School attendance improves after bout with winter illness

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
Feb. 11, 2003
The worst may be over for Meridian and Lauderdale County public schools after struggling with extensive student absences in recent weeks because of winter illnesses.
Other schools also reported fewer absences. And one school, Calvary Christian School, re-opened after closing Thursday and Friday to disinfect its buildings.
Students there, as well as at other Meridian and Lauderdale County schools, had reported symptoms that included high fever and headaches. Some students also suffered from gastrointestinal viruses.
Annette James, secretary at Calvary Christian School, said the number of absences there had been running abnormally high 70 out of 156 students were absent on Jan. 31.
The average number of absences per day is eight to 10 students. "Classes with 12 to 14 students only had three or four students, so teachers could not teach," James said.
Judy Ainsworth, Calvary Christian's principal, and Sharon Seal, the school guidance committee president, decided to close the school after consulting with a doctor whose child attends the school.
The closing will mean that students will lose their President's Day holiday on Feb. 17.
At Carver Middle School, 62 of its 523 students were absent Monday. During the past two weeks, the school had as many as 105 students absent every day because of illness.
Magnolia Middle School sent 48 of its 526 students home sick on Monday, compared with more than 100 within the past two weeks. Vanessa Collins, the school secretary, said teachers are now getting sick.
In Lauderdale County, students are still absent but the numbers are improving.
Clarkdale Attendance Center reported 70 absences Monday down from more than two weeks ago when the school reported more than 200 students out ever day for a week.