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Every year, tens of thousands of Chicago Public Schools students transfer schools.
The district tracks more than a dozen reasons for why students change schools, including leaving the city, graduating, or going to a private school.
But the most common type of transfer among CPS students is going to another school in the district.
During the 2024-25 school year, more than 24,000 kids — or more than 7% of the student body — transferred within the district, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. That number excludes 8th graders who move on to high school.
Chicago families may choose to switch schools for a range of reasons. Children may move to a different neighborhood. Parents might feel their child’s school is not a good fit. Or, in more extreme cases, students may feel unsafe in their buildings due to harassment or abuse.
No matter the reason, school transfers can mean significant change for a student, the school they’re leaving, and the new school they’re going to.
Are you or your child one of the tens of thousands of students who have transferred schools? We want to hear from you about your experience. Tell us here or in the short survey below. (We will not use your answers or your name in our reporting without your permission.)
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional information about the data provided by CPS after publication to clarify the number of transfers in a given year.
A previous version used numbers that included 8th graders who are labeled as transfers when they move on to high school. We’ve revised the numbers to exclude this cohort since there is not an option for them to remain at their existing school.
Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.
