Dozens of schools across west Michigan have closed over the last two weeks due to illness, including Bronson Community Schools on Jan. 26 and others within the Branch Intermediate School District on Wednesday and today.
BRANCH COUNTY — Dozens of schools across west Michigan have closed over the last two weeks due to illness, including Bronson Community Schools on Jan. 26 and Waldron Learning Center, Dorothy Legg and Pathways to Independence — schools within the Branch Intermediate School District — Wednesday and today.
During a shut-down for illness, the district’s janitorial services kick their cleaning into high gear, sanitizing individual rooms, hallways, bathrooms and more to rid the buildings of viruses.
How to determine a shut-down
If attendance dips below 75 percent for any given school day, the district cannot count it as an instructional day.
“We look at the percentage of students and staff absences,” BISD Superintendent Joseph Lopez said. “After discussing it with Darrin Adair (director of special education), it didn’t make sense to keep the school open. We need to let students and staff heal.”
Lopez said he hopes students can return Friday.
Bronson Community Schools Superintendent, Rick Hilderley said the decision to close BCS was made after student attendance at one of the district’s three schools came close to the 75 percent.
“We were nearing the 75 percent, and its a matter of using common sense and good fortune to take time and get things sanitized,” Hilderley said. “It was the best thing for the kids and staff to try and break the exposure.”
Coldwater Community Schools reports that thus far, the district is not in danger of closing. Superintendent Terry Boguth said she considers the district as a whole and is closely monitoring the absences in each building.
Quincy Community Schools Interim Assistant Superintendent Martin Chard said the QCS district is also seeing absences due to illness, but not enough to warrant a district-wide closing.
“We have been monitoring the absences and have had higher absences from staff than students,” Chard said. “It’s not a significant difference, and we are not close to the 75 percent, but we will continue to monitor that.”
Union City Community Schools is focusing heavily on prevention.
“We look at the trends,” said UCCS Superintendent Pat Kreger. “It’s not an exact science, but we do follow the 75 percent rule.
“We look at the trend of absences per school,” he added. “You might close the whole district or you might close a building.”
Kreger said district staff pushes education on universal precautions, such as washing hands often and thoroughly, covering the mouth when coughing, not putting hands in one’s mouth and wiping tables down each night after school.
Flu or cold?
According to ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, “The flu (influenza) is a contagious respiratory disease that infects the nose, throat and lungs and can lead to serious complications, hospitalization or possibly death. Flu viruses are constantly transforming and changing. This means that different flu viruses circulate and cause illness every season.”
The Center for Disease Control states that colds typically affect the nose and throat area, occur gradually, and can produce a low-grade fever and cough, without shortness of breath.
ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital further reports, “Flu vaccines are modified each year to protect against the flu viruses that research indicates will be most common. This is why everyone needs a flu vaccine every season. Once you receive a flu shot, it takes approximately two weeks for the shot to take effect in your system. Getting the flu shot before flu season hits is the best way to ensure that you do not contract the virus. By getting the flu vaccine for yourself and your family, you can help prevent flu-related illness, missed school and missed work.”