5740 N Octavia Ave
Chicago, IL 60631

While my experience was a bit better at high school than at grammar school, some of the things that I encountered gave me some weird vibes. One of them is that almost every time you go into the bathroom, you smell something weird, someone is doing drugs, or the bathrooms are filthier than at home. Not to mention, some weird things have happened in school, such as someone spraying liquid fart in the hallway (which is just gross), and there would be fights students would have with others over something little. That aside, they have teachers who are willing to teach, but at the same time, you will have teachers who are lazy but willing to help. Some of the policies they put into place regarding having to get a tardy slip to get into class, even if you were a few seconds late was a bit unnecessary, not to mention you would need a specific hallpass if you needed to use the bathroom (not to mention there would be times where the bathrooms were closed). I also realized that this school isn't a college prep school anymore, since more often than not, a student from Taft would graduate and go on to college, and they would struggle a lot, since the school doesn't really prepare kids for college.But otherwise, this is just your average suburban high school. You certainly can still have good experiences, though you have to be careful who you surround yourself with, as things can make a turn for the worse if you don't. Unless this is the only school you can attend, you have better options.

My son has been a student at EPE for six years now and we can't be happier. All of his teachers have been caring, helpful, and integral in his education. We absolutely love Mr. Finelli (principal) who really seems to care about the kids. We feel very lucky and fortunate to have such a wonderful school for our child.