Nearly 150 Students Out Sick Amid Dodgen Middle School Flu OutBreak

KENNESAW, GA -- School administrators this week are warning parents about a flu outbreak at Dodgen Middle School, Patch has learned.

The Cobb County school sent a letter to parents, telling them that a campus-wide sanitation effort began Monday. They also advised parents that several students have gotten ill -- and to keep sick children at home.

"Yesterday morning, prior to student arrival, we began a school-wide sanitation effort to sanitize every desk in every classrooms, all devices in technology labs, all school-owned orchestra instruments, and tables in common areas," the school said in a letter Monday, according to news reports.

As many as 148 students were absent from Dodgen Middle School Tuesday, the school district told news media.

District spokeswoman Donna Lowry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that all the sickouts cannot be attributed to the same thing.

“Of course, all the absences are not flu-related,” Lowry said. “We do not know how many are confirmed flu cases. Parents do not have to report it.”

Only about 20 of the children were reported to have the flu, the district told WSB-TV.

“I don’t know any of the statistics, we just got an email from administration asking us to keep our kids home if they have 101 fever, do all of the diligent things we’re supposed to be doing this time of year,” parent Sheri Bruce told the TV station.

Although temperatures are rising in metro Atlanta, flu season is expected to continue for several weeks, according to the Atlanta-based Centers For Control & Prevention.

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