SALAMANCA, N.Y. – A Southern Tier school district is making a temporary policy change to address widespread flu among students.
Salamanca City Schools announced last week that any child returning to school following an illness with a note signed by a parent and guardian will have his or her absences excused.
"Parent notes just to say that their students are sick doesn't really count as an excused absence from a historical standpoint, but with the flu this season and stuff, we don't want the students here if they are sick like that,” said Salamanca High principal Chris Siebert.
Salamanca, along with other school districts, is increasing their disinfecting regiments, too, by making sure maintenance staff hit the high traffic areas thoroughly and more frequently to fight germs during this particularly rough flu season.
Siebert only recently became a school principal, but he’s been with the district for more than two decades in other positions, and he said this is the worst flu season he remembers.
"I've actually been here for 25 years, I was teacher for a number of years...but this year, it's been a different strain, and you just can't kick it. It just hangs on and hangs on,” he said.
The New York State Department of Health’s latest influenza numbers indicate the Southern Tier is getting hit the hardest, particularly in Tioga and Broome counties. Allegany County has gotten more than half its season’s flu cases (The season begins in October.) just in the week ending in Jan. 27.