PA Schools Struggle With Seasonal Illness

Schools in Pennsylvania are dealing with absentee levels of up to 16% as a result of a Mexican swine flu breakout.

The Scranton School District has about 15 confirmed student H1N1 cases, Superintendent William King said Wednesday. In some schools, as many as 16 percent of students are absent, he said.

In the Blue Ridge School District in Susquehanna County, officials have been notified about a dozen cases by parents or doctors.

This is important for you, the taxpayer or future taxpayer, because “public schools lose money when their students are absent. Public schools receive money based on the number of students who attend each day. When a student misses just one day of school, the school loses money — imagine how much a school loses when many students miss many days throughout the year.”

This is a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Either way, it’s good to be aware. Remember that you can help prevent flu breakouts–and avoid catching the flu.

Allie Winegar Duzett is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.

*Blog entries by interns reflect their personal opinions only and not that of Accuracy and Academia.

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