Toutle Lake School District canceled school for all grades Friday after a large number of students and staff called out sick earlier this week.
About 150 students between Toutle Lake Elementary School and Toutle Lake Jr/Sr High School were absent Thursday, Superintendent Chris Schumaker said. Many staff members also called out, and the district did not have enough substitutes available to replace them, he said.
The district plans to deep clean both buildings before school resumes Monday. Schumaker said he hoped the cleaning and three-day break will curb the spread of the disease.
Students and staff were reporting flu-like symptoms including headaches, fevers, body aches and vomiting, Schumaker said.
The district saw an uptick in absences Monday and Tuesday that increased on Wednesday, he said.
"Then on Thursday, it kind of exploded on us," he said.
Only around 80% of elementary school students attended on Thursday, he said. The school's attendance is typically between 92-93%.
Because the absences account for more than 15% of the student body, the district was required to notify Cowlitz County Health and Human Services. The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reports that Toutle Lake has 691 total students.
Gena James, deputy director of Health and Human Services, wrote in an email that it is "peak cold-flu season" and a few schools are experiencing higher-than-normal absences.
She advised people to wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching their face, disinfect surfaces and stay home if they aren't feeling well.
Two school districts in Portland also announced closures and late starts due to widespread illness. Both also reported flu-like symptoms in students, KOIN reported Thursday.
Corbett School District, which closed schools Thursday, linked the Multnomah County Health Department page on norovirus in its announcement, but did not specify if any cases had been reported in the district.
Norovirus is a stomach infection that can cause vomiting and diarrhea as well as fevers and muscle aches, according to the Multnomah County Health Department. Most cases clear up in one to two days, but some people may need medical care for dehydration.
The health department recommends washing hands frequently and disinfecting dirty clothes or surfaces as soon as possible to keep from spreading norovirus germs.
