Friday, February 04, 2011 12:00 AM | Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

School officials are urging parents to keep their children at home if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as fever, runny nose, sore throat, chills or body aches.

Woodleaf Elementary and Southeast Middle have seen surges in absenteeism due to illness.

at least 60 students missed school every day last week at Woodleaf.

“We’ve been involved in this epidemic for the past two weeks,” Woodleaf Principal Sue Herrington said.

Martha Cline, who tracks student attendance at the school, said this week started with 73 students out Monday. nearly 60 students were absent Thursday.

she said the average daily rate of absenteeism is between 15 and 20 students for the 448-member student body.

“The numbers are running quite high,” she said. “most of this is due to a lot of stomach virus, strep throat and flu symptoms.”

Traci Collins, school nurse at Woodleaf, Cleveland and Mount Ulla elementary schools, said several schools have sent out an automated ConnectEd message to parents.

“We shared with them that we are starting to see an increase in our community with the flu and the flu-like symptoms,” she said. “Our goal is to keep students and staff as healthy as possible.”

Collins said although she hasn’t seen as many students miss days at Cleveland and Mount Ulla, the illness is widespread.

she said the ConnectEd message explained that children should be fever free for 24 hours, without using fever reducers such as Tylenol or Advil, before returning to school.

Principal Skip Kraft said rampant illness has impacted class at Southeast Middle School this week.

“you can see it in the classrooms, when you look in you see five or six empty desks,” he said.

Typically, about 30 to 35 students are absent each day, but this week there have been more than 100 students out each day.

Southeast has a student population of about 700.

Kraft said the week began with 118 students absent Monday. By Thursday that number had dwindled to 103.

“It’s a huge concern for us because we are just coming off a big break from snow,” Kraft he said. “We don’t want to get behind.”

although he’s worried about students having to play catch-up, Kraft said he doesn’t want them coming to school sick.

“We want them here every day, but we want them here healthy,” he said. “We can’t continue to expose and re-expose children.

“I wish I had a bag of pixie dust I would sprinkle it over the school to make everyone healthy.”

Both Woodleaf and Southeast have reported confirmed cases of the flu.

Rita Foil, the Rowan-Salisbury School system public information officer, said although not all schools have experienced high absenteeism, the district has been working to educate parents.

“there are different avenues of communication that principals can use to inform parents about concerns with flu …” she said.

Foil said besides sending out ConnectEd messages, information can be sent home in school newsletters.

“Our district has recorded a radio spot discussing the flu season.”

Districtwide attendance numbers were not available Thursday.

Contact reporter Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.