How Many Seats Are There for the Student Population?
Student Population
Students who reside in region, including those who attend school out of region
The number of students who live in the West Side region has decreased by 1874 students (5.2%) since 2020-2021, which is more than the 5.1% citywide decline. The K-8th grade population has decreased by 9.1% (more than the 9.0% decrease in total CPS K-8th grade student enrollment) and the 9th-12th grade population has decreased by 1.9% (less than the 3.1% decrease in total CPS 9th-12th grade student enrollment).
Students Residing in Region Over Time
Students Residing in Region Over Time
NOTE: Enrollment data is from the annual 20th-day count (September 18th, 2023).
Student Enrollment
Students who attend school in the region, including those who reside out of the region
The number of students enrolled in the region has decreased by 2,662 students (9.5%), which is more than the student population decline in the district. For the past four years, there have been fewer students enrolled in the region than living in the region. K-8 enrollment in the region has decreased by 11.0% and 9-12 enrollment has decreased by 12.3%.
Students Attending in Region Over Time
Students Attending in Region Over Time
Seats and Enrollment
There are 30,273 more seats than students enrolled in the region, including 21,498 elementary school seats and 8,775 high school seats.
Number of Seats vs. Enrollment in Elementary and High School Buildings
Number of Seats vs. Enrollment in Elementary and High School Buildings
NOTE: Enrollment and seats figures listed here do not include Pre-K and Cluster students. The number of seats is the adjusted ideal capacity of the school building or the charter contract enrollment cap. Elementary grade students enrolled in combination K-12 schools are grouped into the high school category.
How Many Pre-Kindergarten Seats Are There for the Student Population?
Total Pre-K Seats and Enrollment
In the West Side region, there are 2,010 Pre-K Seats, 81% of which are in full-day programs and 19% in half-day programs.
Full- and Half-Day Pre-K Seats in Region
Full- and Half-Day Pre-K Seats in Region
In the West Side region, there were 1,270 students enrolled in Pre-K as of the 20th day of school (September 18th, 2023), 84% of which were in a full-day program. 75% of Pre-K students were 4-year-olds, while 25% were 3-year-olds. Pre-K students continue to enroll over the course of the school year.
3- and 4-Year-Old Pre-K Enrollment in Region
3- and 4-Year-Old Pre-K Enrollment in Region
There were 740 unfilled Pre-K seats in the West Side region as of the 20th day of school (September 18th, 2023), 562 of which were full-day seats. The full-day programs were 66% filled while the half-day programs were 53% filled. Pre-K enrollment continues to occur over the course of the school year.
Full- and Half-Day Pre-K Enrollment vs. Seats in Region
Full- and Half-Day Pre-K Enrollment vs. Seats in Region
NOTE: Pre-K enrollment totals are from the 20th day of school in 2023-24 and include all students aged 3 or 4. Some totals exclude students who were enrolled in Pre-K but not scheduled to a half-day or full-day classroom on the 20th day.
Full-Day Pre-K Seats and Enrollment
In the West Side region, there has been a decrease of 260 full-day seats over the past four years, a 13.8% decrease. This number has decreased by 68 seats since last school year.
Full-Day Pre-K Seats in Region Over Time
Full-Day Pre-K Seats in Region Over Time
NOTE: Pre-K enrollment totals are from the 20th day of school in 2023-24 and include all students aged 3 or 4. Some totals exclude students who were enrolled in Pre-K but not scheduled to a half-day or full-day classroom on the 20th day.
4-Year-Old Enrollment Over Time
In 2023-24, there was a 3.1% decrease in enrollment (30 students) of 4-year-olds in full-day Pre-K programs in the West Side region. In 2020-21, the district experienced a sharp decline in Pre-K enrollment, consistent with a nationwide decrease in Pre-K enrollment.
4-Year-Old Pre-K Enrollment in Region Over Time
4-Year-Old Pre-K Enrollment in Region Over Time
NOTE: Pre-K enrollment totals are from the 20th day of school in 2023-24 and include all students aged 3 or 4. Some totals exclude students who were enrolled in Pre-K but not scheduled to a half-day or full-day classroom on the 20th day.
Pre-K Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
The proportion of Pre-K students identifying as Black is 76% compared to 76% of Kindergarten students, while the proportion of Pre-K students identifying as Latinx is 21% compared to 21% of Kindergarten students. For most regions, the racial/ethnic identities of students are similar in both Pre-K and Kindergarten. In some cases, the proportion of each racial/ethnic group may change when comparing Pre-K to Kindergarten.
Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity
NOTE: Pre-K enrollment totals are from the 20th day of school in 2023-24 and include all students aged 3 or 4. Some totals exclude students who were enrolled in Pre-K but not scheduled to a half-day or full-day classroom on the 20th day.