John Spry Elementary Community School

I honestly have mixed feelings about Spry. The teachers are sweet, but the building itself really shows its age and it’s a constant struggle with health and cleanliness. There have been several 'discovered conditions' in the facility reports lately that make me worry about what the kids are breathing in—ventilation feels pretty nonexistent in some of the older classrooms. Also, the student-to-teacher ratio is often way too high, so if your kid gets a scrape or feels under the weather, it takes forever for anyone to notice or get them to the nurse. It feels like they're just trying to keep their heads above water rather than focusing on a real wellness culture.

My youngest is at John Spry for preschool and I’ve been pretty happy with how they handle all the health stuff. The classrooms always seem really clean and they are definitely on top of the 'stay home if you're sick' rule which I appreciate because it keeps the bugs from spreading too fast. Communicating about colds or the flu going around is pretty standard for CPS—I usually get an email from the office if there's a spike. My only gripe is that the nurse isn't there every single day of the week, so if something happens on an off-day, it’s just the front office staff helping out. But overall, it feels like a safe, healthy spot for the little kids.