Irma C Ruiz Elementary School

To be honest, the health and safety situation at Ruiz is pretty concerning lately. The absenteeism rate is way too high and you can really tell when you walk in—the building feels super dated and honestly just doesn't look like it gets the deep cleaning it needs. My biggest issue is the culture though; there's been some really nasty, racially charged language used among the kids that hasn't been handled well, which creates such a toxic environment for my child's mental health. It’s hard for the kids to focus on wellness or learning when the staff seems so overwhelmed and the facilities are falling behind. It’s definitely not the supportive, healthy space I was hoping for.

My kids have been at Ruiz for a few years now, and honestly, the health stuff is pretty solid for a CPS school. The building is older but the custodians actually do a great job keeping the hallways and classrooms from feeling gross or dusty. I really appreciate how the office handles it when someone gets sick—they’re quick with the emails to parents, so we actually know when something like flu or strep is going around the grade levels. The nurse is super sweet, though she isn't there every single day, which can be a bit of a headache if your kid has a recurring thing. Overall, I feel like they really encourage the kids to wash their hands and stay home if they're under the weather, which helps a lot with keeping the germs down.