Officials close all Whitley schools

Citing widespread illness, all three Whitley County school districts are canceling classes for the rest of week.
For the first time in six years, the Corbin Independent Schools have canceled classes districtwide because of illness.
Superintendent Ed McNeel said the decision was made shortly before schools let out Tuesday afternoon. Overall, attendance in the district had dropped to 85 percent with three percent of the student population leaving early Tuesday because of midday symptoms.
School is canceled for the remainder of the week. Teachers and students will be back in session next Monday.
“One day just doesn’t do any good,” McNeel said. “It has to be extended. It’s more than just the flu, it’s a combination of things.”
Williamsburg Superintendent Denny Byrd said school officials decided to cancel classes after attendance dropped significantly Monday and Tuesday.
The average daily attendance for the district is normally 95 percent, but Byrd said it fell below 90 percent Monday.
Fewer than 85 percent of students came to school Tuesday. Byrd said officials postponed a decision on canceling classes to later in the day in hopes some students would come in late. Instead, about 15 to 20 additional students had to check out, and go home early.
Byrd said students complained of a high fever, vomiting, and other flu like symptoms.
Whitley County Superintendent Lonnie Anderson said attendance seemed to be picking up Tuesday based on early numbers, but throughout the day, nearly 100 students, faculty and staff had to go home early prompting his decision to cancel classes the rest of the week.
With 16 percent of the students absent this past Thursday, Whitley County school officials also called off classes last Friday.
“We had a lot of staff members out. We had a lot of teachers out. Boston I think had six teachers out at their school Thursday,” said Joann Siler, Assistant Superintendent. “It seems to be a viral stomach type bug that everybody seems to be having. It is very contagious. It seems like everybody coming and going has it.”
In Corbin, about 100 students were absent from both Corbin High School and Central Elementary School Tuesday. South Elementary School had 59 students out and Corbin Middle School had 64 absences.
By percentage, Central Elementary was the hardest hit school, with just under 80 percent of the student population in classes.
“We are in a position where you can noticeably see that we’ve have a lot of kids out,” Central Elementary School Principal Amon Couch said Tuesday afternoon.
“Kids have been complaining of a stomach virus mostly. That’s what were are seeing more than anything else.”
Siler said that she doesn’t think the illness is the flu, but just a viral infection that is running its course with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Whitley County High School alone had 200 students absent last Thursday.
“We haven’t had to miss in a while because of illness, and this is the worst we have had in quite a while. We have had cases of flu that were worse,” she added.
The last time Corbin Schools were out for an extended period due to illness was in Feb. 1999. Classes were canceled then for three days. On that occasion, McNeel said when students returned the following Monday, attendance districtwide was over 90 percent. He said he expects a similar bounce this time, though administrators will reevaluate the situation if there still is an attendance problem.
Normally the district’s attendance is about 95 percent.
Schools receive state funding based on average daily attendance figures for the year. McNeel said that while low attendance could affect funding, it wasn’t the reason for the decision.
“It’s not the reason we closed the schools. This is a health and safety issue,” he said. “With the amount of people out sick, you just need to take precautions.”
McNeel said the decision to cancel classes was made after administrators consulted Dr. Carmel Wallace, a local pediatrician who is also a member of the district’s Board of Education.
Money was a factor for the other districts, though.
Whitley County has approximately 5,000 students enrolled, including preschool students.
“If you have really low attendance on days like that, it is really going to hurt your funding,” Siler said.
Byrd said his district will at least consider canceling classes if attendance drops below 90 percent.
Local schools aren’t alone in canceling school recently due to illness. Somerset and Letcher County schools also closed Friday.
Jackson County decided to cancel classes for the remainder of the week after flu caused low attendance Monday.