Absences close Clinton Prairie Schools

On a normal Friday the halls of Clinton Prairie High School would be filled with chatter, but on Friday, October 16th all that could be heard were custodians hard at work.

117 students were absent Thursday, October 15th...many with flu-like symptoms. That's nearly 28% of the student population.

The large number of absentees prompted administrators to cancel school.

"Get a three day break, get everything canceled, get all the kids separated, hopefully we can head this off and give everybody a chance to be healthier," said Clinton Prairie Jr./Sr. High School Principal David Larsh.

Larsh says the extra day not only gives more time for students to recover, but also more time to clean everything from doorknobs to desks and lockers.

"We cleaned our normal cycle last night so today they're all in re-disinfecting those things...students desks...we're going back and redoing all of those areas where we have a lot of student contact," said Larsh.

Clinton County Health Department Supervisor Craig Rich said the schools made a good decision to close.

"When you have a group of people and they're all sick they are just going to spread it so it's a good idea," said Rich.

Rich advised students who have the day off to be cautious.

"If your school has been called off you should think before going to the mall or going out with friends especially if some of them are sick...that's pretty much a guarantee you are going to get sick," said Rich.

Rich said the closing of Clinton Prairie should be a call for local residents to be prepared.

"With the first school closing maybe people need to start to think about having a plan for if you or a family member gets sick," said Rich.

Parents in the area are concerned by the closing.

"I've got a couple of kids myself so yeah the whole situation is worrisome to me. Both my boys have respiratory issues. We're just waiting to see if Frankfort is going to close because there has been a lot of kids sick there as well," said Frankfort resident Brady Posey.

"It's very important for the kids to be in school, but if there's that many sick it's better to keep the sick ones home and protect the rest of them," said Frankfort resident Linda Bennett.

Larsh said Clinton Prairie Schools will be open on Monday even if the absentee rates do not drop.