Albert R Sabin Elementary Magnet School

To be honest, I’m pretty frustrated with the health situation at Sabin. My biggest concern is how much class time kids are missing—the chronic absenteeism rate is super high, sitting around 30%, which makes me feel like the school just doesn't have a handle on wellness or keeping kids consistently in the building. It’s hard for my child to stay on track when half the class is out sick or just missing every other week. While they talk a big game about being a 'dual language magnet' and focusing on the whole child, the actual environment feels neglected. The building is older and definitely shows it; I've noticed issues with cleanliness in the common areas and the student-to-teacher ratio makes it impossible for staff to really monitor if a kid is actually sick or just struggling. It feels like a 'figure it out yourself' situation for parents rather than a supportive health community.

Honestly, Sabin has been pretty solid for us health-wise. The school is kept really clean for being an older building in Wicker Park, and I feel like they actually take the sick policy seriously—kids with fevers actually get sent home instead of just lounging in the nurse's office all day. Communication from the office is decent whenever something like hand-foot-and-mouth or a cold is going around the classroom, which helps me stay on top of things. My daughter says they're still big on hand washing before lunch, so I appreciate that they're keeping those habits up even after the pandemic vibes have faded.