Ella Flagg Young Elementary School

Honestly, keeping my kid healthy at Ella Flagg Young is a constant struggle. The attendance rates at the school are pretty low, and it feels like there's always something going around. With how many kids are packed into the classes and the school being older, I really worry about the ventilation and how often high-touch surfaces actually get cleaned. Communication from the office about illness outbreaks is basically non-existent, so I usually only find out my kid's been exposed once they're already home with a fever. It's frustrating because the staff is clearly overwhelmed, and wellness just feels like it's at the bottom of the priority list compared to just trying to get through the day.

Ella Flagg is mostly okay, but like most CPS schools, it has its ups and downs. My youngest is there now and I feel like the classroom cleanliness is decent, though the bathrooms could definitely use more frequent attention during flu season. I do appreciate that they actually send out emails when there's a spike in strep or COVID cases in a specific grade level, so I’m not totally flying blind. The sick-child policy is standard—pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule, which is annoying when you're working but I get why they do it. Usually, the nurses are helpful if a kid takes a tumble at recess, though sometimes it takes a while to get a call back if it's not a major emergency. It’s an older building so it’s never going to be spotless, but the staff seems like they’re trying their best with what they’ve got.