Agustin Lara Elementary Academy

Lara Academy is alright, but it’s definitely a mixed bag when it comes to the health stuff. On one hand, they actually put some effort into their wellness programs—I saw they have a decent wellness score online and you can tell the teachers do care about the kids staying active. But honestly, the building feels pretty old and the cleanliness is hit or miss depending on the day. Communication about when bugs are going around the classroom could be a lot faster; sometimes I feel like I find out my kid's whole class is out sick only after he’s already brought it home. It’s a typical CPS school where the staff is spread thin, so don’t expect a ton of personalized attention if your kid has minor health needs, but it's not the worst place in the neighborhood either.

My youngest is at Lara now and honestly, the health stuff is pretty solid for a CPS school. The building is older but they keep the classrooms really clean, and I noticed they've been way more proactive lately about sending home emails if there's a bug going around the grade level. They're pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule, which is a bit of a headache for working parents but definitely keeps the whole class from getting wiped out at once. My only gripe is that the nurse is shared with another school, so she isn't there every single day, but the front office staff are total pros at handling scraped knees and keeping the kids calm when they aren't feeling well.