Flu Closes Boles ISD, Quinlan Schools Open

Boles Independent School District closed its doors this week when flu cases dropped attendance by 15 percent on Monday.

Quinlan Independent School District reported an increase in flu cases but at numbers below the level that would trigger closure.

"We had several absences and several lining up at the nurses office on Monday," Supt. Dr. Graham Sweeney said. He said he talked with the Texas Education Agency and University Interscholastic League and followed the guidelines to close when absenteeism reached 15 percent.

"We had 80 students absent out of 527," Dr. Sweeney said.

The superintendent said the Boles district would remain closed through Friday for the flu absences. An additional two days closure had already been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 12-13, for State Fair days. Students were scheduled to return to classes on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Sweeney said that length of time would allow the district plenty of time to clear up the sickness. He said the custodial and maintenance staff was busy by Tuesday doing deep cleaning including fogging to rid the campuses of any flu germs.

He said two parents had reported cases of H1N1 "swine" flu.

Dr. Sweeney said the closure days would be made up by using its bad weather days scheduled for April 1 and May 3 and asked for a waiver from the state for the other two days.

As for the football game Friday at Dallas Gateway, Sweeney said at this point the game would be played.

At Quinlan ISD, District Nurse Donna Hopson said, "With numbers as they are, there is certainly no talk on closing the school district."

Hopson said attendance last week averaged 92-93 percent. "Our numbers are still doing okay," she said. She said they had hoped the absentee numbers would peak. "Time only will tell," she said.

Hopson said flu cases had been higher at the middle school campus, however she said by this week only 25 absences were reported.

She said the sickness observed was from flu-like illness. "They are not all diagnosed with flu," she said.

Hopson said a mass letter was sent home to parents on Friday with illness guidelines and what to look for. She said parents were asked to keep children at home for 24 hours after they were free of fever.

Hopson said parents were requested not to medicate their children before sending them to school. She said in some cases, children had been given Tylenol before leaving home that masked their illness only to report they were feeling sick at school. She said those children were still contagious even if their sickness had been covered up by the medication.

Hopson said the school policy did not prevent siblings from attending if they were healthy and free of fever.