UPDATE: Hamilton County Schools and Marion County Schools have joined the list of schools closing Friday because of the flu.
Our news partner WRCB previously reported that Etowah City School and Rhea County Schools will be closed through Friday.
Polk County Schools will be closed Friday and Monday.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A few Tennessee schools in the Chattanooga region will be closing again because of illness.
According to our news partner WRCB, Etowah City School and Rhea County Schools will be closed through Friday. Polk County Schools will be closed Friday and Monday.
School officials in Polk County on Wednesday called off classes because of illness among students, teachers and staff.
"We will try to have school as usual on Thursday," Assistant Director Joel Cox said on Wednesday. "But students who are not feeling well today or tonight should probably go ahead and stay home."
Officials posted a notice on the school system's Facebook page, too.
"Our administrators and principals have been monitoring attendance the past several days," the post reads. "We had been holding steady with around 10-11 percent absent but our numbers today show an increase to 13 percent for the district with out highest school up to 17 percent."
Cox said Benton Elementary had the most absences Wednesday with 77 students and a total of five teachers out sick. Copper Basin Elementary and Polk County High each had 60 students out sick, South Polk Elementary had 45 students out, Chilhowee Elementary had 35 out and Copper Basin High had 41 students out with illness.
The coming four-day weekend should help the school population to recover while staff uses the closed days to do some serious cleaning, Cox said.
"The next weekend is a five-day weekend, too, with Presidents Day and winter break," he said. So students who get sick or aren't well by next weekend will get another break to get well, he said.
TENNESSEE SCHOOL CLOSINGS
- Etowah City School: Closed through Friday
- Hamilton County Schools: Closed Friday
- Marion County Schools: Closed Friday
- Polk County Schools: Closed Friday and Monday
- Rhea County Schools: Closed through Friday