A recent report highlights a significant decline in student enrollment across Chicago schools, resulting in approximately 150 institutions operating at half capacity or less.

According to the findings by ChalkBeat and ProPublica, 47 schools are functioning with less than one-third of their student capacity, which leads to increased costs and fewer course options for students.

This year, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) enrolled around 325,000 students, marking a drop of 70,000 compared to a decade ago. The report notes projections estimating future enrollment could range from 300,000 to 334,000 students, influenced partly by a sharp decline in birth rates—over a 43% decrease from 2011 to 2021.

Despite shrinking enrollments, CPS still spends about $18,700 per student, with some schools exceeding this amount two or three times over. For instance, a school with only 28 students costs roughly $93,000 in total. Schools like DuSable High School and Frederick Douglass Academy, which have dwindling student populations, see costs approaching $50,000 and $93,000 per student, respectively.

The analysis shows that smaller schools often have limited course offerings, extracurricular activities, and sports, which contributes to lower graduation and college enrollment rates, along with higher truancy and dropout figures.

The city has avoided closing schools for years due to pressure from the Chicago Teachers Union and a longstanding moratorium since 2013. CPS leadership acknowledges that many schools serve very few students and faces backlash when attempting closures or mergers, complicating efforts to address the enrollment downturn.

Education officials and union leaders suggest that Chicago’s progressive policies—such as protecting immigrant rights, access to reproductive healthcare, and LGBTQ+ support—may help attract new families, yet the challenge of reversing enrollment decline remains unresolved.