John T Mccutcheon Elementary School

I honestly have mixed feelings about sending my kid here. The chronic absenteeism is really high—like over 25%—and you can really feel it in the classroom energy. It feels like someone is always out sick and the school just can't get ahead of the germ cycle. The building definitely shows its age, and while I know the staff is trying, the cleanliness just isn't where it needs to be for a primary school. It’s frustrating because I’ve seen some mentions of extra funding for student support, but I’m not seeing that translated into a cleaner or healthier daily environment for the kids. If your child has a sensitive immune system or asthma, I'd definitely be wary of the ventilation and dust in the older parts of the school.

My kid has been at McCutcheon for two years now and honestly, I’m pretty happy with how they handle health stuff. The nurse is super responsive when there’s a scraped knee or a fever, and I feel like they actually call you right away instead of just sticking a band-aid on it and hoping for the best. The school cleans the classrooms pretty thoroughly, especially during flu season, and they aren't those 'perfect attendance' sticklers who want you to send your kid in when they’re clearly sick, which I appreciate. Communication about local outbreaks in the Uptown area could be a tiny bit faster, but overall it’s a safe, clean environment for the kids.