The Twin Rivers R-X school district decided to close school campuses as of noon Monday due to an outbreak of the flu. The campus will reopen Thursday morning.
According to Superintendent Jeremy Siebert, 120 students and at least 10 staff members from the district were out sick Monday morning. Less than 70 percent of the student body was in attendance.
“Thursday and Friday we had low attendance,” Siebert said. “We were hoping the weekend would cure it, but it was much worse (Monday).”
Staff will use this time to disinfect the buildings as well as school buses.
Officials are urging parents to take this time to wash children’s coats, mittens, backpacks and lunch boxes.
Students are also encouraged to use this extra time off to read and study.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports that Butler County had 15 total laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A and B as of Jan. 26, the most recent data available.
Statewide, about 1,500 laboratory-positive cases had been reported.
While Butler County saw no positive cases between Jan. 20-26, the state saw an increase, according to DHSS.
The department had reported only two influenza or influenza-like associated school closings, season-to-date across the state as of Jan. 26.
Flu activity was up across the country as of the middle of January, the department said.