December 12, 2013 at 1:07 p.m.
UPDATE: Illness prompts closure of Pelican and Crescent elementary schools
Respiratory and gastrointestinal maladies plaguing students and staff
UPDATE: Illness prompts closure of Pelican and Crescent elementary schools
Pelican Elementary School was closed Friday to allow students and staff to recover from an outbreak of illness.
School and health officials announced the closure Thursday afternoon, citing a high number of incidences of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness affecting both students and staff.
The school will remain closed from Friday, Dec. 13 through the weekend. It is scheduled to reopen on Monday, Dec. 16. All co-curricular activities have been canceled as well.
At approximately 10 a.m. Friday, the district announced Crescent Elementary school would also close for the day due to widespread illness.
"Due to the high absentee rate today at Crescent School and illness symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and flu-like symptoms, we have contacted parents/guardians to inform them that they are welcome to voluntarily come and pick their child up and take them home, even if (the) child is not ill," the district said in an press release. "This day will not count against (the) 10 parent-excused days. The students that cannot be picked up will take the bus home at the end of the day. We will keep (the children) safe. (The) child's health and safety is our number one priority. The Crescent Elementary School based CHAMPS Program will also be canceled (Friday)."
Old School Arts and Learning Center and Old School Too were also closed Friday due to illness.
Oneida County Public Health Director Linda Conlon said her department has guidelines it follows when dealing with illnesses in schools.
"We work in conjunction with the school. We do have a standard level of absentee rate that we look at, so when it reaches a certain level of absences, then we really start looking at closing the school. We work with the state Division of Health and we work with the school district and between us, we make the decision that the school should or shouldn't be closed and what's in the best interest of the students," she said. "Once (the absentee rate) hits 20 percent, we start looking at closing the school. (Pelican) hit that level (Wednesday) - it was right at that level - then it jumped a significant amount (Thursday) and that was a deciding factor in whether or not we should close the school."
Superintendent Kelli Jacobi said the district will continue to work with health officials to ensure the safety of students and staff.
"The Oneida County Health Department made the call and we agree with them," she said. "They've been involved since we became aware of the severity (Wednesday). They've been watching and helping us manage and make the calls that we need to make. They were involved (Wednesday) and at the beginning of the day, the number didn't warrant a cancellation. As the day went along, the numbers rose and then they continued to rise overnight and that's when we started putting protocols in place to make sure that those that are sick are staying home."
The closure at Pelican will allow officials to rid the school of germs.
"It gives us a chance to disinfect the school so that's what we'll be working on (Friday) and then over the weekend to make sure it's a nice and healthy environment for people to come back to," Jacobi said. "Then the plan is to reopen on Monday."
The district will continue to coordinate with health officials regarding absentee rates, symptoms of absentees, and recommendations for management of all schools in the district. The district and the health department have been monitoring reported illnesses for several years in order to be more responsive to outbreak situations.
As of Thursday, district nurse Kerri Schmidt said Pelican was the only school in the district to report high levels of absenteeism due to illness.
"I've been talking with and calling the other schools but so far there's just been a smattering (of illness)," she said. "One of the buildings is only at 3 percent, so it's interesting how it plays out. I'm hoping that those other schools don't begin to have an issue like this."
Schmidt said the absentee numbers at Crescent started to rise rapidly between Thursday and Friday.
"I had an email from (Crescent Thursday) morning and they had a very, very low volume of illness, but by the end of the day (Thursday) their numbers were starting to creep up," she said. "We were just curious with what would happen overnight and we reached that 20 percent mark threshold by 8:30 (a.m.) with call-ins ... and then there were some kids with the same symptoms already in the office. ... So, we just collaborated with the superintendent and the health department and, for obvious reasons, we decided it would be best for the health and safety of all to notify the parents and offer a voluntary pick-up."
Schmidt said the students who can't be picked up will participate in academic activities.
"We're probably going to be grouping some smaller groups of classes and students together and they'll be doing various academic activities with the instructors that are here," Schmidt said.
It appears the outbreak is confined to the elementary schools as Schmidt said absentee rates in the other district schools appear normal.
"I did get an email from (James Williams Middle School principal) Paul Johnson (Friday) morning that their attendance rate is at about 95 percent of students that are in school, and the few that are out are due to different activities that they're doing with chorus and other school activities. This illness seems to be hitting the younger population very hard, but who knows what's going to evolve?" Schmidt said.
"(The rest of the schools in the district) have my email and my phone number. Things must be OK there because nobody has contacted me. I'll be in contact with them as well, but everybody's got their finger on the pulse as far as health and wellness is concerned."
That means, as of Friday morning, only elementary school activities are cancelled.
"The only thing that I know of that are canceled right now are activities associated with Pelican and Crescent," Schmidt said.
"The rest of the stuff at the other levels, I don't know of any other cancellations."
Schmidt advises any individuals with influenza-like illness (fever with a cough or sore throat) or gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea) to stay home and not go into the community, except to seek medical care. Ill individuals should remain home for 48 hours after their symptoms have subsided, she said.
"We're asking parents that if their child has any of these symptoms and they've been out sick, to stay out for 48 hours. By closing school (Friday) and then having Saturday and Sunday, that will more than exceed the 48 hours and we hope that we can break the chain of transmission," Schmidt said.
The following guidelines should be followed to stop the spread of illness, Schmidt added.
- Drink plenty of liquid (juice, water)
- Keep the sick person as comfortable as possible. Rest is important
- For fever, sore throat and muscle aches, use ibuprofen (Motrin) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use Aspirin with children or teenagers; it can cause Reye's syndrome, a life-threatening illness.
- Be sure everyone in your home washes their hands frequently.
- Keep the people who are sick away from the people who are not sick.
For more information, call your health care provider or contact the Oneida County Health Department at (715) 369-6111.
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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