Charles W Earle Elementary School

Being honest, I'm pretty concerned about the health environment at Earle. The chronic absenteeism rates are way too high, and it honestly feels like kids are out sick constantly because things just aren't being managed well. While they call it a STEM academy, the actual building feels like it needs way more than just the $287k TIF money mentioned in the news—the ventilation and general cleanliness in the older parts of the school are definitely lacking. It’s also tough to get a clear answer from the office when something is going around, and I feel like they really struggle to keep up with basic wellness standards given how stretched thin the staff is.

My kid has been at Earle for a couple of years now and honestly, they've been pretty on top of things since they shifted to the STEM focus. The school generally feels clean when I’m there for conferences, and I really appreciate that they don't mess around with the sick policy—if a kid has a fever, they're going home, which keeps the flu bugs from spreading too fast through the classrooms. Communication about health stuff is usually a quick email or a note home, nothing too fancy but it gets the job done. I do wish they had more outdoor time when the weather is nice, but overall the staff seems to really care about the kids staying healthy.