The cold and flu bug that has hit the area is apparently causing sick days to rise across Snyder ISD campuses.
The number of absences in Snyder ISD schools have been on the rise, Superintendent Jim Kirkland said.
Late last week and early this week, the school district was hit increased absences due to sickness, but Kirkland said the figures are comparable to the 2015 absentee rate for the same time period.
On Tuesday, 16.6 percent of Stanfield Elementary School students were absent while 6 percent were absent at Snyder Primary School. Snyder Intermediate School saw 5 percent of the students absent while Snyder Junior High School had 4 percent absent. At Snyder High School, the absentee percentage was 7 percent.
On Monday, Stanfield had 16 percent of the students absent while 11 percent and 9 percent were absent from the primary and intermediate schools, respectively. The junior high had 6 percent absent while 11 percent were absent from the high school.
“We realize we are very much in the midst of flu season in West Texas. Norovirus is very common and illnesses are prevalent,” Kirkland said.
The district has increased custodial training and has upgraded its products.
“The new disinfectant being used is one of the top disinfectants on the market. Texas Tech and Baylor University are among those institutions using Diversey products,” Kirkland said.
He said buildings are disinfected daily and cleaning efforts at each campus are documented.
“The administration and custodial staff is very aware of the number of illnesses and are doing everything we can to help fight germs on a daily basis,” Kirkland said. “As part of the effort to decrease the risk of illness, the transportation department will also be disinfecting our bus seats and handrails more thoroughly and will soon provide a hand sanitizer for each bus.”
Kirkland said parents can help at home.
“While we realize the anxiety that surrounds our children when they become ill, it is important to remember that the flu is a personal contact illness,” he said. “It is very important that children be taught to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when coughing and maybe most importantly, to remain at home when they are sick.”
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