CPS Loses Ground as Fewer Chicago Families Choose District Schools

Chicago families are increasingly looking beyond Chicago Public Schools for their children’s education, with the district’s share of school-aged students dropping to its lowest point in recent memory.

A new analysis by advocacy group Kids First Chicago shows CPS now enrolls about 71% of the city’s school-aged children, down from 75% in 2018 — a decline that translates to 18,000 fewer students choosing the district over the past six years.

The shift marks a significant departure for CPS, which maintained a consistent three-quarters market share even through the tumultuous 2013 mass school closures, budget crises, and multiple teacher strikes. Now, as the district grapples with severely underenrolled schools across neighborhoods from Englewood to Albany Park, it faces the additional challenge of families actively choosing alternatives.

“There are actually fewer families choosing to send their kids to CPS,” said Hal Woods, chief of policy at Kids First Chicago. “Even as CPS is losing students, the needs of the existing students are going up.”

Woods pointed to the growing number of students with disabilities the district serves, highlighting how CPS must stretch resources further for a student population with increasingly complex needs.

The enrollment picture grew more complicated this fall when CPS lost about 9,000 students after two years of relative stability. That stability came largely from an influx of migrant students, many arriving from Texas border cities and requiring English language services and specialized support.

But even that temporary reprieve couldn’t halt the district’s long-term decline. CPS has shed more than 70,000 students over the past decade, dropping from the nation’s third-largest school district to fourth during the pandemic. The district now serves approximately 316,200 students across its neighborhood schools and charter campuses.

The analysis, which relied on U.S. Census data to track school-aged children citywide, reveals how demographic shifts and family choices are reshaping Chicago’s educational landscape. While some families have left the city entirely — contributing to Chicago’s overall population decline — others are choosing private schools, homeschooling, or moving to suburban districts.

For neighborhoods already struggling with school closures and consolidations, the trend presents additional challenges. In communities like Austin and Roseland, where multiple schools have closed in recent years, further enrollment declines could trigger more difficult decisions about which campuses remain viable.

The timing compounds pressure on district leadership as they navigate a complex budget picture. CEO Pedro Martinez and the school board must balance resources across schools with vastly different enrollment numbers, from overcrowded magnets like Walter Payton College Prep to neighborhood elementaries serving fewer than 200 students.

Aldermen in affected wards have increasingly fielded concerns from constituents about school quality and options. The enrollment data gives concrete numbers to what many have observed in their local communities — families seeking educational alternatives they believe better serve their children.

The decline also raises questions about the district’s ability to maintain programming across its network. Arts programs, advanced coursework, and extracurricular activities often depend on minimum enrollment thresholds that some schools can no longer meet.

Charter schools within the CPS system have captured some families leaving traditional neighborhood schools, but not enough to offset the overall decline. The report’s findings suggest families are looking beyond the entire CPS network, including both district-run and charter options.

For district officials, the challenge extends beyond simply attracting new students. They must address underlying concerns about safety, academic quality, and resources that drive families’ decisions while managing the operational complexity of a system designed for many more students.

The Kids First Chicago analysis comes as other major urban districts face similar pressures. Cities from Philadelphia to Los Angeles have seen enrollment declines accelerated by the pandemic, forcing difficult conversations about school closures and resource allocation.

But Chicago’s situation carries particular weight given the district’s history and the city’s broader demographic trends. The school enrollment decline mirrors population losses that have affected neighborhoods from the South Side to the Northwest Side, creating a compounding effect on community institutions.

Parent advocacy groups have called for increased investment in neighborhood schools, arguing that improved resources and programming could help reverse the trend. They point to successful turnaround efforts at schools like Dulles Elementary in Garfield Ridge and Bronzeville Classical Elementary as models for broader improvement.

District officials have acknowledged the enrollment challenges while emphasizing improvements in graduation rates and college readiness. They argue that smaller enrollments in some schools allow for more individualized attention and stronger teacher-student relationships.

The debate over enrollment and school choice continues at City Hall, where Mayor Brandon Johnson has supported increased CPS funding while facing budget constraints citywide. Johnson, a former CPS teacher and union organizer, has positioned public education as a priority while acknowledging the complex factors driving families’ decisions.

As the district prepares its budget for next year, the enrollment trends will likely influence decisions about school consolidations, program offerings, and resource distribution. With fewer students generating less per-pupil funding, difficult choices about which schools and programs to maintain lie ahead.

The Kids First Chicago report serves as both a warning and a call to action for district leadership. Reversing the trend will require addressing the root causes driving families away while making the case for public education’s continued value in Chicago communities.