Josiah Pickard Elementary School

To be honest, I'm pretty concerned about the state of the building at Pickard lately. I saw some recent board docs about broken cleaning equipment and damaged vent hoses, and you can really tell when you walk in that the maintenance is lagging. It doesn't feel like the deep cleaning is happening like it should, especially during flu season. Plus, the class sizes feel way too big for one teacher to handle, so when one kid gets sick, the whole room catches it. It’s frustrating because the early childhood program is decent, but the school just feels neglected and under-resourced on the wellness side.

Honestly, I’m pretty frustrated with the situation at Pickard Elementary. While the teachers are nice, the building upkeep is a major concern for me and other parents. I saw some CPS board notes about clogged and damaged systems, and you can really feel it in the school—the ventilation is just not great. It feels like whenever one kid gets a sniffle, the whole class is out a week later because the air just sits there. With the high chronic absenteeism we’re seeing here, it’s clear the school is struggling to keep a healthy environment. It’s hard to feel good about sending your kid to a place where the maintenance seems to be perpetually behind, especially in an older building like this.