WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — Bentworth School District in Washington County has moved to remote learning for the rest of the week due to an uptick in flu cases within the district.
The district said because of the number of students and staff members who are sick, they will move to remote instruction on Thursday and Friday to prevent the illness from being passed around.
All on-campus after-school activities are canceled, as well.
Olivia Devine has three daughters, two of whom attend Bentworth Middle School, with one of them home sick. Devine said she fully supports the district’s decision to end the school week with remote learning to help prevent the spread of the virus.
“I think it’s good for right now because it’s keeping all of the kids safe,” Devine said. “It’s been about three days now, and as of right now, she’s not eating, she hasn’t gotten out of bed.”
Superintendent Scott Martin said this will give custodians an opportunity to deep clean each school with backpack sprayers and disinfectant.
“On a daily basis, they don’t have time to wipe down every single thing, so that was another part of the decision,” Martin said.
Martin said the number of cases at the middle and high schools combined amount to those at the elementary school, which shares a building with the Central Office. Martin, himself, has been sick with the flu, which is why we spoke with him over the phone. He told us other staff members, including bus drivers, have also gotten sick.
“We’ve learned that this particular flu has a 3-4 day process to go through, so i didn’t want students coming in and passing it from one to another,” Martin said.
Channel 11 asked pediatrician Dr. Todd Wolynn what parents need to keep in mind for the rest of this cold and flu season as other respiratory viruses continue to spread as well.
“If you’re around people that are not as hearty – particularly, older adults, kids under the age of one, or people that are immunocompromised, those infections could potentially be disastrous for them,” Wolynn said.
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