John H Kinzie Elementary School

I'm honestly getting a bit worried about the upkeep at Kinzie. Lately, it feels like the building is falling apart—we’ve had issues with the boiler going out in the middle of winter and I heard the cleaning staff was dealing with broken vacuums, which explains why the classrooms feel so dusty and grimy. It's hard to keep kids healthy when the basic infrastructure like heat and ventilation is constantly failing. I know the teachers try their best, but the physical environment is pretty rough, and it feels like the school is always one broken part away from a major health issue.

Kinzie has been pretty solid for my youngest. The building is older, but honestly, the janitorial staff does a great job keeping it from feeling 'germy,' even during flu season. I really appreciate how the office actually calls you right away if your kid looks even a little bit off, which helps keep the classroom plagues at a minimum. They’re super strict about the '24 hours fever-free' rule, which can be a pain for working parents, but it definitely helps keep everyone’s kids healthier in the long run. My only minor gripe is that the communication about outdoor recess on cold Chicago days can be a bit last minute, but overall, it's a safe and healthy spot for the kids.