While elementary schools are considered overcrowded if their enrollment is at least 80% of their “design capacity,” CPS says that high school overcrowding is defined if their capacity exceeds 100%. Since so many high schools have special curriculum focuses, CPS bases design capacity on curriculum programming. For instance, a Career Academy will be a larger building with larger classrooms where the programming of the school requires larger spaces for such needs as auto shops, or culinary arts kitchens. So you would have more space, but not necessarily more than an average number of students in the school.

On the contrary, if a school falls below 65% of its design capacity, it is considered to be “underutilized” and assumed to have excess building space.
The Chicago Public Schools determine whether a school is overcrowded by dividing the number of students in a school (the enrollment) by the number of students that school can hold (the design capacity). Again, a school is considered overcrowded if its enrollment is 80 percent or more of the design capacity.

• For elementary schools, CPS counts 30 students for every average size classroom (600-1200 sq.ft.), 15 students for a less than average size classroom (less than 600 sq. ft.), and 40 students for every above average size classroom (more than 1200 sq. ft.).




• For high schools, CPS uses figures mandated by the contract with the Chicago Teachers Union instead of the physical area of the classroom.

In both the elementary and high schools, spaces not originally intended as classrooms (i.e. auditoriums, gymnasiums, storage closets, etc.) that may currently be used as classrooms are not counted in the calculation of design capacity. That figure also excludes temporary facilities such as mobile units, or "demountables" as they are now called.

It is important to note that this formula does not take into account any State or nationally mandated programs which will affect space utilization, such as bilingual education (where class sizes are supposed to be smaller), special education, or even space for computers in classrooms, computer labs, or science labs. Nor does this definition of design capacity take into account any policy initiatives by the Board of Education which may affect space utilization (such as holding a large number of students back or the institution of a Pre-Kindergarten program in a given school).

Some school districts and architects are moving towards the use of school building square footage to more accurately assess the crowding conditions of their schools. For instance, based on school design standards for various grade combinations of schools (i.e. K-8, K-6, 6th – 8th, 9-12, etc.), curricular focuses, new schools vs. old, protypical schools, and so forth, square footage standards essentially say that at various schools, each student should have at least X amount of square footage.

The Chicago Teachers Union contract

The contract between the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Board of Education has specific language regarding number of students per teacher per classroom. In elementary schools, the stipulations are 27-29 at the kindergarten level, 27-29 at the primary grade level (1st thru 3rd), and 30-32 at the intermediate and upper grade level (4th thru 8th). In high schools, all general education programs are 28 students per class except for Art (31 students), Music (34 students), and Gym (40 students). Other exceptions are remedial Math (25 students) and essential or basic English (25 students). It is important to note, however, that the Illinois General Assembly amended the school code in 1995 to disallow the CTU from negotiating class size in their collective bargaining agreement. The Chicago Teachers Union, in collaboration with the Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago, are attempting to pass through legislation an amended repeal that reinstates some negotiations and bargaining rights inclusive of the Chicago Teachers Unions and other CPS unions affected. As of November 2002, the Illinois General Assembly has convened its veto session, where the status of the proposed legislation will be decided.

Source: Agreement between the Board of Education of the City of Chicago and the Chicago Teachers Union, Local #1 of the A.F.T., A.F.L.-C.I.O. July 1, 1999-June 30, 2003. Article 28; Chicago Teachers Union, November 15, 2002.

National Mandates for Special Education.

National law regarding special education allows up to 15 students per classroom if a teacher's aide is present, and fewer if there is no assistant. The Americans with Disabilites Act may also reduce the design capacities of some schools if space needs to be used for ramps and elevators. Recent shifts towards policies of inclusion --wherein students with disabilities are integrated into the regular classroom setting -- make the issue of space utilization even more complex.

The following factors may reduce the design capacity of your school below the figures proposed by CPS: Does Your School Fit?

1. Special programs or curricula such as art, music, shop classes, or science labs take up more space than your average classroom, and reduce the design capacity of your school because such classes may be counted as a full-time, all-day classroom when in fact it is an art room a few hours per day

2. A large number of students who receive special instruction (such as students with learning disabilities, or students in bilingual education programs), special "pull-out" programs for additional instruction or students with physical disabilities can reduce design capacity because fewer students can be in each classroom.

3. Classrooms that are severely damaged may remain unused, or only a portion of the room can be used, reducing the actual number of square feet available to students.

5. The absence or inadequacy of basic facilities such as a library, an auditorium, a lunchroom, a gymnasium, or a multipurpose room can have a dramatic effect on the actual design capacity of a school. For example, if students have to eat lunch in their classrooms, that space cannot be used for classes during that period. A lack of a library or multipurpose room means that traditional classrooms may be taken up for special activities, further reducing the amount of available student desks as well as the diversity and quality of the programs that the school can offer.

When you are trying to assess the degree of overcrowding at your school, it is important to understand how all of these factors fits together, or don't fit together. Each program at your school is affected by the others, and must be dealt with together, as a whole. The most critical thing to start with is a written report or letter from CPS telling you what they judge your school's design capacity to be and why. That will serve as a starting point for discussions about improving your school and changing the way space is used.

Building Square Footage Standards: Does this More Accurately Assess School Crowding?

Some school districts and architects are moving towards the use of school building square footage to more accurately assess the crowding conditions of their schools. For instance, based on school design standards for various grade combinations of schools (i.e. K-8, K-6, 6th – 8th, 9-12, etc.), curricular focuses, new schools vs. old, prototypical schools, and so forth, square footage standards essentially say that at various schools, each student should have at least ‘X’ amount of square footage.

For example, if we look at the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Facility Master Plan (May 2001), their space recommendations suggest that crowding can be calculated by looking at the number of students divided by the total Building Square Footage. The following square footage standards per student are used in Washington, DC’s school plan:

How does this translate if we applied the Square Footage formula to Chicago schools? Below is an example of schools and their crowding conditions comparing CPS’ design capacity* formula versus DCPS’ Square Footage** standard using 150 ft2/student (DCPS, May 2001). What does this comparison show? As many teachers have pleaded, their buildings are far more overcrowded than CPS’ percent capacity formula depicts. Those in bold represent schools that would be considered overcrowded if to the formula was applied

For more information or assistance, contact :

Andrea Lee –NCBG’s Schools Initiative Coordinator, 312-939-7198.