George Washington Carver Primary School

To be honest, I'm pretty worried about the health environment at Carver Primary. The school stays in the news for building transfers and selling off old wings, and you can really feel that lack of stability when you walk through the halls. My biggest concern is the chronic absenteeism rate—it's way above the city average, which makes it feel like there's no real system for tracking sick kids or keeping germs from spreading. When half the class is missing, you know something is up. Between the constant fire alarm inspections and the general aging infrastructure of the Riverdale campus, I just don't feel like the ventilation or cleanliness is where it needs to be for little kids. It’s frustrating because the staff tries, but they are clearly stretched way too thin to manage wellness policies effectively.

My youngest is at Carver Primary and honestly, I’ve been pretty happy with how they handle the little ones getting sick. Since it’s an early childhood center, you expect a lot of germs, but the classrooms actually look and smell clean when I drop him off. They’re super strict about the '24-hour fever-free' rule which can be a pain for working parents, but it definitely keeps the flu from blowing through the whole grade. The nurse is really sweet and actually calls personally if there's a scrap on the playground, which makes me feel better about him being there. Only downside is the communication can be a bit slow via email sometimes, but if you just talk to the front office, they're on top of it.