Clark schools see dip in attendance from sickness

Published 9:51 am Thursday, March 2, 2017

With seasonal illnesses like the flu hitting schools in the region hard lately, with some even canceling classes, Clark County Public Schools has seen only a slight dip in attendance.

Director of Pupil Personnel Greg Hollon said in the past month, attendance has dropped below what the district is used to seeing, but the rate has been less than one percentage point of what it was at the same time last year.

The rate is notable compared to other schools in the region, including Christ the King Elementary School, which had to cancel classes for at least a day during the latter half of February because attendance had dropped as a result of sickness among students, according to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader.

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“Locally, we have dealt with illness, but we have not had to have discussions about closing down as a result of that,” Hollon said.

He said attendance would need to be off by about six percent in order for the district to have that discussion, a far cry from the less than one percent officials have seen, which Hollon said is currently rebounding.

He added that district officials have taken attendance multiple times each day, and the schools in the district have undergone regular cleanings to help reduce the risk to students.