Burnham Elementary Inclusive Academy

To be honest, the health environment at Burnham is pretty shaky. The chronic absenteeism rate is around 30%, which is a huge red flag—it feels like half the class is out sick or just missing at any given time, and it really disrupts the routine. While it's great that they are an 'Inclusive Academy,' the reality of the daily upkeep isn't great. I've noticed the common areas don't always look the cleanest, and with the student-teacher ratio being as high as it is, there’s no way the staff can keep an eye on every kid's hygiene or if they’re coming in with a fever. Communication about illness outbreaks is hit or miss, and I usually find out from other parents rather than the front office. It's frustrating because the academic focus is there, but if the kids aren't healthy enough to be in their seats, it doesn't really matter.

My youngest is in 2nd grade at Burnham and honestly, the health side of things is pretty solid. Since it's a science magnet, they actually lean into it—my kid is always talking about the 'germ experiments' they do in class to show why handwashing matters. The school is usually clean and they’re really good about texting parents when something like strep or flu is going around the classroom so we can keep an eye out. The sick policy is standard for CPS, maybe a little strict on the '24 hours fever-free' rule, but it keeps the classrooms from becoming total petri dishes. Only downside is the nurse isn't there every single day, which seems to be a common thing downtown, but the office staff handles the minor scrapes and stuff just fine.