SJE schools close after flu outbreak

An outbreak of flu hit dozens of students in the St. John and Endicott School districts the first week of March, prompting school officials to close the school March 3.

“We aired out the buildings and disinfected as much as we could,” said Superintendent Rick Winters.

Eighty-five of the 260 students were absent Wednesday, with roughly 90 percent of the calls related to flu-like symptoms.

Students or their parents began calling in sick Monday, Feb. 28, with more calls later in the week. Winters said he and other school officials decided at noon Wednesday to close the next day, March 3.

“Monday, Tuesday Wednesday our attendance was very poor, mostly due to flu-like symptoms. The statistics were around 80 to 85 students in our cooperative,” Winters said.

The district had already planned on closing school Friday and Monday because of the state basketball tournament and a teacher-training day.

Winters said the five-day break brought the number of students attending school back to normal.

“It seems they are perked up a little bit,” Winters said. Attendance Tuesday was back to normal with 28 students absent.

The district will make up for the lost school day in April, requiring students to be at school on a previously scheduled school day.

County health physician Dr. Tim Moody said the illness was diagnosed as the flu after several students tested positive for influenza at the St. John Medical Clinic.

Moody said health officials did not test any students for H1N1, also known as the swine flu. However, one 10-year-old became so ill he was hospitalized and a test for H1N1 on his illness was sent to a lab for testing March 4. The results of that test are pending.

Flu symptoms, such as those experienced by the students, include fever, body aches, headaches and a cough.

Moody said the likelihood of the flu from St. John/Endicott popping up in another county district is dependent on several factors.

“Big events like basketball tournaments and what not make it a lot harder to prevent mixing between schools,” said Moody.