Tarkington School of Excellence Elementary School

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'.