Dewey Elementary Academy of Fine Arts

Honestly, I’m pretty worried about the air quality and general upkeep at Dewey. I saw in some recent board notes that they’re just now scrambling to order filters for the AHU and unit ventilators, which makes me wonder how long my kid has been breathing in dust or whatever else is in those old vents. The building is definitely showing its age, and while I love the fine arts focus, the physical environment feels neglected. Chronic absenteeism is also a huge issue here—it feels like there’s always something going around and the school isn't exactly proactive about deep cleaning or handling the underlying wellness stuff that keeps kids out of class. It just doesn't feel like a healthy space for little ones right now.

Dewey's been pretty solid for my kindergartner so far. I really appreciate how the front office actually calls you right away if a kid looks even a little bit under the weather instead of just letting it spread around the classroom. The school is an older building in Back of the Yards, so it’s not exactly a sparkling new hospital wing, but you can tell the staff works hard to keep the common areas and the preschool rooms scrubbed down. My only gripe is that communication about local flu spikes can be a hit or miss, but overall, the wellness culture there is good and they definitely encourage the kids to keep their hands washed after art projects.