A Chicago City Wire analysis of enrollments at 59 public high schools shows the essentially bankrupt Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district continues to operate dozens of facilities that are closer to empty than full.
Of the high schools analyzed, 42 (71 percent) were less than half full; 12 had enrollments that are less than 10 percent of what they once served.
Those 12 are Team Englewood, Harper, Fenger, Hirsch, Douglass, Robeson, Marshall, Manley, Bowen, Gage Park, Hope and Bronzeville.
Team Englewood has just 161 students, according to CPS’ 2016-17 “Ten Day” school census data published in September. The school’s attendance rate is 74 percent; 122 students show up for classes on any given day.
Its school building at 6201 S. Stewart in Englewood once housed more than 5,100 students.
Harper, 6520 S. Wood, has 172 students. It once had 4,400.
Fenger, 11220 S. Wallace, has 223. It once had 5,300.
Hirsch, 7740 S. Ingleside, has 147. It once had 3,280.
CPS high school capacity data was compiled from media reports published at the time of school openings or expansions.
The district has steadily built more and more high schools as district enrollment has collapsed.
In 1966, CPS enrollment was 607,550 and growing. The district had 53 high schools.
In the 2016-17 school year, it will be 60 percent lower-- just 381,449-- and falling. Yet CPS will operate 95 high schools this year, according to its web site.
CPS Emptiest High Schools
| High School | Students '16-'17 | High Enrollment | % of High |
| Team Englewood
| 161 | 5,114 | 3.15% |
| Harper | 172 | 4,400 | 3.91% |
| Fenger | 224 | 5,300 | 4.23% |
| Hirsch | 147 | 3,280 | 4.48% |
| Douglass | 169 | 3,287 | 5.14% |
| Robeson | 148 | 2,300 | 6.43% |
| Marshall | 369 | 5,072 | 7.28% |
| Manley | 178 | 2,400 | 7.42% |
| Bowen | 324 | 3,720 | 8.71%
|
| Gage Park | 338 | 3,717 | 9.09% |
| Hope | 139 | 1,500 | 9.27% |
| Bronzeville | 377 | 4,034 | 9.35% |
| Tilden | 267 | 2,329 | 11.46% |
| Crane | 633 | 5,367 | 11.79% |
| Wells | 387 | 3,147 | 12.30% |
| Raby | 416 | 3,275 | 12.70% |
| Harlan | 479 | 3,500 | 13.69% |
| Phillips | 560 | 3,602 | 15.55% |
| Hyde Park | 749 | 4,556 | 16.44% |
| Corliss | 361 | 1,800 | 20.06% |
| CVS | 922 | 4,334 | 21.27% |
| Lindblom | 1,293 | 5,760 | 22.45% |
| Dunbar | 563 | 2,506 | 22.47% |
| Kelvyn Park | 532 | 2,344 | 22.70% |
| Orr | 396 | 1,600 | 24.75% |
| Clemente | 744 | 3,000 | 24.80% |
| Farragut | 812 | 2,952 | 27.51% |
| Lake View | 1,304 | 4,620 | 28.23% |
| Sullivan | 608 | 2,139 | 28.42% |
| Roosevelt | 1,196 | 4,118 | 29.04% |
| Senn | 1,417 | 4,612 | 30.72% |
| Richards | 249 | 800 | 31.13% |
| Schurz | 1,811 | 5,661 | 31.99% |
| Steinmetz | 1,376 | 4,193 | 32.82% |
| Bogan | 802 | 2,375 | 33.77% |
| King | 642 | 1,800 | 35.67% |
| South Shore | 592 | 1,550 | 38.19% |
| Clark | 548 | 1,300 | 42.15% |
| Kennedy | 1,657 | 3,740 | 44.30% |
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