Flu causes school cancellation at Zion Lutheran

PIERCE, NE — A northeast Nebraska school has canceled classes because of the flu.

The School Board of Zion Lutheran School in Pierce announced today that it canceled classes and activities for Wednesday because more than 20 percent of the school’s 112 students were out sick.

Academic Coordinator Stacy Johnson says the primary culprit is Influenza B.  She says school administration debated the closure idea for an hour, and during that time three more students had to go home sick.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the flu in Nebraska remains in the "widespread" category.

Johnson has been in her position for six years and says she can’t remember canceling school for illness before.

Johnson says teachers were instructed to disinfect all touchable surfaces in their classrooms.  The school’s cleaning staff will deep clean and sanitize the facility overnight.

School administration has asked parents to tell them before 5:00 p.m. Wednesday if they have kids who will be too sick to go to school on Thursday.  Administration will use that information to make a decision on having class on Thursday.