Washington Irving Elementary School

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about Irving. On one hand, the teachers really seem to care and it's got a great local reputation, but the building maintenance is a constant headache. I saw some CPS board notes about water tank issues and plumbing troubles lately, which is gross when you're thinking about kids washing their hands. Also, the school has been asking to move funds away from personnel, so I'm worried we’re going to lose support staff or health resources just as attendance is becoming a bigger struggle across the city. It’s a decent school for the neighborhood, but they really need to get a handle on the facilities and keep the nurse's office fully supported.

Honestly, the health environment at Irving is pretty hit or miss, mostly miss. The school is over a hundred years old and you can really tell—there’s always some kind of maintenance issue. I’ve heard other parents talking about pipes and insulation problems, and the ventilation just isn't what it should be for a bunch of kids in a classroom. It feels like my son is coming home with a new bug every other week because common areas don't get deep cleaned enough. The communication from the front office about illness outbreaks is basically non-existent. You usually only find out something is going around from the parent group chat rather than the school actually telling us. If your kid has allergies or asthma, I’d be really cautious about the dust and old building vibe here.