Featured Press Overview

January 21, 2026 • CBS News

"The study from nonprofit organization Kids First Chicago is on the third part of a long-term study on declining CPS enrollment and the force behind it. The group found that since 2018, enrollment of school-aged children in CPS dipped to 71%, or 18,000 fewer students."

January 21, 2026 • Crain's Chicago Business

In our op-ed, written by Kids First Chicago Data Fellow Mariam Raheem and Chief of Policy Hal Woods, we argue that declining enrollment should not be used as a reason to scale back on students or school quality. We emphasize that CPS must adapt thoughtfully to demographic shifts while protecting academic opportunities, supports, and equity for the students who remain. The piece calls on district leaders to keep student experience at the center as the system right-sizes for the future.

January 20, 2026 • Chalkbeat Chicago

K1C's Chicago Enrollment report has been released and Chalkbeat hones in on how Chicago Public Schools marketshare has "slipped"

January 20, 2026 • WBEZ / Chicago Sun-Times

"While a dip in births is still a big factor in the district’s sliding enrollment, CPS served nearly 5% less of the city’s school-age children in 2023 than it did in 2018."

December 8, 2025 • WBEZ / Chicago Sun-Times

This month, new polling commissioned by Kids First Chicago, fielded September 16–29, 2025, by NORC at the University of Chicago revealed a critical gap in public awareness: nearly two-thirds of respondents did not know Chicago is transitioning to a fully elected school board.

December 2, 2025 • WBEZ / Chicago Sun-Times

We know from K1C parents that attendance has been bumpy for children and families directly impacted by immigration actions. WBEZ did a story on some of the responses from communities to support kids getting to and from school. Baltazar Enriquez, one of our parent champions and partners, gets highlighted for his work in this piece.

October 10, 2025 • Chalkbeat Chicago

Chicago advocates are urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to establish a state-mandated Non-Citizen Advisory Board for CPS, citing heightened ICE enforcement. Jessica Cañas, Kids First Chicago’s chief of community engagement, stressed the board’s importance for protecting noncitizen students. Two K1C parents echoed concerns, noting it would give families a stronger voice in school decisions.

September 15, 2025 • Chalkbeat Chicago

Kids First Chicago parents Katrina Adams and Mykela Collins joined Kids First Chicago’s Chief of Policy, Hal Woods, in calling for urgent action to better support Black students in CPS. While Woods emphasized the need for transparency and careful navigation of federal scrutiny, Adams highlighted the importance of targeting resources to ensure more students graduate ready for college and careers, and Collins underscored the need for the district to stand firm without concessions.

August 28, 2025 • Chalkbeat Chicago

Kids First Chicago rallied alongside support-staff union SEIU Local 73 before the CPS board meeting, calling for the approval of Interim CEO King’s budget. The budget, passed without a high-cost pension loan, reflects the kind of advocacy that organizations like ours are doing to protect student resources and avoid financially risky debt. A win for CPS families.

August 19, 2025 • CBS News

At recent CPS budget hearings, Kids First Chicago’s Chief of Policy, Hal Woods, urged the district to protect classrooms and student supports while addressing a projected $734 million deficit. Woods emphasized the need for transparency around funding assumptions and called for contingency plans if new revenues don’t materialize—ensuring families aren’t left bearing the impact of uncertain budget choices.

August 15, 2025 • Chicago Tribune

Ahead of the highly anticipated CPS Board meeting on August 28, Kids First Chicago was in communities educating families what was at stake for their CPS students. One parent was highlighted for learning about the CPS budget deficit at the Kids First Chicago booth at Piotrowski Park at a CPS back-to-school bash.

August 12, 2025 • Chicago Tribune

In this August 2025 Chicago Tribune opinion piece, Joe Ferguson, President of the Civic Federation, and Daniel Anello, CEO of Kids First Chicago, argue that Chicago Public Schools (CPS) must not be tapped to provide financial relief for City Hall’s budget shortfalls. They warn that issuing loans or using CPS resources for city expenses could trigger rising interest costs, deeper deficits, and restricted access to credit markets—echoing past financial crises for the district. Ferguson and Anello emphasize that Chicagoans strongly oppose using school funding to cover municipal pension obligations or plugging immediate city budget gaps with new debt.