The Talawanda School District closed Marshall Elementary’s preschool Monday due to high absence and illness within the district.
“Every zip code or school district in the county has seen peaks in their illness,” Erik Balster, the Butler County health commissioner, said. “I think it’s one of those things that kind of moves in waves.”
According to Balster, these increased rates of infection are typical for flu season.
“This time of year in the county we have higher levels of flu cases. We are still seeing [Respiratory Syncytial Virus] and strep as well.”
As of Feb. 2, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has Ohio listed as “high activity” for influenza spread. Ohio’s southwest region, which includes Butler County, is second highest in the state for influenza-related hospitalizations with 99.
According to Holli Hansel, the Talawanda School District director of communications and public engagement, when a fifth of students are out sick, the district closes its school, allowing staff to do extra cleaning and disinfecting.
This also aims to grant students recovery time and prevent the spread of illness.
School illnesses have rebounded recently, Hansel wrote in an email. Bogan Elementary School and Kramer Elementary School were close to 20% absent last week. This week they are down to 12% and 10% respectively.
The principals at Kramer Elementary School and Bogan Elementary School, Jason Merz and Molly Merz, wrote in emails that their schools are stressing the importance of handwashing and sanitizing while also providing additional deep cleaning.
Elsewhere in the district, Talawanda High School is at 8%, Talawanda Middle School is at 10% and Marshall Elementary School is at 9% sick capacity.
Illness has not been constrained to students. Hansel wrote in an email that last week the district was down to its last substitute bus driver.
The CDC lists Butler County at a “medium” level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, while Miami University rates itself on its COVID-19 dashboard as “low risk.” According to Balster, key practices to prevent the spread of illness start at home.
“Parents really play a key role in preventing the spread of diseases,” Balster said. “One of the biggest things that is recommended if you are ill, especially with a fever, is that you stay home and get better.”
