School District Shuts Down Over Flu: More Than 200 Kids Sick

MANTON, Mich. (WWJ) - A northern Michigan school district has completely shut down because of the flu.

Administrators at Manton Consolidated Schools in Wexford County canceled classes district-wide because more than 200 kids are sick. All schools are closed Tuesday and Wednesday, with classes expected to resume as normal on Thursday. Games and practices are also canceled.

Schools superintendent Len Morrow says he started hearing about a possible outbreak on Sunday. Then on Monday, 213 kids -- 22 percent of the district -- were out sick.

"We had all of our sixth graders last week at an outdoor education camp in Harrison, Michigan, Camp Rotary. They were coming back and quite a few of them, they were obviously in close quarters, and they were transferring it to each other," Morrow told WWJ's Beth Fisher.

Morrow said workers are taking the next couple days to disinfect all of the classrooms and buses.

"We have all of our custodians in today, they are sanitizing everything," he said. "We had, yesterday, went through and did the buses, so the buses are sanitized. And then we'll do the buildings with the regular precautions, the disinfectants."

Although classes are resuming Thursday, kids who are feeling under the weather should still stay home.

"If they're feeling sick, obviously we don't want to spread that. So if you're feeling sick, stay at home," said Morrow.