After 11 years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools is no longer the nation’s third largest school district.
There are now 322,106 children attending the city’s public schools, roughly 9,000 fewer than last year, according to the official enrollment count released Wednesday during a school board meeting. That’s more than 80,000 fewer students than there were a decade ago, when city officials shuttered 50 schools citing low enrollment, and more than 115,000 fewer than were enrolled 20 years ago.
The stunning contraction in size raises important questions about the future of the public school system and the city as a whole.
“Our enrollment numbers reflect many changes including declining birth rates, but they also present us with an opportunity to review our practices and to ensure that we’re providing the best programming and services to our students,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said at the board meeting.
There's more:
Despite shrinking enrollment, the district’s budget has grown to $9.4 billion, up from around $5 billion a decade ago. A new state funding formula and a wave of pandemic recovery money have helped. CPS is in a position to spend more money per student at a time of incredible need.
Government education: less students... way more money !
