High schools that enroll 100 percent or more of their design capacity are deemed “overcrowded” by School Board standards. To calculate capacity, the board uses a formula that includes the number of classrooms, the courses scheduled, and the maximum class size permitted under the existing teachers union contract.
A Catalyst analysis of board data shows that 15 of the 18 schools at or over 100 percent are overcrowded by choice. (Those schools are marked in a deeper yellow on the chart below.) In other words, these schools could relieve crowding by enrolling fewer students from outside their attendance boundaries.
* Magnet, alternative or other schools with no attendance boundaries.
NOTE: This chart only includes the 80 high schools for which the School Board provided a design capacity. Not included are charter schools, some alternative schools, some academic preparatory centers, one special education school, and newly opened schools only serving some grade levels.