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Natural Bridge Elementary School was forced to close on Tuesday as a severe flu outbreak swept through the student and staff population. In a phone call with The News-Gazette, Assistant Superintendent Tim Martino said that 73 students -- nearly a third of the school’s enrollment and eight staff members were absent on Monday due to illness.
“It’s a lot to handle all at once,” Mar- tino said, adding that school nurses treated 47 students for flu symptoms in a single day.
While all other Rockbridge County schools remain open, Martino noted that the flu hasn’t hit other schools “at the same volume” as Natural Bridge Elementary.
To combat the spread of illness, crews are misting classrooms and other areas with a disinfecting product; similar to what was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every surface you can think of, there’s a cleaning product being applied to it,” Martino said.
The school division will monitor conditions and the efficacy of the cleaning process, and decide daily whether additional closures are necessary. Superintendent Phillip Thompson will communicate any updates as early as possible.
