WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa -
Concern over a flu bug with H1N1 symptoms forced West Burlington Elementary School to cancel classes on Friday. Illness hit 181 students there on Thursday, earlier hospitalizing two students and one staff member.
When the bell tolls at West Burlington Elementary School, the flu bug strikes hard and fast. It knocked out 42% of the student body and forced the school to close.
"Teachers said that students would be sitting there in class looking perfectly normal, and in five minutes they looked like pink meat," said Superintendent Jim Sleister.
Educators and community leaders joined forces with the Des Moines County Health Department. They worked on a strategy to fight the high fever and H1N1 symptoms. Illness that's tallying an unusual double-digit absence rate.
"We as a community are discussing what would cause a school to close down," said Barb Baker, health department director. "We're hoping that we've seen the worst of this."
With a third of the teachers and staff either sick or home with sick kids, the grade school had no choice. It had to close for the day.
Custodian Vickie Gahn remains one of the few healthy staffers. She's spending the day going from room to room and disinfecting classrooms. The school is also providing hand sanitizer throughout the building.
"This is my 38th year and 32nd as an administrator," Sleister said. "I never had this kind of situation."
A kindergarten classroom took it hard. Just five students out of 25 were healthy, and both teachers were sick. That's prompting advice for parents as kids recover.
"Keep them home, and that means home," Baker said. "Do not go to the grocery store. Do not go to a grocery store. Keep them home."
The health department and schools want kids to stay home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours. Typically kids have been sick for about five days.
The school hopes to reopen on Monday, but that will depend if staffers are well enough to return.
When the bell tolls at West Burlington Elementary School, the flu bug strikes hard and fast. It knocked out 42% of the student body and forced the school to close.
"Teachers said that students would be sitting there in class looking perfectly normal, and in five minutes they looked like pink meat," said Superintendent Jim Sleister.
Educators and community leaders joined forces with the Des Moines County Health Department. They worked on a strategy to fight the high fever and H1N1 symptoms. Illness that's tallying an unusual double-digit absence rate.
"We as a community are discussing what would cause a school to close down," said Barb Baker, health department director. "We're hoping that we've seen the worst of this."
With a third of the teachers and staff either sick or home with sick kids, the grade school had no choice. It had to close for the day.
Custodian Vickie Gahn remains one of the few healthy staffers. She's spending the day going from room to room and disinfecting classrooms. The school is also providing hand sanitizer throughout the building.
"This is my 38th year and 32nd as an administrator," Sleister said. "I never had this kind of situation."
A kindergarten classroom took it hard. Just five students out of 25 were healthy, and both teachers were sick. That's prompting advice for parents as kids recover.
"Keep them home, and that means home," Baker said. "Do not go to the grocery store. Do not go to a grocery store. Keep them home."
The health department and schools want kids to stay home until they are fever free for at least 24 hours. Typically kids have been sick for about five days.
The school hopes to reopen on Monday, but that will depend if staffers are well enough to return.
