The administration at area schools are fighting at the front lines, attempting to keep germs out or at least at a minimum.
With an early flu season hitting the area, attendance has slumped slightly in Fulton and South Fulton schools; however, absences aren’t as extensive as expected, according to school officials.
Obion County Superintendent David Huss said attendance was at 93 percent Sept. 17 at South Fulton Elementary School, and 94.5 percent at the high school. He said the hardest hit school in the district was Obion County Central High School, with an 83 percent attendance rate Sept. 17. As a whole, county attendance is at 90.6 percent, which is about three percent below average.
Huss said the administration contemplated closing South Fulton Elementary for a couple of days, but he said it wouldn’t do a lot of good, as the Center for Disease Control states selected dismissal is unlikely to stop the spread.
Additional cleaning of desktops, water fountains, handrails, and any surface touched often by students is being done.
The same goes for Fulton City Schools, according to Assistant Superintendent Wendell Benningfield, who said different cleaning products are being used to more effectively prevent the spread of germs.
Benningfield said there have been no confirmed cases of the flu at either school, and some districts are being hit a lot harder than others.
Huss said there have been very few faculty members out. The attendance policy has been modified, and if a student is absent with the flu, it will only count as one absence.
“If they are out for three days, or seven days, we’re only counting it as one. We’re working with parents to assure they don’t have to worry about that.”
