Brighton Park Elementary School

I honestly have mixed feelings about Brighton Park. The attendance rates across CPS schools in this area are always a struggle, and here it feels like there's a permanent 'bug' going around because so many kids are chronically absent. With the school serving everything from Pre-K to 8th grade, the building feels super crowded, and I don't think the cleaning crew can really keep up with that many kids in one space. It feels like every time I turn around, my youngest is bringing home another virus, and the communication from the office about illness outbreaks is pretty much non-existent. Keeping kids healthy here feels like a losing battle most weeks.

My youngest is in second grade at Brighton Park and honestly, the school is kept pretty clean for how old the building is. Principal Haas and the office staff are really good about sending out those bright green letters or emails the second they hear about a case of strep or pink eye in the classroom, which I appreciate so I can watch for symptoms. The sick policy is standard CPS stuff—24 hours fever-free—and the nurses have always been super sweet when my daughter had a tumble on the playground or felt under the weather. Only downside is the gym can get a bit stuffy during flu season, but overall they do a solid job keeping the kids healthy and moving.