When Schools Close: Understanding Enrollment Patterns in Chicago

• In Event: 26.046 - Magnets, Open Enrollment, and School Closures

Abstract

Motivated by fiscal deficit, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) closed 47 underutilized elementary schools in June 2013. The district made an effort to place displaced students in designated ‘welcoming’ schools with higher test scores, but at the same time, families could choose to apply to any other school in the district with open seats. Using district enrollment data and interviews with 95 families, we addressed the following research questions: In which schools did students from the closed schools enroll the following fall? And what factors mattered most for families when considering new schools for their children? Results show that 66 percent of families enrolled their children into welcoming schools. Parents considered proximity to home and student safety as the primary factors.

Authors

• Molly F. Gordon, University of Chicago

• Maria Luisa de la Torre, University of Chicago

• Jen Cowhy, Consortium on Chicago School Research At The University of Chicago

• Paul Moore, Consortium on Chicago School Research