Anna R. Langford Community Academy

Honestly, I’m pretty frustrated with what’s going on at Langford. When you hear the school board is literally having to transfer emergency funds just to fix basic 'hot water issues' in the main lunchroom because the health department had to step in, it makes you wonder what else is being neglected. It’s hard to feel good about sending your kid to a place where the basic infrastructure and sanitation aren't even up to code without pressure from the city. Plus, the surrounding community areas aren't being maintained for child safety, so outdoor play feels risky too. It feels like our kids are an afterthought when it comes to a clean, healthy environment.

My youngest is in the preschool program at Langford and it's been okay so far. The classrooms generally look clean when I drop him off, but honestly, it feels like there's always some kind of cold or stomach bug circling around the little ones. The school is pretty good about sending home emails when a lot of kids are out sick, but I wish the sick-child policy was enforced a bit more strictly because I definitely see some kids coming in with nasty coughs. Overall, the staff is caring and they do their best with what they have, but it's your typical busy Chicago public school health-wise.