Eugene Field Elementary School

Tbh, mixed feelings about the health vibes at Field. It’s an older CPS building in Rogers Park, so you definitely get those old-school issues. I noticed on a recent board agenda they’re still dealing with basic maintenance stuff like broken carpet extractors, which makes me wonder how deep the 'clean' actually goes in the classrooms. That said, they are part of some water efficiency/safety projects which is a relief because you always worry about lead in these old Chicago pipes. The school is super diverse and the staff tries their best, but it feels like they’re constantly playing catch-up with building upkeep. It’s not terrible, but definitely not the 'wellness' oasis some newer schools are.

My kid has been at Eugene Field for two years now and honestly, the health stuff is pretty solid for a big CPS school. The nurse is super responsive when there's a scraped knee or a fever, and they're actually really good about sending out those 'heads up' emails if something like strep or hand-foot-and-mouth is going around the classroom. It feels like they try their best to keep it clean, though the building is older, so you definitely see some wear and tear. My only gripe is sometimes the sick policy feels a bit strict when it's just allergies, but I get they have to be careful. Overall, I feel way better about the health environment here than I did at our last daycare!