Sickness hits hundreds of students, staff from Oak Park schools

OAK PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Illness kept nearly 600 students and staff members out of class Monday in suburban Oak Park School District 97.

The two middle schools in Oak Park were especially hit hard, but all schools in the district are affected, with students and staff reporting flu-like symptoms.

A district-wide deep-clean is taking place and all 10 elementary and middle schools in Oak Park are getting a full scrub down.

"We are going to gather first thing Tuesday morning and assess and evaluate where we are from an attendance standpoint," said district spokesperson Chris Jaculca.

Nearly 600 kids, or about 10 percent of students district-wide called in sick Monday, most with flu-like symptoms.

A couple of dozen staff members were also unable to work.

"This is the largest single day absence total in the five-and-a-half years I've been with the district," Jaculca said.

The Oak Park outbreak comes a week after a similar deep-clean at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park. That school forced to close for two days after nearly 200 Nazareth students, about a quarter of the student body, called in sick last Monday.

In Oak Park, classes have not been canceled, at least not yet.

"If we feel like we need to close school to prevent the spread, whether it be the flu, strep throat, the common cold, that's something we'll certainly pursue," said Jaculca.

Administrators are urging students who are at the tail end of their illnesses not to rush back to school, saying they need be fever-free for at least 24 hours before coming back.