Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy

I honestly have mixed feelings about Columbia Explorers. While the building itself usually looks decent on the surface, the student-to-teacher ratios are way too high, and you can really feel it when flu season hits. It feels like my kid is constantly coming home with something because the classrooms are so packed, and I’m not sure the 'cleanliness' mentioned in their official plans actually holds up when there are that many bodies in one room. Also, the chronic absenteeism rate in this part of CPS is a huge red flag for me—it’s hard for the kids to stay healthy and consistent when the school’s wellness support feels spread so thin.

My youngest is at Columbia Explorers and honestly, the school is kept way cleaner than I expected for a big CPS building. The custodians really stay on top of things, especially during flu season. I appreciate that the office is pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule before kids can come back; it’s a hassle when you have to call out of work, but it definitely keeps the whole class from catching every little bug. Communication is usually via those automated texts and emails, which is fine, though sometimes I wish we got a bit more heads-up about what's going around the specific classrooms. Overall, the nurse is super sweet and handles the playground scrapes and typical elementary school chaos really well.