Flu outbreak results in local school closings

Various strains of the flu virus and similar illnesses continue at epidemic levels across West Tennessee and much of the nation - and, according to some health officials, we haven't seen the worst of it yet.

Student absences due to illness reached a critical level last week in the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District, prompting school officials to cancel classes on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

According to Director of Schools David Duncan, he made the call to keep the kids home those three days after the district experienced student absences at over 20 percent on Tuesday with around 160 students out altogether.

Duncan said they had the highest percentage of absences among the elementary grades.

While the students were home on Friday, said Duncan, school janitorial and maintenance staff, along with teaching staff and administrators, all came in to give the whole facility a thorough cleaning and disinfecting.

Students were back in school on Monday, and though absences were still a little higher than normal in the elementary, the middle school and high school were showing typical attendance numbers for this time of year.

Across the county in the West Carroll Special School District, West Carroll Primary School was closed down on Friday due to extreme absences at that school.

As Director of Schools Dexter Williams detailed, student absences at WCPS got up to around 90 out of a total student population of 215 by the end of the day on Thursday. Several teachers were out sick, as well.

"I've never seen it this bad," said Williams.

While still a bit high, student absences were down to between 35 and 40 on Monday, according to Williams, who added that attendance has remained normal at the district's other two school facilities.

None of the other school districts in the county have had any closings due to sickness so far this year, but Huntingdon Director of Schools Pat Dillahunty, McKenzie Director of Schools Lynn Watkins, and South Carroll Director of Schools Tony Tucker all said they are keeping a very close eye on the situation from day to day.

Watkins said that absences hit a peak in McKenzie schools on Friday, February 3 with approximately 11 percent of students absent and 80 out sick a just the elementary school.

"We're back to normal attendance right now," said Watkins on Monday. "I hope we've seen the worst of it."

According to Dillahunty, her school district had about eight percent of students out on Monday with 30 out of 390 out at the primary school, 17 out of 335 out at the high school, and 55 out of 500 out at the middle school. She added that absences were a little higher last week and seem to be coming down.

"We just have to keep watching it every day," said Dillahunty.

Tucker said Clarksburg School has also been experiencing student absenteeism at about eight percent, which he said is about normal for this time of year.

"But you never know when it's going to change," he said.