Closing school is not an easy choice to make. Yet, a few East Tennessee counties closed schools as an intense flu season spreads through the region.
Large attendance drops are the biggest reason for school closures. If too many students are behind on their schoolwork, everyone needs to spend more time catching them back up to speed, Claiborne County Schools said. Closing schools helps keep everyone on pace.
Around 20 percent of students in Claiborne County Schools were absent, so the district decided to close them.
Anderson County also said that it is likely for students to have siblings at other schools, which would make it easier for the flu to spread throughout the county.
Students aren't the only ones who can get sick. If too many teachers get sick and there are not enough substitute teachers to fill in, counties may also decide to close schools due to understaffing.
Counties said that it's best to close schools around a vacation. With MLK Jr. Day on Monday, students will have more time to recover before returning to school after the weekend, healthier and ready to start studying again.