Idaho school districts were reporting more students missing classes due to the swine flu outbreak. In Culdesac, public schools were closed for the rest of the week after approximately 49 percent of the 120 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grades were absent Tuesday. Principal Jon Hussman says two parents called the school to report their children tested positive for the swine flu. In Boise, 3,000 kids, or about 12 percent of the district's 25,000 students, stayed home Monday. Specifics on just how many actually had flu-like symptoms weren't available, but anecdotal evidence shows the outbreak is behind these mass absences. Caldwell reported 16 percent of kids out of the classroom. Eric Exline, a spokesman for the Meridian School District, the state's largest at 34,000 students, says there are signs the flu outbreak is intensifying.
He says a normal absentee rate is about 4.5 percent. Last week, about 10 percent of students at Meridian Middle School were out sick. On Monday, Lowell Scott and Lake Hazel middle schools had absentee rates of 10 to 12 percent. Boise district spokesman Dan Hollar is advising parents to keep sick kids home until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
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