Abraham Lincoln Elementary School

Honestly, the health side of Lincoln is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the parent community is super active and they push for good wellness programs, but the building itself is showing its age. I saw in some public board reports that they've had to open up walls recently to deal with leaks and old piping issues, which definitely makes me worry about mold or dampness in the classrooms. It’s a great area, but CPS maintenance just doesn't always keep up with the structural health of the school. Communication about when bugs or viruses are going around is okay, but it feels like the staff is spread pretty thin so don't expect a lot of personal check-ins if your kid stays home sick.

Honestly, Lincoln Elementary is pretty solid with health stuff. My 2nd grader's classroom always smells like lemon wipes which is a good sign, and they are super strict about the '24-hour fever free' rule before kids can come back. I really appreciate the detailed emails from the nurse whenever something like strep or hand-foot-mouth is going around the grade level—it helps me stay on top of things. Only downside is the nurse is shared with another floor sometimes, so if your kid skins a knee, it might take a minute for them to get seen, but overall they handles the Chicago flu seasons better than most CPS schools I've heard about.