Flu closes entire school district in Illinois

An entire school district in Illinois was closed this week due to a flu outbreak, according to a local report.

Bushnell-Prairie City Schools leaders decided to close schools on Thursday and Friday after excessive numbers of students were exhibiting flu-like symptoms, a spokesperson told WQAD in Moline, Ill.

The school district put out an announcement on their Facebook page to warn students and parents about the increasing spread of illness.

Classrooms are now empty, as the district superintendent Kathy Dinger said “canceling school is the first step to getting all students healthy,” according to local WGEM, another local television affiliate.

Signs first began that this was a growing problem when the district approached 70 absent students.

“We’re just under 300, so when we’re approaching 70 students being absent, we knew it was time to start taking a look to put some better preventative measures in place,” Dinger said.

The district plans to reopen on Tuesday, as long as students are feeling healthy and their contagious period has passed.

“We’re fortunate that we have positive and trusting school community that knows we put staff and students first … our primary focus is to keep children safe and get them through this period,” Dinger said.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that flu activity is high in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.