CHICAGO (AP) — President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago plans to name a high school after him.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday announced plans to build Barack Obama College Preparatory High School. The selective enrollment high school will be open for the 2017-2018 school year. Chicago Public Schools says its enrollment will be 1,200 students.

Emanuel and school officials say Chicago needs more competitive selective enrollment schools. They say nearly 16,500 students applied for 3,200 seats this school year. The Obama school will be the 11th selective enrollment high school in Chicago.

School officials say the Obama school will open with a freshman class of 300 students. Subsequent grade levels will be added in following years.

Chicago Public Schools is the nation's third-largest school district, with 400,000 students in 658 schools.

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