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Oct 22, 2024
TLCA Abilene Elementary ramps up flu prevention measures
Schools across the Big Country are taking extra precautions to keep their students safe this flu season after several districts had to cancel class because they had so many absences last flu season.
Schools across the Big Country are taking extra precautions to keep their students safe this flu season after several districts had to cancel class because they had so many absences last flu season.
Last year around this time, attendance was high at TLCA Abilene Elementary, comparable to the school’s current 96% attendance rate. In February, classes were canceled at the school due to an overwhelming number of students and staff getting the flu at the same time.
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Jill Jones, TCLA’s director of public relations and advocacy says they are working hard to keep the flu out of the school.
“The safety of our students and our families come first,” Jones said. “Our teachers and all of our staff are reminding students to wash their hands each time they go to the bathroom and throughout the day.”
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Jones says students are also encouraged to sanitize their hands during the school day.
“Outside of every main doorway you’ll notice if you walk through the building, we have hand sanitizing stations. The kids know when they go through the main doorway to use a hand sanitizer.”
When the school bell rings for the end of the day, the maintenance crew sprays the school with their 360 Clorox Electrostatic machine to kill germs and viruses.
“What we love about those machines is it allows every surface, even surfaces that you normally could not touch by just wiping down or cleaning. It uses the static technology to sanitize those surfaces.”
TCLA’S director of public relations and advocacy says the elementary school will consider closing if attendance rates drop 25% but she is optimistic attendance rates will not drop that low again this flu season.