South Side - Choice

Where are Elementary Students Choosing to Attend Outside the Region?

This map illustrates the current choice footprint of K-8th graders residing in the South Side region but attending a school out of the region.

The Greater Midway, Greater Stockyards, Bronzeville / South Lakefront, and Greater Stony Island regions are enrolling the greatest overall number of elementary students who reside in the South Side region but attend school out of the region.

                                 Elementary School Choice Footprint Map

Are High School Students Choosing Schools in the Region?

Percentage of 8th Grade Students in the Region Who Applied to High School

Since 2017-18, CPS has utilized the GoCPS platform to allow students to research and apply to all high schools and high school programs. Students are asked to rank in order of preference the schools and programs they are most interested in. Students are still guaranteed a seat in the general education program at their zoned high school and do not have to submit a GoCPS application for that program. For more information about GoCPS and the high school application process, visit go.cps.edu.

In the South Side region, 93% (1,822) of 8th-grade students applied to a variety of high school programs in Round 1 of the GoCPS application process.

Percentage of Students in the Region Who Received an Offer from One of Their Top 3 Choices

Of the 8th-grade students residing in the South Side region who applied in Round 1, 86% received an offer to one of their top 3 choices of high school programs. This figure does not include selective enrollment high schools as those schools use a different ranking process in GoCPS.

NOTE: This analysis only includes 8th-grade applicants who were enrolled on the 20th day of school in 2023-24. Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

Between school years 2020-21 and 2021-22 changes were made to the CPS HS admissions process. As a result, students' ranking and offer outcomes will differ overall from previous years' data.

High School Student Choice Over Time

School choice is currently defined as choosing to attend a school that is not a student’s zoned (or assigned) school.

Over the past four years, in this region, the percent of high school students attending a school other than their zoned school (in or out of the region) has increased from 86% to 88%. In the same time frame, the percentage of students attending their zoned school has decreased from 14% to 12%.

High school students attending a school in the South Side region (zoned or non-zoned) has decreased from 45% to 43%, while students attending another school out of the region has increased from 55% to 57%.

NOTE: Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

High School Students Who Attend School Out of Region by Race/Ethnicity

Of the 7,537 high students who live in the region, 57% (4,296 students) attend school outside of the region. In the region, 49% of students who identify as Black attend school outside of their home region compared to 81% of students who identify as Latinx and 58% of students who identify as Other.

High School Students Who Attend a Non-Zoned School In Region

Of the 7,537 high students residing in the region, 31% (2,354 students) attend another school in the region that is not their zoned school. Of those students, 60% attend Charter/Contract schools with the remainder attending other citywide schools, Selective Enrollment, or other zoned schools in the region.

High School Students Who Attend a Non-Zoned School Out of Region

Of the 7,537 high students residing in the region, 57% (4,296 students) attend another school out of the region. Of those students, 30% attend Charter/Contract schools with the remainder attending other zoned schools, Selective Enrollment, other citywide schools, Magnet, or Military schools out of the region.

High School Student's Distance and Time Traveled to School

Of the 7,537 high students residing in the region, 41% travel less than 3 miles for school and 28% travel 6 miles or more. 45% of students travel less than 30 minutes and 29% travel 45 minutes or more.

NOTE: The travel distance and time medians represent the midpoint in each group of data. The midpoint is the point where 50% of students in the region travel shorter than this distance/time and 50% travel longer than this distance/time. Using a median more fairly represents travel data and reduces the influence of extreme values such as students who attend school very far away from their home region.

Distance traveled and commute time are calculated based on the student’s home address and the address of their school. Commute distance and time was calculated using Google Maps travel estimates and includes a combination of walking and public transit data. The analysis takes into account school start times and chooses routes that minimize unnecessary travel and wait time. Any wait time before a trip starts is not included but wait times due to transfers are included.

Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

Where are High School Students Choosing to Attend Outside the Region?

Choice Footprint Map

This map illustrates the current choice footprint of 9th-12th graders residing in the South Side region but attending a school out of the region.

The Greater Midway, Greater Stockyards, Bronzeville / South Lakefront, and Greater Stony Island regions are enrolling the greatest overall number of high school students who reside in the South Side region but attend school out of the region.

                                 High School Choice Footprint Map

Are Options High School Students Choosing Schools in the Region?

Options High School Student Choice Over Time

Options high schools serve students who need a new pathway toward high school graduation. CPS schools offer additional supports and services for students who have been out of school and seek to return or who may need opportunities to earn credits in an accelerated program. Some of CPS’ campuses offer additional supports such as counseling and alternative schedules for students who may work during the traditional school day.

Options high schools exist in every region except the Greater Lincoln Park and Far Southwest Side regions. Options high schools do not have attendance zones or admission criteria although many serve only students 16 years and older. Students can choose to attend any Options high school within or outside of their home region. For this reason, Choice patterns tend to differ for Options students compared to elementary and other high school students.

Over the past four years, the percent of South Side region Options high school students attending a school in the region has increased from 32% to 40%. In the South Side region, Options high school students attend school out of the region at a greater rate than elementary students and at a greater rate than other high school students.

NOTE: Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

Options High School Student's Distance Traveled to School

The median travel distance for Options high school students residing in the region is 3.1 miles to school, which is 0.3 miles less than the district median. Of the 817 Options high school students in the region, 48% travel less than 3 miles and 23% travel 6 miles or more.

NOTE: The travel distance and time medians represent the midpoint in each group of data. The midpoint is the point where 50% of students in the region travel shorter than this distance/time and 50% travel longer than this distance/time. Using a median more fairly represents travel data and reduces the influence of extreme values such as students who attend school very far away from their home region.

Distance traveled and commute time are calculated based on the student’s home address and the address of their school. Commute distance and time was calculated using Google Maps travel estimates and includes a combination of walking and public transit data. The analysis takes into account school start times and chooses routes that minimize unnecessary travel and wait time. Any wait time before a trip starts is not included but wait times due to transfers are included.

Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

Options High School Student's Time Traveled to School

The median travel time for Options high school students residing in the region is 28 minutes, which is 3 minutes less than the district median. Of the 817 Option high school students in the region, 54% travel less than 30 minutes and 25% travel 45 minutes or more.

NOTE: The travel distance and time medians represent the midpoint in each group of data. The midpoint is the point where 50% of students in the region travel shorter than this distance/time and 50% travel longer than this distance/time. Using a median more fairly represents travel data and reduces the influence of extreme values such as students who attend school very far away from their home region.

Distance traveled and commute time are calculated based on the student’s home address and the address of their school. Commute distance and time was calculated using Google Maps travel estimates and includes a combination of walking and public transit data. The analysis takes into account school start times and chooses routes that minimize unnecessary travel and wait time. Any wait time before a trip starts is not included but wait times due to transfers are included.

Due to rounding, some charts may not add up to 100%.

Where are Options High School Students Choosing to Attend Outside the Region?

Choice Footprint Map and Table

This map illustrates the current choice footprint of 9th-12th Options high school students residing in the South Side region. The table shares enrollment data on Options high schools students across all regions.

The Central Area, Greater Midway, Bronzeville / South Lakefront, Greater Stony Island, and Greater Calumet regions are enrolling the greatest overall number of Options high school students who reside in the South Side region but attend school out of the region.