Hamilton County Health Department in Chattanooga, Tenn.The Hamilton County Health Department and Hamilton County Schools are investigating whether they need to take additional precautions after about one-fifth of the students at Clifton Hills Elementary School were absent Friday.
About two dozen students were sent home from school, several with a fever, according Sheryl Rogers, directors of health services for Hamilton County Schools. A total of 114 students out of 560 were absent, she said, and close to a dozen teachers also were absent.
Abena Williams, spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Health Department, said they were looking into the absences but did not have any additional information.
Rogers said they will monitor what happens over the weekend to see if any illness spreads to other schools. She urged parents to keep any children who appear to be sick at home.
“I understand the difficult economic times and parents need to go to work, but don’t send them to school,” Rogers said.