Entire Texas school district closes because of flu outbreak, officials say

Students in one Texas school district had an extended weekend after officials canceled classes due to a flu outbreak.

“Currently, we have over 15 percent of the district student body absent for sickness,” Andrew Peters, superintendent of the Caldwell Independent School District, said in a letter to parents and staff. “Our elementary school has been hit the hardest with over 20 percent of that campus out.”

Peters said school officials had been monitoring the situation over the last several days, and it “seems to be steadily increasing.”

Janitors planned to “deep-clean and disinfect” classrooms and school buses, Peters said.

“I apologize for any inconvenience that this closure causes. However, I believe the health and safety of our students and staff must be our priority,” he said in the release. “We are doing everything we can to stop the spreading of the flu and other flu-like symptoms.”

Students won’t have to make up the missed school day.

This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 2:31 PM.