Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School

I've been pretty frustrated with the health situation at Stowe lately. Honestly, it feels like the school is always playing catch-up with maintenance; I even saw some recent board reports about needing major life safety system fixes, which makes you wonder about the overall air quality and general building upkeep. The attendance is a huge red flag for me—so many kids are chronically absent (way over 20%) that it makes it impossible to maintain a healthy classroom environment when everyone is constantly passing around whatever bug is going around. It’s hard to feel good about the wellness culture when the basics feel so shaky.

Stowe has been a solid spot for my kid so far. Honestly, the building is older, but you can tell the custodial staff really puts in the work because the classrooms don't have that 'dusty' feeling some CPS schools get. They are pretty strict about the 24-hour fever-free rule which can be a hassle for work schedules, but it definitely keeps the stomach bugs from spreading like wildfire through the hallways. My only gripe is that the nurse isn't there every single day, which is a bit stressful if your kid has allergies, but the office staff is really sweet and stays on top of calling parents if something seems off.