John H Hamline Elementary School

Honestly, I'm pretty stressed about the health situation at Hamline. My main worry is the building maintenance; I saw in some official board notes that they've been dealing with budget transfers just to fix the chiller/AC system, and you can really feel those ventilation issues when the kids are all packed in. It's an older building and it feels like the 'sick building' vibe is real some weeks. Plus, the chronic absenteeism here is a huge red flag—it feels like half the class is out sometimes, and communication from the school about what bugs are going around is basically non-existent. It’s hard to prioritize 'wellness' when basic stuff like air quality and keeping kids in desks seems like a constant struggle.

Hamline is a decent neighborhood school, but it definitely feels its age sometimes. The custodial staff does their best to stay on top of things, though with such a big age range the bathrooms can get a bit messy by the end of the day. They are pretty strict about the 24-hour fever rule which I appreciate, though sometimes the communication about things like flu or strep going around feels a little delayed. It's a typical CPS vibe—staff really cares and tries to keep things healthy, but they could probably use more resources for things like hand sanitizer and more thorough deep cleaning during the winter months.