“We don’t want contagious kids or staff members coming to the building and spreading it to others.” Jeff Meador said.
JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas — Parents in Godley ISD received an alarming call this week as the district announced school closures due to a widespread flu outbreak.
“It’s happened over the last week or so that we were seeing increased numbers beyond, you know, what’s normal for this time of year,” GISD Chief Communication Officer Jeff Meador said.
In just one day, the district reported 650 student absences along with more than 60 teachers and staff members out sick. In response, GISD has launched a deep-cleaning effort, sanitizing classrooms and common areas across all campuses.
“That includes everything from the desk and the chairs and the windows to the water fountains and the doorknobs and elevator buttons,” Meador said.
The flu outbreak is also on the radar of major pharmacy chains like CVS, which closely tracks flu cases by ZIP code through the CDC to ensure vaccine availability in affected areas.
“If there’s an upswing or a critical outbreak, we can kind of be prepared,” CVS District Team Leader Tim Morrison said.
Morrison emphasized that flu shots and other respiratory vaccines are readily available. He encourages families to protect their health and safety by getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
“We can take you as a walk-in or you can schedule one online, and then also other vaccines,” Morrison said. “So other respiratory things like RSV, COVID and pneumonia. We can get multiple vaccines at the same time.”
GISD schools will reopen Monday, Feb. 3, after the cleaning process is completed. School nurses will also work to educate families on flu prevention and other illnesses affecting students and staff.
“Including strep throat and whooping cough and that sort of thing,” Meador said. “We don’t want contagious kids or staff members coming to the building and spreading it to others.”
