The CPS Annual Regional Analysis (ARA) is a collection of reports that have been created to support conversations with communities and stakeholders. These reports provide data that helps answer questions about who attends CPS schools, where do students enroll, what programs do CPS schools offer, and is the district meeting family and community needs.
Updated yearly, the ARA presents CPS data in one place and does not make recommendations or suggestions for action. Instead, these reports are designed to empower stakeholders with the information they need to ask questions and advocate for the types of schools they want in their communities. In doing so, the ARA supports CPS's goal of ensuring that every student in every neighborhood receives a high-quality education.
Stakeholders are encouraged to review this information to understand current school quality, enrollment patterns, school choice options, and program offerings at the district level and across the 16 Chicago regions.
Structure & Organization
The ARA consists of a district report and 16 regional reports. The City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development created boundaries for regions based on housing and employment research. Natural borders such as rivers and train lines divide each region. These borders are likely considerations for families when selecting a school. The ARA uses these regions since they are more consistent than city wards or school networks.
The ARA includes all CPS schools, including traditional neighborhood schools, Charter schools, Selective Enrollment, Magnet, Special Education, Specialty, and Options High Schools.
District Reference Map
Region Map
The West Side region's boundaries are, generally, the Metra Milwaukee District West railroad line to the north, West Ogden Avenue to the south, Western Avenue to the east, and Austin Avenue to the west, bordering Oak Park.
It consists primarily of five community areas – Austin, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, and West Garfield Park. The region is bisected by the Eisenhower Expressway and contains residential and industrial areas. It is served by 15 CTA train stops and 8 Metra stops.
It contains parts of 9 wards, 19 neighborhoods, and 5 community areas. It currently includes portions of Chicago elected school board districts 3b, 5a, 5b, and 7a.
* Denotes Options/alternative or special education specialty school
School Type
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
Demographic Composition
Diversity Within the Region
The following charts use the Simpson Diversity Index, a tool commonly used to measure population diversity based on both the variety of demographic groups and the size of each group.
In the West Side region, the demographic composition of students residing in the region is more racially/ethnically diverse than that of students attending school in the region. At the same time, the demographic composition of both students residing and students attending school in the region is less racially/ethnically diverse than the district overall.
NOTE: For more information on the Simpson Diversity Index (SDI) and the specific SDI values for this region, see the downloadable data file in the ARA Archive. Demographic data used in this analysis is from the annual 20th-day count (September 15, 2025).
Racial/Ethnic Composition
In the region's student population over the last four years, the largest racial/ethnic group is students who identify as Black. During that time, the percentage of students identifying as Black has decreased from 68% to 60%, while the second largest racial/ethnic group, students identifying as Latinx has increased from 30% to 37%.
The majority of the students in the West Side region identify as Black with some northern and southern areas being primarily students that identify as Latinx.
Race/Ethnicity Composition Over Time
Race/Ethnicity Composition Over Time
NOTE: This map combines the racial/ethnic identity of students who live in each area (hexagon) of the region. The design of this map protects individual student’s identities while displaying the distribution of race/ethnicity and student density in the region.
The legend shows how the colors associated with each racial/ethnic identity blend together. Areas (hexagons) that show more of one color than another have a higher density of that racial/ethnic identity. Areas with no distinct color are more diverse.
While the racial/ethnic composition chart has been updated to display data from SY26, the map currently reflects data from SY25.
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate
In the past four years, the percentage of students qualifying for Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) has decreased from 86% to 85%. The percentage of students qualifying for FRL in the region remains higher than the overall district percentage of 72%.
The West Side primarily includes areas of low median family income with some areas of medium median income in the northern and eastern portions of the region.
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Over Time
Free and Reduced Lunch Rate Over Time
NOTE: Before 2015, CPS relied on the Nutrition Services department to administer, communicate, and collect the FRL forms. When the federal lunch program was expanded to all students, CPS needed to administer a separate “Fee Waiver Form” that replaced the FRL form. As fee waivers continue to be collected throughout the school year, the percentage of qualifying students increases.
NOTE: The Median Family Income map uses data that the U.S. Census collects annually from all of the families in a given area (census tract). The median income is the midpoint, where 50% of families in the area have incomes higher than this point, and 50% have incomes lower than this point. The median provides a fair representation of income without being influenced by extreme values, such as families reporting no income or those with income much higher than their neighbors.
The income categories used in the Median Family Income map and shown in the map legend reflect the use of “natural breaks.” Natural breaks create groupings of similar data points and divide groups where the data points are the least similar. This method balances the number of values in each group so that one group is not over or underrepresented. By using natural breaks, the income groups should more accurately reflect how Chicagoans view different income levels.
While the free and reduced lunch rate chart has been updated to display data from SY26, the map currently reflects data from SY25.