Black & Hispanic students make up 96.6% of enrollment in Chicago’s charter public schools, compared to 82.6% of students in Chicago’s public schools as a whole.
Students who qualify for free and reduced price lunches make up 68.7% of enrollment in Chicago’s charter public schools compared to 63.8% of enrollment in Chicago’s public schools as a whole.
Students with disabilities comprise 15.2% of enrollment in Chicago’s charter public schools compared to 14.6% of students in Chicago’s district-run schools.
Although CPS enrollment has fallen precipitously in recent years, this decline is NOT due to more students attending charter schools: since 2013, citywide public school enrollment has declined by 62,803 students — a 16% decrease. Chicago’s charter sector enrollment, however, has decreased by 1,562 students — a 3% decrease. CPS’s enrollment has declined because there are fewer school aged-children in Chicago, not because there are more children attending charter schools.
