Some School Districts Fighting Flu

The flu has hit school districts early this season as Edgewood and Wills Point ISD have both confirmed high absentees this week.

Although there is concern being circulated nationwide about the H1N1 (Swine Flu), there have been no confirmed cases reported to local school districts.

Van Zandt County Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck Allen, however, did say on Friday morning that late this week the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed the H1N1 is to blame for the death of a 43-year-old Van Zandt County resident.

"It was a Canton male who worked in the Dallas area," Allen said. "He came down with symptoms August 13 and died August 22."

Allen said the man did seek immediate medical attention at the onset of the symptoms.

No further information was available. See the September 17 issue of the Canton Herald for a follow-up story.

Edgewood ISD Superintendent Jack Shellnut said there has been no notifications of anyone testing positive for the H1N1 in his district.

Shellnut said district-wide the flu has taken its toll with 93 students absent September 8, and 89 absent on September 9, then 62 students out on September 10, and 64 out on September 11.

Shellnut said the majority of the absences are concentrated on the high school campus, and are "flu type symptoms."

He went on to say that those students are staying home, and are not being exposed to other students until they are well usually being out two to three days.

"We are doing all the extra things needed to make sure the campuses are clean," he said. "We even have hand sanitizers in the classrooms and have teachers wiping down desks."

"We know of three students who were tested for H1N1 and they (tests) came back negative," Shellnut said. "I think it’s just the flu."

Although Shellnut said two students have been very sick, there have been no confirmed cases of H1N1.

"It seems to be getting better," Shellnut said about overall attendance.

When asked if he would consider closing school, Shellnut said, "It’s not to the point that we would dismiss it all. In fact it is better than when we came back last week."

"We do have a bug going around, but we have not been notified by anybody that it was H1N1," Shellnut said.

"To my knowledge we do not have any at this time," Shellnut said.

Wills Point ISD Superintendent Joe Oliver said his district has also seen a higher than normal rate of absences.

"We have a high absenteeism rate, much higher than you would normally like to have," Oliver said. "We do have several children out with flu-like symptoms."

Wills Point ISD, the largest school district in Van Zandt County, has a nurse on every campus. Oliver said those nurses are monitoring the absences but that, "as far as we know we have no confirmed cases of the H1N1."

"The guidelines are to treat it as any other flu situation and not to be closing school, if it is confirmed that we do have any of those cases," Oliver said. "Bottom line we do have a higher than normal rate."

Although he could not give exact numbers of his campus absences, Oliver said it was getting better.

"The confirmed flu cases we have had has been Type A flu," he said. "There are no confirmed H1N1 cases."

He said the high school campus had an 18 percent absentee rate September 10.

Oliver said the flu season is hitting the district earlier than normal this year, which is what they have been told to prepare for.

Oliver said his cleaning staff is doing their part to keep things extra clean.

"We are hoping everyone will get well over the weekend and things will be much better," Oliver added.

Mark Keahey, superintendent for Grand Saline ISD, reported there have been several absences at his district but that, "most of them are intestinal symptoms that have caused students to go home or not come to school."

There have been two cases of the flu, which Keahey said have not been designated as H1N1.

"We are sending letters home today about preventative measures and taking care of family," Keahey added.

Martins Mill ISD and Canton ISD confirmed they were not having an absentee problem.