2% were proficient in math. Proficiency is even lower among English learners with only 8% meeting standards in reading and 5.9% in math.
A recent WGN report by Sylvia Snowden raised concerns over CPS’ handling of migrant and English-learning students. The report revealed some CPS administrators told elementary teachers to give passing grades to migrant students regardless of the child’s competence. In other schools, CPS teachers revealed no English learner support was offered.
Despite the increases in Hispanic enrollment in recent years, the district enrolls 15% fewer Hispanic students this school year than it did 10 school years prior in 2014. That is a drop of nearly 27,000 Hispanic students. During that same period, the number of English learners has increased by over 22,000 students, or 34%.
Black students recorded the largest demographic decrease since the previous school year with a drop of 1,945 students. There are 111,252 Black students enrolled in the current school year.
Not only have Black students recorded the largest year-over-year decrease in enrollment but also the largest decrease since 2014. There are 44,680 fewer Black students enrolled in CPS this year than 10 years prior. That marks a decline of 29% during 10 years.
Test data for Black students in third through eighth grade in CPS revealed only 17.3% were prepared to read at grade level in 2023 and 7.8% could perform math proficiently.