This is a letter posted on the distrcits Web site regarding influenza-like illnesses.
As expected, we are starting to see cases of influenza-like illness at all of our schools. Included in that population are several confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus. Consequently, some school buildings are seeing higher absenteeism than is typical for late-October. Please keep in mind that it is not uncommon to experience student absences at this time of year due to this type of illness.
We believe the high absenteeism is also due to the fact that our school nurses are sending more children home during the day when they have flu-like symptoms, and to the fact that more parents are keeping their children home at the first sign of illnessfor which we thank you. That is exactly what health authorities are asking everyone to do to help prevent the spread of both colds and influenza-like illness.
There have been some rumors circulating throughout the district that school will close because of the number of influenza-like cases. To clarify, at this time, we are not experiencing numbers of absences that would prompt school closings. As a district, we must balance the risk of flu in our buildings with the disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and in the wider community. Any future decisions on school closings due to an outbreak of influenza-like illness will be made in partnership with local and state health officials. We are continuing our monitoring of absences and will keep you informed if closings are necessary. `
