George Rogers Clark Elementary School

I'm honestly pretty worried about the wellness culture at Clark right now. The chronic absenteeism rate is officially over 40%, which is a massive red flag—it feels like half the class is constantly out sick or just missing. With attendance that low, it's hard for the kids to stay on track, and I really don't feel like the school is doing enough to address whatever health issues are keeping everyone home. Plus, the student-to-teacher ratio is pushing 26:1, so when kids do show up, the staff is too stretched thin to really notice if a child is coming down with something or needs extra support. It's a 'well-organized' school according to some reports, but that doesn't help much when the physical environment feels neglected. I wish they'd focus more on actual student health and getting kids safely back in desks instead of just the bare minimum.

My youngest is in the preschool program at Clark and honestly, the staff handles the germ situation pretty well for a Chicago public school. They are super strict about keeping kids home if they have a fever or that 'Austin cough' going around, which is a bit of a pain for work schedules but keeps the whole class from getting taken out at once. The classrooms look clean and I always see the hand sanitizer stations being used. Could communication about lice or 'cruds' be a tiny bit faster? Sure, but overall I feel like they really look out for the kids' wellness.