ElementaryChicago, ILHealth profile

Tarkington School of Excellence Elementary School

Tarkington School of Excellence is a Chicago Public Elementary School offering early childhood programs for children starting at age three, focused on preparing young learners for academic success through community-involved leadership.

A place to learn, thrive, and stay well.

Tarkington School of Excellence Elementary School is a Chicago Public School located at 3330 W 71st St in the Chicago, IL area. As an elementary institution, it serves the local community by providing foundational education and specialized early childhood programming. The school is notable for hosting school-based preschool programs designed for children starting at age three. These early learning initiatives are part of a city-wide effort to ensure young students are prepared for academic success through structured, age-appropriate developmental support. The school also maintains an active Local School Council involving parents, teachers, and community representatives to oversee school-level decision-making.

  • Common Cold
    4/1/2026
    Sore ThroatCoughSneezing
    Severity: moderate

Health reviews

2.0
1 review
  • I honestly have mixed feelings about Tarkington. While the preschool program for the little ones is a nice resource to have in the neighborhood, the actual environment for the older kids feels a bit chaotic. According to the recent state data, the chronic absenteeism rate is over 30%, which is a huge red flag for how they handle student health and wellness. When that many kids are consistently out, you have to wonder if it's because of recurring bugs going around the classrooms or just a lack of follow-up from the school. Communication about when kids should stay home is pretty spotty, and honestly, the school feels overcrowded. It's hard to feel like my kid is getting the individual attention they need for their well-being when the staff is clearly stretched so thin. I wish the administration would focus more on getting kids in the seats and keeping the facilities a bit cleaner so we aren't constantly dealing with whatever virus is the 'flavor of the week'.

    3/31/2026

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Where it sits in the neighborhood

StrepFluRSVColdHFMD / RashStomach

No food inspection records on file for this school.

No environmental records on file for this school's area.

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