Due to an outbreak of the flu and RSV, Austinville Elementary School will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Elizabeth Gentle, Decatur City Schools Director of Communications, said, “this is all, for now, isolated to Austinville Elementary School
But we do have a high number of absentee-ism and having to send students home due to this flu and RSV outbreak.”
According to Decatur City Schools, AES had roughly 100 students out sick at the beginning of Monday, and ended up sending 17 more home by the end of the day.
They also say that around 30 percent of AES staff is also out with fevers or other symptoms.
Gentle is encouraging parents to be on the lookout for updates from the district.
“We use a number of ways to keep in contact with our parents. We send alerts through our Blackboard system to parents. We also make sure we keep up on social media.
We send emails. We are in contact with the principal and administration at Austinville Elementary School,” said Gentle.
The district says it’s important to know that this switch to remote learning is not because of a COVID outbreak.
Students will be virtual on Tuesday and Wednesday. DCS will reassess the situation Wednesday and decide the next course of action for the remainder of the week.