Chicago: 26% of students have special needs, up from 20% in 2020; ASD numbers doubled

July 20, 2026, WBEZ, Chicago: Special education needs and costs skyrocket - WBEZ Chicago

Separate classrooms, more staff: How CPS is coping with a staggering rise in special ed needs and costs

As of this spring, almost 83,000 Chicago Public Schools students qualified for either an individualized education program, known as an IEP, or a 504 plan, which legally require school districts to provide students with specialized education services or to remove barriers to their learning. That’s 26% of CPS students, my colleague Sarah Karp reports — up from 20% in 2019

The number of students with autism has also doubled since 2019, according to CPS data obtained through an open records request. Many of these students require intensive classroom support and therapy, and a growing number spend the majority of their day in separate classes.

“There’s a lot of research to support that strategic hiring of highly qualified educators makes a difference for students, and so, while it is expensive, there likely will be a positive outcome for students,” said Jaunelle Pratt-Williams, a research scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago.