100 years ago today in Spokane: With 5,000 students missing class, officials ponder closing school for flu

An urgent debate continued over whether to shut down Spokane schools because of the flu epidemic.

Several arguments were made in favor. The simplest one was that there were so many absentees — between 4,000 and 5,000 — that the schools might as well be closed.

A second argument was advanced by a school official, who noted that the school district would get its full state funding allocation if schools were closed for health reasons, but only partial funding otherwise, because of low attendance.

A third argument came from the Spokane County Medical Association, which said the 1920 epidemic was affecting children more severely than the 1919 epidemic, which was harder on adults. They did not believe children should be “compelled” to attend school, where the virus could easily spread.

However, the school board and the city health office still believed that closure was not necessary. The number of flu cases seemed to be decreasing. One school board member said it wouldn’t do any good to close the schools as long as churches, theaters, dance halls and other public gathering spots stayed open.

The school doctor said the number of absentees was already beginning to wane.

This theory was bolstered by new statistics from the city health office. Only 36 new cases of flu were reported for the day, a marked decline.

Two new deaths were reported. The total number of flu deaths for the year, 14, was far below the numbers for the 1919 epidemic, in which more than 500 died in Spokane.