Published: October 20, 2009 08:21 am      

Berea schools closed because of illness

County schools remain open

Illness has shut down Berea Independent Schools.

At all three schools — Berea Community Elementary School, Berea Community Middle School and Berea Community High School — students were sent home Monday and classes were canceled for the remainder of the week.

“It was determined that after 12 percent of our population were absent on Friday and 19 percent of our student population absent (Monday) we should close for the remainder of the week,” said Donna Lovell, director of pupil personnel for Berea Community School.

There also was an increase in the number of staff members who were absent because of illness, Lovell said.

A notice on the district Web site states, “Berea Independent Schools will be closed Tuesday October 20th through Friday October 23rd due to illness. Students will return to school on Monday October 26th.”

“Our hope is that the cancellation of school will allow for the students and staff who are ill to recover and perhaps prevent additional students and staff from becoming ill,” Lovell said.

The closure of Berea Independent Schools sparked a flood of calls to Madison County Schools.

“We are getting a lot of phone calls at the office, just people inquiring if we are closing,” said Erin Stewart, community education director for Madison County Schools. “We are just letting people know that at this time we don’t have any plans of closing unless our numbers drop and we don’t foresee that at this time.”

Although still open, Madison County Schools are keeping an eye on the attendance levels.

“Anything below 90 percent, we start taking a look at our options,” Stewart said. “We are not at that level right now. (Monday), I believe we are at a little above 91 percent.”

Also on Monday, the Madison County Health Department issued a press release detailing a plan for schools to receive H1N1 (swine flu) vaccinations.

The Madison County Health Department, along with Madison County Schools and Berea Independent Schools, met on Friday and decided to begin sending home packets this week with information on how students can get a flu shot at school beginning the first week of November.

Children with special health care needs will be given priority in receiving the vaccine, the press release said.

All students will need parental permission to be vaccinated.

Students also can receive the vaccine at Saturday clinics. Those clinic dates will be announced as soon as the health department knows more about the vaccine supply.

Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.