News

More students than usual have been absent from some Alle-Kiski Valley area schools this week, with officials believing the flu is to blame.

Districts, including Freeport Area, New Kensington-Arnold, South Butler County and Kiski Area, reported absentee rates ranging from 18 percent from Monday through Thursday at Freeport High School to 23 percent for that same time at North Washington Elementary School in the Kiski Area district.

Leechburg Area School District saw a mid-week spike in absenteeism, with 100 of the district's 800 students out Wednesday and 95 not in school Thursday, Superintendent Jim Budzilek said. The district usually has 40 to 50 students absent.

Officials in districts contacted yesterday said the high rates may be due to parents doing just what officials have been telling them — keep kids with the flu or flu-like symptoms home. Districts have sent letters home and put information on their Web sites.

"Obviously, if they have flu-like symptoms, we would like them to stay home so they're not spreading it in the school building," said Patricia Thomas, assistant to the superintendent at Kiski Area.

State Health Department spokeswoman Holli Senior said although it appears the flu season has started early, 99 percent of flu cases being reported to the state are swine flu. The seasonal flu has not appeared yet, she said.

There have been 4,134 confirmed swine flu cases statewide.

The attendance rate at Apollo-Ridge has dropped to about 90 percent this week, down slightly from the normal range of 96 percent to 97 percent, said Cristine Kostiuk, administrative assistant. District officials have seen "flu-like symptoms" cited on excuse slips.

The change was seen just this past week, she said.

The high rate recorded at North Washington is at a school with only 95 students in kindergarten through second grade, Thomas said. Otherwise, the district's average this week is a "unremarkable" 7 percent.

"We'll see if this gets worse or better. We'll keep an eye on it," Thomas said.

South Butler County has averaged nearly 17 percent absenteeism districtwide, nearly double the normal rate, Superintendent Frank Prazenica said. The rates ranged from 12.3 percent at the high school to 21 percent at the district's intermediate elementary school.

"Parents are very cautious today. I would think, rather than jeopardizing other kids getting sick, parents are using good judgement and taking precautions to make sure when their children are here they are healthy and not by any means bringing something so other students can get the flu," Prazenica said.

At New Kensington-Arnold, the district's middle school had 80 percent attendance one day early this week, but has since improved, Superintendent George Batterson said. On Thursday, he said a couple children with 102-degree temperatures were sent home.

"The teachers are told that if someone appears sick, they're to go to the nurse immediately," Batterson said. "We are trying hard to stop it. We haven't had a real big problem with it yet."

Besides the high rate at Freeport High School, absentee rates have been normal at the district's other schools, district spokesman Todd O'Shell said. The district has had no cases of the H1N1 virus confirmed by the health department.

O'Shell said the district encouraged parents to "exhibit extreme caution" about students with flu symptoms. He said the district wants parents to consult their doctor about keeping a child at home.

"We hope the weekend is a turning point for us to get back to normal," O'Shell said.

Highlands spokeswoman Misty Chybrzynski said absentee rates there are normal, and no higher than 6 percent one day at Grandview Elementary School.

"Maybe our hand sanitizers are working," she said.

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News