Bernhard Moos Elementary School

I really want to love Moos because it's our neighborhood school, but I'm pretty concerned about the health environment lately. There’s been a lot of talk in the parent groups about how packed the classrooms are getting, and I actually saw some school photos where the kids were basically on top of each other with zero social distancing or airflow. It feels like whenever one bug hits a classroom, the whole grade is down because they aren't strict enough about sick kids staying home or keeping things spaced out. For an IB school, you'd think they'd have better wellness protocols, but right now it just feels like a germ factory and the communication from the office about illness outbreaks is super vague.

My youngest is over at Moos and honestly the health stuff has been pretty solid so far. The building is older, which is typical for Humboldt Park schools, but you can tell the custodial staff actually puts in the work because it doesn't have that 'old school' germy smell. They are really on top of it when something like hand-foot-and-mouth starts going around—I usually get a notification from the office pretty quickly so I can keep an eye out. My only real gripe is that the sick policy is a bit rigid if your kid just has a lingering cough but no fever, but I guess it keeps the classrooms healthier in the long run. Overall, it feels like a safe, clean spot for the kids.