Spokane Public Schools report high flu rates

Spokane elementary schools are experiencing high flu rates this year and Spokane Public Schools is encouraging students and staff to wash their hands frequently. The district is required to send a report to the Spokane Regional Health District and the state anytime more than 10 percent of a school’s enrollment is sick with the flu. That has happened at about 10 of the district’s elementary schools in the past three weeks, said district spokesman Kevin Morrison. “We are seeing an increased rate of the flu, more than we have in probably half a decade or a decade,” Morrison said. “For the last three years we haven’t had to report to the state. That is a pretty dramatic increase.” On Thursday both Hamblen Elementary and Westview Elementary were reporting around 10 percent of students out with the flu. That was down one from Wednesday, when Hutton Elementary was also on the list. The highest percentage of sick students, 23 percent, was reported at Linwood Elementary two weeks ago, Morrison said. When a school hits the 10 percent mark an extra cleaning crew is called in to sanitize surfaces that are touched a lot, Morrison said. Parents are also notified. Flu rates also are increasing at district high schools and middle schools but none has topped the 10 percent mark, Morrison said.