CPS Finalizes District Enrollment for 2017-18 School Year
20 October 2017
District Schools Have Been Held Harmless For Enrollment Levels that Fell Below Projections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, October 20, 2017
CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools today released official enrollment counts for the 2017-18 school year, based on student enrollment on the 20th day of the school year. Because CPS is on much stronger financial footing, the district announced earlier this month that it would not reduce funding for schools where enrollment fell below projections this year.
Based on the 20th day of the school year, CPS enrollment rates for the 2017-18 school year are as follows:
- System-wide for SY 17-18: 371,382
- District-run K-12 schools: 289,506
- K-12 charter schools (including alternative and options schools): 62,435
In addition to holding schools harmless for enrollment below projections, CPS will also not make additional midyear budget cuts or furlough staff. Because of the district’s improved financial ground and more certainty about the coming year, schools can expect to receive preliminary budgets earlier in the school year.
“As CPS puts the cloud of fiscal uncertainty behind us, we know that there are bright days ahead when we can focus together on supporting the academic gains that students are making, thanks to committed educators in schools,” said CPS CEO Forrest Claypool. “Even as demographic trends outside our control – especially the birth rate and immigration to this country – affect our overall population, our schools will continue to be among the best schools in the nation and every child in every neighborhood will be able to get a great education in a Chicago Public School.”
Enrollment Breakdown:
| FY17 Enrollment | FY18 Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|
| District-run Elementary Schools | 217,812 | 214,081 |
| District-run High Schools | 77,326 | 73,821 |
| Charter/Contract | 55,252 | 55,157 |
| Charter/Contract – Alternative | 5,161 | 4,936 |
| Alternative Learning Opportunity Programs | 2,945 | 2,331 |
| District-run Pre-K | 20,673 | 19,441 |
| SAFE | 47 | 11 |
| District Alternative | 706 | 437 |
| Specialty Schools (excluding Pre-K) | 1,427 | 1,167 |
| Total Enrollment | 381,349 | 371,382 |
As part of the City’s comprehensive effort to better prepare young learners for kindergarten, CPS added over 1,500 new full-day Pre-K seats this year by converting 50 classrooms from half-day to full-day preschool. The expansion of full-day opportunities – which accounts for the overall decline in preschool seats this year – was done in response to research that shows children who attend full-day preschool are more than twice as likely to be ready for kindergarten than those who attended half-day or no preschool at all. Since 2011, the City of Chicago, though programs operated by both CPS and the City’s Department of Family & Support Services, has nearly doubled the number of full-day Pre-K spots available to families, increasing from approximately 10,000 seats in 2011 to over 18,000 seats this year.
Chicago Public Schools serves 371,000 students in 646 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.