11 Knox Co. schools' attendance below 86 pct, no plans to close
http://www.volunteertv.com/health/headlines/56748757.html
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) --- Nearly a dozen Knox County Schools have attendance with about 85 percent attendance, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools.
An illness outbreak has closed Blount County and Alcoa City Schools until after Labor Day. Neither district says confirmed cases of H1N1, just students with flu-like symptoms. First Baptist Church in Powell has also canceled classes for the rest of the week due to illness.
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre says there's no level of attendance that would force him to close a school or the entire district.
He admits some schools are seeing abnormal absentee rates, and says a situation school officials are closely watching the situation.
"We're seeing some places where you see a greater absenteeism in a handful of schools, but overall we're seeing numbers in the fairly normal range right now," McIntyre said.
Richard Yoakley Alternative School and Holston Middle School both had attendance levels below 75 percent Tuesday, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools, and they are among 11 Knox County schools with less than 86 percent attendance. Richard Yoakley's attendance was 70.27 percent, while Holston Middle's attendance level was 73.62 percent.
The overall, average attendance on Tuesday at Knox County Schools was about 92 percent.
"We're really looking on a case-by-case basis. There's no real hard fast threshold that would say we'll shut down a school," McIntyre said.
The Centers for Disease Control flu guidelines recommend students or staff stay home until at least 24 hours a fever subsides without fever-reducing medication.
McIntyre says the district is working with closely the health department, nd it has hand sanitizer in every classroom.
"Our teacher, she gives us GermX every time we're doing our work so it doesn't go around," South Doyle Middle Schools Student Abby Jones said.
Jones' mom, Tammy Gibson, agrees schools shouldn't close now.
"If [students] miss too much school now, then when it comes to an epidemic, they'll already have missed too much school and they'll have to keep school in," Gibson said.
McIntyre says schools officials check attendance numbers multiple times a day.
Knox County Schools has forwarded a letter from Tennessee's Health and Education Commissioners to parents. If you'd like to see that letter, click the link below.
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Previous Story:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Richard Yoakley Alternative School and Holston Middle School both had attendance levels below 75 percent Tuesday, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools, and their among 11 Knox County schools with less than 86 percent attendance. Richard Yoakley's attendance was 70.27 percent, while Holston Middle's attendance level was 73.62 percent.
It's not clear whether the low attendance numbers are due to illness, but Alcoa City Schools, Blount County Schools and First Baptist Church in Powell have all canceled classes for the rest of the week due to illness.
The other nine schools with less than 86 percent are: Beaumont Magnet School with 85.02 percent attendance; Central High School with 85.82 percent attendance; Fulton High School with 84.85 percent attendance; Gibbs High School with 85.43 percent attendance; Gresham Middle School with 85.88 percent attendance; Halls Middle School with 84.15 percent attendance; Powell High School with 82.74 percent attendance; Ft. Sanders Education Development Center with 83.33 percent attendance (There are six students, one was absent Tuesday.); Vine Middle Magnet with 83.73 percent attendance.
For the complete list of Knox County Schools and their respective attendance rates, CLICK HERE. http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/WVLT+Knox+County+Schools+Sept+1+attendance.pdf
http://www.volunteertv.com/health/headlines/56748757.html
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) --- Nearly a dozen Knox County Schools have attendance with about 85 percent attendance, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools.
An illness outbreak has closed Blount County and Alcoa City Schools until after Labor Day. Neither district says confirmed cases of H1N1, just students with flu-like symptoms. First Baptist Church in Powell has also canceled classes for the rest of the week due to illness.
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre says there's no level of attendance that would force him to close a school or the entire district.
He admits some schools are seeing abnormal absentee rates, and says a situation school officials are closely watching the situation.
"We're seeing some places where you see a greater absenteeism in a handful of schools, but overall we're seeing numbers in the fairly normal range right now," McIntyre said.
Richard Yoakley Alternative School and Holston Middle School both had attendance levels below 75 percent Tuesday, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools, and they are among 11 Knox County schools with less than 86 percent attendance. Richard Yoakley's attendance was 70.27 percent, while Holston Middle's attendance level was 73.62 percent.
The overall, average attendance on Tuesday at Knox County Schools was about 92 percent.
"We're really looking on a case-by-case basis. There's no real hard fast threshold that would say we'll shut down a school," McIntyre said.
The Centers for Disease Control flu guidelines recommend students or staff stay home until at least 24 hours a fever subsides without fever-reducing medication.
McIntyre says the district is working with closely the health department, nd it has hand sanitizer in every classroom.
"Our teacher, she gives us GermX every time we're doing our work so it doesn't go around," South Doyle Middle Schools Student Abby Jones said.
Jones' mom, Tammy Gibson, agrees schools shouldn't close now.
"If [students] miss too much school now, then when it comes to an epidemic, they'll already have missed too much school and they'll have to keep school in," Gibson said.
McIntyre says schools officials check attendance numbers multiple times a day.
Knox County Schools has forwarded a letter from Tennessee's Health and Education Commissioners to parents. If you'd like to see that letter, click the link below.
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Previous Story:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Richard Yoakley Alternative School and Holston Middle School both had attendance levels below 75 percent Tuesday, according to numbers released from Knox County Schools, and their among 11 Knox County schools with less than 86 percent attendance. Richard Yoakley's attendance was 70.27 percent, while Holston Middle's attendance level was 73.62 percent.
It's not clear whether the low attendance numbers are due to illness, but Alcoa City Schools, Blount County Schools and First Baptist Church in Powell have all canceled classes for the rest of the week due to illness.
The other nine schools with less than 86 percent are: Beaumont Magnet School with 85.02 percent attendance; Central High School with 85.82 percent attendance; Fulton High School with 84.85 percent attendance; Gibbs High School with 85.43 percent attendance; Gresham Middle School with 85.88 percent attendance; Halls Middle School with 84.15 percent attendance; Powell High School with 82.74 percent attendance; Ft. Sanders Education Development Center with 83.33 percent attendance (There are six students, one was absent Tuesday.); Vine Middle Magnet with 83.73 percent attendance.
For the complete list of Knox County Schools and their respective attendance rates, CLICK HERE. http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/WVLT+Knox+County+Schools+Sept+1+attendance.pdf