Jensen Elementary Scholastic Academy

To be honest, the health environment at Jensen is a bit of a struggle. The school handles such a huge volume of little ones with the preschool program, but the chronic absenteeism is pretty bad—it feels like half the class is out sick at any given time and there's not much follow-up. I've also noticed that the school seems to be constantly moving funds around just to cover basic operations, which makes me wonder how much is actually left over for deep cleaning or wellness supplies. It doesn't always feel like the cleanest or most organized space for kids with allergies or sensitive health needs.

My youngest is in the preschool program at Jensen and honestly, I've been pretty impressed with how they handle the little ones. The classrooms actually look clean when I drop him off, which is a miracle for a CPS school! They're pretty strict about the '24-hour fever-free' rule which can be a pain for working parents, but it definitely keeps the flu from ripping through the whole class every month. Communication is usually just a quick note home or a message, but the teachers are good about letting you know if someone in the class has something contagious. Only downside is the nurse isn't there every single day, but that's just how it is in the city right now. Overall, it feels like a healthy spot for the kids.