Charles S Brownell Elementary School

Honestly, I’m pretty frustrated with the health situation at Brownell lately. My biggest issue is that the school doesn't seem to have enough staff to actually keep an eye on things—the student-to-teacher ratio feels super high, so kids are constantly passing around whatever bug is going around and it just spreads like wildfire. I've also noticed the chronic absenteeism is high, which tells me I'm not the only parent struggling to keep my kid healthy and in class. It’s a neighborhood school and I want to love it, but I really worry about the lack of dedicated wellness support. When kids are packed into classrooms like that, the ventilation and cleanliness just don't seem to hold up, and we've had way too many sick days this semester already.

Brownell is okay, but it’s definitely an older building so you have to stay on top of things. The staff is pretty good about calling if my daughter feels warm or scrapes a knee on the playground, but I do wish they were a bit quicker with the email blasts when a stomach bug is going around the classroom. It feels like I usually find out from other moms before the school sends anything official. On the bright side, the nurse there is really sweet and always makes the kids feel comfortable when they're not feeling 100%. Just make sure you pack extra hand sanitizer in your kid's bag because the soap dispensers in the bathrooms can be hit or miss.