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Walworth school to reopen Monday following bout with the flu

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Fighting back against the flu

Staff spent the week cleaning Walworth Middle and Grade School after an outbreak of illness forced officials to close school Tuesday. Classes will resume Monday, Oct. 26, 2009. STORY

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Maria Carbajal wipes down cupboards at Walworth Middle and Grade School Wednesday. The school is closed until Monday, following an outbreak of flu. Dan Plutchak/staff.

WALWORTH — Walworth Elementary and Middle School will reopen Monday, following an influenza outbreak that closed the school for nearly a week.

“The (absentee) numbers kept going up the week before, but even given the weekend in there for people to rest and recuperate, the numbers spiked on Monday,” said Walworth’s principal, Pamela Larson.

Pamela Knorr, district administrator for the Walworth Joint School District 1, said she's not sure what to expect when the doors open Monday morning.

“We will wait and see and reassess at that point, she said.

Staff spent the week cleaning everything in the school that students and staff come in contact with.

“We’re just massively cleaning everything, everywhere,” Knorr said. “Any areas where hands could touch—lockers, tabletops, sinks, pencil sharpeners, doorknobs.”

Workers are cleaning not only surfaces but also classroom supplies students and teachers might use, Knorr said. They also have cleaned air filters and vents to ensure air is properly purified in the building, she said.

“It’s just been nonstop for three solid days,” she said.

Walworth County public health officials have confirmed five cases of the H1N1 influenza virus in the village, but have not released information on the ages or gender of the cases.

Parental feedback has been positive to the decision, she noted. “Parents agreed with us to err on the side of caution in protecting the children,” she said.

Read the full story in the Walworth County Gazette, online in the Gazette e-edition HERE, or check WalworthCountyToday.com after 4 p.m. for the latest details.