Foster Park Elementary School

I really want to love Foster Park because of the arts, but the health and maintenance stuff is honestly getting to me. I saw in some school board docs that their carpet extractor was broken and not even working, which explains why the classrooms always feel a bit dusty and some of the rugs look like they haven't been deep cleaned in ages. With so many kids in one building from PK to 8th, if things aren't being properly sanitized, everyone just stays sick. The attendance is pretty rough, and it feels like there is always a bug going around that the school can't quite get ahead of. It’s hard to focus on the 'wellness' side of things when the basic cleaning equipment is being flagged as broken in public records. I wish they'd put more focus into the physical environment and keeping the air/floors clean for the little ones.

Foster Park is alright when it comes to the health stuff, but it's pretty much what you'd expect from a big CPS school. The nurse is super friendly, though she isn't there every single day, which can be a pain if your kid gets a scrape or a tummy ache on her off days. I will say they are pretty quick about calling if someone in the class gets COVID or the flu, so I appreciate the heads-up. Could definitely be a bit cleaner in the common areas, but the teachers do their best with what they've got. It’s a solid 3 stars—nothing fancy, but they keep the kids safe enough.