BANQUETE, Texas — A growing number of flu cases in one South Texas school district has administrators choosing to close their schools for the remainder of the week.
The Banquete Independent School District canceled classes at their elementary, Jr. high, and high school campuses through Friday.
According to Superintendent Max Thompson, it was not an easy decision.
"They've never seen this many students out sick," said Thompson.
Thompson hopes the three days will be enough time to disrupt the outbreak they are experiencing at their campuses.
3News spoke with parents picking up their kids after school on Tuesday after they learned about the decision to close the campuses.
"I think it's a good idea to be proactive," said Krystella Stobbs who was picking up her son. She said luckily he hasn't gotten the flu yet.
Banquete ISD says there have been excessive absences caused by the flu and flu-like symptoms.
The Jr. High campus was hit the hardest with 25-percent of the campus out on Tuesday. That's 68 students and one-third of the staff.
Banquete typically has an average of a 96-percent attendance rate.
Inside the school, administrators are doing what they can to prevent students from spreading the virus. The district will be using the time off to bring in a company to disinfect each classroom.
"Not only clean classrooms and desks, but restrooms and handles, and also field houses, and buses. Everything in our district is going to be sanitized," said Thompson.
3News checked with the Corpus Christi Independent School District, which currently has 70 confirmed cases of the flu, which is lower for that district.
Experts say ways to help prevent the spread at home include the obvious of cleaning surfaces, but also the not so obvious like using bleach when washing laundry.
Your loved one's dirty clothing and sheets can be a hot bed of all those germs.
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