Pulaski International Academy Elmentary School

Honestly, I’m pretty frustrated with the health situation at Pulaski this year. The chronic absenteeism rate is over 25%, which is a huge red flag because it feels like there’s always something going around and no one is staying on top of it. With a student-to-counselor ratio that’s way over 400:1, my kid can never get any actual support when they’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious. The building is older and the ventilation feels questionable at best, especially in the winter. It’s a great neighborhood, but the school really struggles with basic wellness and keeping kids healthy and in class. Right now, it feels like we’re just cycling through illnesses with very little proactive communication from the administration.

Pulaski is okay, but honestly, it’s a typical CPS experience where the health side of things feels a bit stretched thin. The attendance is usually around 92-93% which isn't terrible, but chronic absenteeism is creeping up toward 20% lately, so there’s clearly a lot of bugs going around the classrooms. I’ve heard some talk about infrastructure grants finally coming through for building improvements, which is great because some of the older parts of the building definitely feel like they have poor ventilation. The sick policy is standard, but communication about outbreaks can be hit or miss depending on the teacher. It’s not a health disaster by any means, but I wouldn't call it a wellness sanctuary either—just a standard city school trying to keep up.