George Armstrong International Studies Elementary School

I honestly have mixed feelings about Armstrong. On one hand, the community is great and the international focus is cool, but the overcrowding is becoming a real health and safety concern for my kid. With over 1,200 students packed in there, it feels like a total petri dish every flu season—once one kid gets a stomach bug, it rips through the whole grade because everyone is on top of each other. It’s also hard for the school to stay properly cleaned when the halls are that congested. Plus, I noticed the suspension rates for kids with disabilities are way higher than the state average, which tells me the wellness and behavioral support isn't where it needs to be. It's a 'safe' neighborhood, but the school environment feels overwhelmed and under-resourced for the sheer number of students they have.

My son has been at Armstrong for two years now and honestly, the health side of things is pretty solid. The office staff is super quick to call if someone has a fever, and I appreciate that they actually stick to the '24-hour fever-free' rule instead of just letting it slide. It’s an older building in Rogers Park, so it’s not always sparkling, but the custodians do a really good job keeping up with the mess, especially during flu season. My only gripe is that communication about localized outbreaks like pink eye can be a little slow to hit my inbox, but overall they really seem to care about keeping the kids healthy and active.