A new education report shows a modest decline in the share of Chicago families choosing CPS education. Birth rates keep falling and more parents look at private, charter, or home-based options. The question for you as a parent or educator is simple: what does this shift in school enrollment mean for your child and your neighborhood?
Report on CPS education: modest decline among Chicago families
The latest report on CPS education from Kids First Chicago tracks how many children in the city attend public schools versus other options. For about a decade, Chicago Public Schools served roughly three out of four school-age children in the city, even during budget crises and school closures.
Since 2018, that picture has changed. The education report finds that CPS now serves around 71% of the city’s school-age population, a modest decline compared with the stable 75% share of previous years. On paper the drop looks small, but it equals about 18,000 students who might have been in CPS classrooms if earlier patterns had held.
Key data from the CPS enrollment report
The student enrollment numbers show a long downward trend in CPS, driven first by fewer children in the city, and more recently by changing family choices. Since the 2009-2010 school year, CPS has lost about 93,000 students, dropping from roughly 409,000 to just over 316,000 on the 20th day of the most recent school year.
In the last year alone, official school enrollment fell by about 9,000 students. The decline did not hit every group in the same way. Black and Latino children together account for nearly 10,000 of the losses, while white, Asian American, and multiracial enrollment in CPS inched up.
This pattern shows why you need to look beyond citywide totals. For many families, the story of CPS education now depends heavily on race, income, and neighborhood.
Education trends: how birth rates and migration shape CPS enrollment
The education trends shaping CPS start long before kindergarten. Chicago has seen a dramatic fall in births over the last two decades. In 2005, the city reported more than 45,000 live births. By 2015, the figure had dropped to under 40,000. By 2023, only about 26,800 babies were born in the city.
This means that in fewer than 20 years, the number of babies born each year has nearly been cut in half. Every kindergarten class now reflects this shift, and the impact shows clearly in CPS numbers.
From birth decline to lower student enrollment
The drop in births feeds directly into lower student enrollment in early grades. In 2015-2016, CPS enrolled about 27,650 kindergarteners. In the most recent school year, the kindergarten count stands near 20,040. That is about a 27% decline in one grade level alone.
For a parent, this means your child might enter much smaller cohorts than older siblings did. Smaller groups sometimes mean more attention, but they also risk fewer programs if funding formulas and staffing do not adapt. This is where the modest decline in the CPS share of Chicago families intersects with pure demographics.
At the same time, Chicago has seen population shifts, with some Black families in particular moving out of the city. Fewer births and out-migration combine to shrink the pool of potential CPS students, even before parents decide where to enroll.
Family choices: why some Chicago families leave CPS education
The new education report shows a subtle but important shift. Earlier declines in school enrollment came mostly from demographic change. Today, fewer Chicago families choose CPS education even when their children live in the city and are school-age.
Census data shows a small rise in the share of children labeled as “not enrolled” and in those attending private schools. “Not enrolled” covers home education, young people who dropped out, children between schools, and kids not yet placed in a formal program.
What drives these school enrollment decisions
Parents like a fictional mother, Carla in Little Village, often describe a similar process. She compares academic results, safety concerns, commute time, and after-school activities. When neighborhood schools lose staff and electives, some families feel pushed toward charter, selective enrollment, or private options.
The modest decline in CPS’s share of student enrollment suggests more parents reach a point where they no longer see their local public school as the best fit. Some seek smaller class sizes in private schools. Others look for specialized language or arts programs in charters. A few decide on home-based paths because schedules or values feel out of sync with CPS.
Each decision shapes education trends in the city. When enough families leave, a school’s funding and course offerings suffer, which then influences the next wave of choices.
Neighborhood gaps in CPS education and public schools access
The report highlights that the modest decline in CPS share of Chicago families is not uniform across the city. Some parts of Chicago hold steady, while others face sharp losses in public schools enrollment.
West and South Side neighborhoods carry the heaviest burden. These areas already deal with historical disinvestment, and falling student enrollment puts additional pressure on local schools.
Concrete neighborhood examples of school enrollment change
One CPS network on the Southwest Side, around McKinley Park, has lost about 7,000 students since 2015-2016. The network serving Belmont Cragin and Austin follows with a loss of about 6,000 students. A third network, covering Pilsen and Little Village, is down around 5,000.
For a school in these areas, this does not mean one empty classroom. It often means fewer teachers, fewer counselors, fewer electives, and sometimes school closures or consolidations. Families staying in these neighborhoods face a harder decision: stay with neighborhood public schools that offer fewer options, or travel farther to programs with more resources.
Meanwhile, some North Side schools see relative stability or small gains in enrollment, linked with higher-income families and more selective programs. This uneven pattern turns CPS education into a story of access and equity across neighborhoods.
How CPS education funding and experience respond to modest decline
One important shift in the education report is how CPS responds to lower school enrollment. The district has moved away from funding schools strictly by headcount. This protects some campuses from sudden cuts when they lose a small number of students.
Even with new formulas, smaller cohorts still bring trade-offs. A school with fewer children might not support a wide range of electives, advanced coursework, or full sports programs. Students might lose access to key experiences that shape motivation and college readiness.
Adapting CPS education: combining resources and rethinking models
District leaders and community groups are testing ways to keep experiences rich despite lower student enrollment. Some nearby schools share sports teams so students still access athletics. Others share arts instructors or advanced classes across campuses.
For example, two small high schools in neighboring communities might run a joint robotics club, rotating practice locations. Middle schools can coordinate to offer a shared dual-language program even when each building lacks enough students to run a full section alone.
These strategies do not remove all the strain of declining numbers, but they show how public schools respond when Chicago families and demographics shift. The quality of CPS education will depend not only on how many students enroll, but on how well leaders organize resources.
Practical steps for Chicago families navigating CPS education choices
For you as a parent or caregiver, the modest decline in CPS education share should prompt focused questions rather than panic. The key is to understand local conditions and how they affect your child’s daily life.
Use the findings from the latest education report as a starting point, then look closely at your school options, both within CPS and outside it.
Checklist for school enrollment decisions in Chicago
When you make school enrollment decisions in a context of modest decline and shifting education trends, use a clear checklist. Focus on daily experience and long-term outcomes rather than reputation alone.
- Academic track record: Look at growth data, not only test scores. Ask how the school supports students who fall behind.
- Staff stability: Ask how teacher turnover has changed as enrollment drops. Stable teams often serve students better.
- Course and program range: Check if your child will access arts, languages, STEM clubs, and advanced classes, even with fewer students.
- School climate and safety: Visit in person, talk with current families, and ask older students how they feel at school.
- Support services: Verify whether counselors, social workers, and special education teams remain strong despite smaller budgets.
- Commute and schedule: Balance travel time with program quality, especially if you weigh charter or private options.
- Family voice: Find out how the school includes parents in decisions related to budget, programs, and community partnerships.
Using this list keeps the focus on your child’s needs, not only on district-level education trends or headlines about modest declines.
What the modest decline in CPS education means for the future
The current report on CPS education and school enrollment paints a complex picture. Fewer babies are born in Chicago, more families of color leave the city, and a rising share of parents explore options outside CPS. Yet many Chicago families still rely on neighborhood public schools every day.
For your child, the most important question is not only whether CPS loses students, but how the system responds. If leaders help schools share resources, protect core programs, and center student experience, a modest decline in numbers does not need to mean a decline in quality.
As you think about your own family choices, treat each new education report as one tool among many. The future of CPS education will be shaped by how families, educators, and city leaders act on these trends today.