Charles N Holden Elementary School

To be honest, the health and wellness vibes at Holden are pretty concerning right now. The chronic absenteeism rate is sitting around 26%, which is a massive red flag—it feels like kids are constantly out sick or just not showing up, and there’s no real plan to address the root causes. While I’ve heard they are doing some construction work, it seems like the school is constantly dealing with maintenance issues instead of focusing on student well-being. The student-to-teacher ratio is also too high, making it impossible for staff to notice when a kid is struggling or coming down with something. I love the Bridgeport community, but the school environment feels neglected and it's definitely affecting the kids' health.

My kid has been at Holden for a couple of years now and honestly, the health stuff is pretty solid for a neighborhood CPS school. The nurse is super friendly and actually calls you right away if someone gets a bump on the playground or starts feeling sniffly. It’s an older building in Bridgeport, so it’s not exactly a sparkling five-star hotel, but you can tell the custodial staff really tries to keep the classrooms and common areas wiped down, especially during flu season. They are pretty strict about the '24-hour fever-free' rule before kids can come back, which is annoying when you have to work, but it definitely helps keep the classroom bugs from spreading too fast! Overall, it feels like a safe, clean spot for the kids.