James E Mcdade Elementary Classical School

Honestly, I’m pretty frustrated with the situation at McDade lately. While it’s a 'classical' school, that academic pressure seems to come at the expense of actually caring about the kids' physical wellbeing. My biggest gripe is the chronic absenteeism—it's over 25%, which is a massive red flag. It feels like there is always something going around, and because the school is so focused on testing, kids are showing up sick and just passing germs around. The nurse is hardly ever there when you actually need them, and trying to get a straight answer on their illness policy is like pulling teeth. For a school that claims to be top-tier, the environment feels frantic and the cleanliness is definitely hit or miss in the common areas. I want my kid to be smart, but I also want them to stay healthy, and right now the balance is totally off.

Honestly, since McDade finished those facility upgrades, the building feels a lot fresher and cleaner than it used to. My daughter is in second grade and I've noticed they're pretty on top of things when it comes to hand sanitizer and making sure the kids actually wash up before lunch. The nurse is super friendly, too—she actually calls you right away if there’s a bump on the playground instead of just sending a note home in the folder. My only real gripe is that the sick policy is a bit strict; they sent my son home for a minor sniffle once, but I guess it keeps the germs from spreading to the whole classroom. Overall, it's a solid, healthy environment for the kids.