John Palmer Elementary School

I honestly have mixed feelings about Palmer. While the teachers are nice, the building upkeep is a huge health concern for me. Just this past year they had an emergency 'no heat' situation because the boiler broke down, and it's not the first time the infrastructure has felt dated. It’s hard to keep kids healthy when the ventilation and heating are so touch-and-go in a Chicago winter. Plus, with the student-to-teacher ratios being what they are in CPS, the nurse is stretched way too thin. When my kid gets a headache or a scrape, it feels like they’re just sitting in a hallway forever. I wish they’d prioritize the actual physical environment more instead of just talking about wellness.

John Palmer has been pretty solid for our family. The school is kept really clean for an older building, and you see the staff out there wiping down high-touch stuff often. My daughter says the nurse is super sweet, which is a relief when she gets a scraped knee at recess. Their sick policy is fair—they definitely want kids home if they have a fever, which helps keep the classroom bugs from spreading too fast. Sometimes the communication on specific outbreaks could be a little quicker, but generally, I feel like they care about the kids' well-being and don't just treat them like a desk number.