The bulletin board for America's public schools. Parents, teachers, students, and staff. One community per school.
ENROLLMENT TRENDS · ILLINOIS

Illinois schools in decline

Illinois public schools with the largest enrollment loss from 2017-18 to 2024-25.

Schools in this report
50
steepest declines in state
Largest drop
-100%
Hope D Wall TMH Child Dev Ctr
Range
-100% to -63%
2017-18 → 2024-25
TOP 50 IL PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY ENROLLMENT LOSS · 2017-18 → 2024-25
SchoolCityDistrict2017-182024-25% change ↑
Hope D Wall TMH Child Dev CtrAURORAAurora West USD 1291630-100%
The Academy at Forest ViewARLINGTON HEIGHTSTownship HSD 2141430-100%
Developmental Learning Pgm DLPMIDLOTHIANEisenhower Cooperative1590-100%
Laremont SchoolGAGES LAKESpec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol1690-100%
Plainfield AcademyPLAINFIELDPlainfield SD 2021400-100%
Julia S Molloy Education CenterMORTON GROVENiles Twp District for Spec Educ1000-100%
Thurgood Marshall Learning CtrROCK ISLANDRock Island SD 411720-100%
Excel Academy - Southwest HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2991100-100%
Regional Alop SchoolBLOOMINGTONDeWitt/Livingstn/Logan/McLean ROE2200-100%
Outlook AcademySOUTH HOLLANDThornton Twp HSD 2052200-100%
Excel Academy of South ShoreCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2991450-100%
Knoxville Cntr Student SuccessPEORIAPeoria SD 1501250-100%
Child Service Center PreschoolAURORAAurora East USD 1311380-100%
Early Childhood Dev CntrAURORAAurora East USD 1312880-100%
DREAM AcademyELGINKane ROE1400-100%
Belleville Twp HS-Night/Alt SchBELLEVILLEBelleville Twp HSD 2011380-100%
Illinois Park Elem SchoolELGINSD U-464830-100%
SUCCESS AcademyAURORAKane ROE1010-100%
Highland SchoolCHICAGO HEIGHTSChicago Heights SD 1702020-100%
John G Conyers Learning AcademyROLLING MEADOWSPalatine CCSD 153450-100%
Higgins Education CenterHOFFMAN ESTATESTownship HSD 2111040-100%
Graham R Training CenterCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2991170-100%
Paris Cooperative High SchoolPARISParis Cooperative High School5810-100%
Cook Co Juvenile Det -York Alt HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2992030-100%
Nathaniel Hawthorne EC SchoolWHEELINGWheeling CCSD 212140-100%
Independence PreschoolBARTLETTSD U-462940-100%
Delta Learning CenterCRESTWOODCHSD 2181740-100%
B H R A Cooperative HSBISMARCKB H R A Cooperative HS3420-100%
Illinois School for the DeafJACKSONVILLEDept of Human Services1570-100%
Excel Academy - Englewood HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2992330-100%
Vaughn Occupational High SchoolCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2992270-100%
Cook Co Juvenile-Jefferson Alt HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2991820-100%
Northside Learning CenterCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2992280-100%
Summit Academy ALOPMACHESNEY PKBoone/Winnebago ROE1350-100%
Southside Occupational Acad HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 2992710-100%
Gordon Bush Alt Sch for EducationE SAINT LOUISEast St Louis SD 1891150-100%
Winston Campus ElementaryPALATINEPalatine CCSD 154892-99.6%
Early Learning CenterWEST CHICAGOWest Chicago ESD 331251-99.2%
Roosevelt CenterROCKFORDRockford SD 20543860-86.3%
Daniel Burnham Elem SchoolCICEROCicero SD 99950185-80.5%
ASPIRA Charter - Haugan CampusCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29942583-80.5%
Rudolph Elem Learning CenterCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29910022-78.0%
Acero Chtr - Octavio Paz Elem SchCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29937098-73.5%
Douglass Academy High SchoolCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29910129-71.3%
Williams Medical Prep High SchCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29923174-68.0%
Urban Prep Chtr Acad Englewood HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29926087-66.5%
Raby High SchoolCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 299381128-66.4%
Central Early ChildhoodGOLDENCentral CUSD 321075-64.3%
Crown Elem Comm Acd Fine Arts CtrCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 29925692-64.1%
Bronzeville Scholastic HSCHICAGOChicago Public Schools Dist 299321119-62.9%
50 of 50 rows · Brick-and-mortar only. Virtual, online, and cyber schools excluded. Schools must have had ≥100 students in 2017-18 and be open in both school years.↓ Download schools-in-decline-by-state-il.csv

How this list was built

Every Illinois public school that reported total enrollment in both the NCES SY 2017-18 and SY 2024-25 vintages was scored on percent change in enrollment. Schools needed at least 100 students in 2017-18 to qualify, and must have been open in both school years. Schools that closed entirely are tracked in the separate school closures report. Virtual academies, cyber charters, and online schools are excluded so the list reflects neighborhood schools that families have moved away from rather than program-design changes.

Enrollment loss is not a verdict on a school. Schools shrink because catchment populations shrink, because new schools open nearby, because a magnet program elsewhere pulls transfers, because districts redraw boundaries, or because the building physically aged out. Use this list as a starting point for understanding which Illinois schools are operating with substantially fewer students than they were seven years ago.

Source data

NCES Common Core of Data, EDGE_ADMINDATA_PUBLICSCH MapServer, vintages 2017-18 and 2024-25. Refreshed yearly when NCES publishes a new admin-data release. School names, slugs, and current district affiliation come from the 2024-25 snapshot.

HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT

Anyone is welcome to cite or republish these findings. Please credit allk12.com and link back to this page so readers can verify the underlying data.

allk12 (2026). "Illinois schools in decline: enrollment loss 2017–2024." Retrieved from https://allk12.com/reports/in-decline/illinois
For interview requests or custom data pulls: [email protected]
DOWNLOAD THE DATA
↓ schools-in-decline-by-state-il.csv
RELATED
Illinois schools on the rise · All Illinois schools · Best Illinois schools · All states
DATA NOTICE

allk12 is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCES, the US Census Bureau, any state education agency or assessment program, or any other government agency. Source data is compiled from public records and provided "as is," without warranty of accuracy or completeness. You rely on it, and any analysis derived from it, at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.