Jennings County closes elementary school due to illness

HAYDEN, Ind. (WDRB) -- Hayden Elementary school in Jennings County will remain closed until Monday due to widespread illness.

The district announced that the school would be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week due to "increased cases of cold, flu, strep throat and other illnesses."

According to the district, 25% of the students at the school are sick.

"When a school reaches 20% of students absent due to illness, we are required to report the number to the State Health Department," Superintendent Teresa Brown said in a statement. "At that time, we also consult with the County Health Department and make a decision on whether we need to close a school to prevent the spread of illness."

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Jennings County Schools Superintendent Statement

When reached by phone Thursday morning, a representative of the Jennings County Health Department hung up on a WDRB News reporter.

Parents in the district are worried that more schools are not closed however.

"A lot of my friends have told me they've had the flu hit their homes, so as my parents' right to keep my daughter safe, I kept her home," said Amber Shepherd, a Jennings County parent.

Her daughter doesn't attend Hayden but said she worries about her getting sick because her immune system is compromised.

"Would it be better for them to close down the schools? Yes. I understand where people are getting with that," she said. "These kids all know each other. They're all best friends. They're always around each other. So I think that should have been taken into consideration."

The district said no other schools have come close to meeting the 20% threshold to close.