Kansas school starts winter break early after wave of illnesses wreak havoc
A Kansas school decided to start its vacation early after illnesses took a toll on its students and staff, with more than 40 sickening in one day.
Dexter Schools USD #471 posted a statement on Facebook saying it would dismiss students for the semester on Monday due to a “tremendous number of illnesses right now and it seems to be spreading at a very high rate.” The school, located about 70 miles south of Wichita, wanted to avoid continued spread because students were soon likely to see extended families.
It’s unclear exactly what illnesses spread in the school, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “FluView” tracking system reports there was an 8 percent increase in positive flu diagnoses during the first week of December. Wastewater data from last month also indicated that norovirus was spreading earlier than usual this year in some states.
KB Criss, the K-12 school’s superintendent and principal, told NBC News affiliate KSNW that about 40 to 50 students and staff reported sick Monday.
“We’ve had symptoms everywhere, it’s kind of crazy because we can’t identify them, but we’ve had bronchitis, strep throat,” Criss said. “We’ve had kids who have had diarrhea and were vomiting. We’ve had fevers, body aches, and probably the most common is that everyone has terrible headaches.”
The school will undergo a “really, really deep cleaning” over the winter break and before students return in January, he added. Any exams or final projects would resume in the new year once teachers have had a chance to complete their syllabi or review it with students.
“I hope that these measures will really allow people to feel good, to spend time with their families and to feel good,” Criss added.
