BRIDGEPORT — Eight out of 13 public schools in Bridgeport, Chinatown and McKinley Park saw enrollment dip this school year, according to data released by Chicago Public Schools.
Enrollment is down significantly across the city, and local schools are no exception. More than half of the area's schools saw enrollment drop. Among the schools that saw drops, the average enrollment decline is 7.89 percent, while schools that saw increases saw them jump by a modest 2.12 percent, according to 10th day enrollment data CPS released this week.
The school that saw the biggest drop in enrollment is Air Force High School, 3630 S. Wells St., which has 262 students, a 21.79 percent dip from its projected enrollment. That decline has caused a 3.6 percent decrease in the school's discretionary budget, according to CPS.
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CPS officials announced Monday that the budget ax will not fall this year on schools that enrolled fewer students than expected. Those schools will keep $35 million they would have lost if CPS had made cuts based on the 10th-day enrollment, as it has in the past, officials said.
But schools with more students than anticipated will get additional money under the district's budgeting system, which funds schools based on the number of students they have, officials said.
Here are figures on 10th day enrollment for area schools, followed by the percent change over its enrollment projections:
• Air Force High School: 262 students (-21.79)
• Armour Elementary: 235 (-7.48)
• Graham Elementary: 376 (-8.29)
• Greene Elementary: 471 (-9.94)
• Holden Elementary: 465 (+1.75)
• Healy Elementary: 1,395 (-0.7)
• McClellan Elementary: 677 (-3.56)
• Tilden High School: 849 (+1.07)
• Haines Elementary: 654 (+2.51)
• Sheridan Elementary: 646 (-6.24)
• Evergreen Middle School: 316 (4.29)
• Hendricks Academy: 203 (+1.0)
• Ward Elementary: 311 (-5.18)
Before the school year began, CPS officials had expected enrollment to drop by 8,000 students, and the new figures show CPS had 205 fewer students than expected, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said.
Last year, enrollment dropped by more than 13,800 students over the previous year, data shows.
The official 20th-day enrollment will be released next week, but CPS has said it has about 380,000 students.
