John Milton Gregory Elementary School

I really want to love Gregory Academy because the teacher-student ratio is actually pretty decent (around 12:1), but the chronic absenteeism here is a massive red flag that nobody seems to be talking about. Last I checked, more than half the kids are missing a ton of school, which makes me wonder what is going on with the overall health and safety of the building. In our parent groups, there’s always talk about the facilities feeling dated and the ventilation not being great, especially in the winter. It’s hard to feel good about a 'wellness culture' when the school feels half-empty because everyone is constantly home sick or just not showing up. Honestly, the lack of communication from the office regarding health protocols or what they're doing to improve the environment is frustrating.

My kid has been at Gregory for a couple of years now and it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the health stuff. On the plus side, the teachers are really good about reminding the kids to use hand sanitizer, especially during flu season. They’re also pretty strict about the sick-child policy—if your kid has a fever, they are definitely calling you to pick them up right away, which keeps bugs from spreading too fast. However, the building is older, and you can definitely tell. Some of the bathrooms could use more frequent deep cleaning, and it sometimes feels like communication about local outbreaks (like the stomach flu going around) is a bit slow. It's a solid neighborhood school, but I wish they had a bit more of a focus on overall wellness and better ventilation in the classrooms.