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Swine flu temporarily closes 2 charter schools

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By JOSÉ PATIÑO GIRONA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2009

Updated: 10/22/2009 07:59 pm

TAMPA - A pair of Hillsborough County charter schools are closing Friday and Monday because so many students and teachers are sick with the swine flu.

The decision affects Literacy Leadership Technology Charter High and middle school Literacy Leadership Technology Academy, both of which share a campus at 6771 Madison Ave., Tampa. The charter school board and administration made the decision today.

"The best thing is to clear the deck," said Curt Miller, founder and chief executive officer of both charter schools. "Give everybody a chance to rebound."

The middle and high school had a total of 45 students absent on Thursday. Miller said he didn't know if all the students had swine flu, but on a severe sick day the schools might have only 10 to 12 students absent, he said.

One day this week 15 students went to the nurse's office with flu-like symptoms, Miller said.

The schools also had seven teachers who were out sick on Thursday with flu-like symptoms and three more who weren't feeling well during the school day, Miller said.

Last week, one teacher was diagnosed with the swine flu and now has pneumonia, Miller said.

The schools called the substitute list, but many of the substitute teachers were sick or their children were sick. The charter school uses a substitute list that is separate from the larger list used by the Hillsborough County School District.

The schools have been using bleach wipes to clean doorknobs, door handles, student desks and tables and has done additional cleanings of the restrooms to help stop the spread of the flu.

A cleaning crew will do preventive disinfecting at the school, Miller said.

The schools have a Tampa mailing address but is near Riverview and mostly serves students from Riverview, Apollo Beach, South Shore, Brandon Valrico and Seffner.

The middle school was formed five years ago and the high school is in its second year. This is the first year the high school is on the same campus as the middle school.

The middle school has an enrollment of 240 students; the high school has 110 students. There are 28 teachers and 12 staffers in the two schools.

The two days off will be made up by students and staff. The school will have classes on Jan. 18 and Feb. 5, both of which were to have been days off.

Midterm examinations, which were scheduled to begin Monday, will be pushed back to the week of Nov. 2. Sports programs will be rescheduled, Miller said.

Miller said he sent a letter home with students and met parents outside who were picking up their children. He said parents received the news well and were supportive.

Once school opens on Tuesday, parents should keep students home if they exhibit flu-like symptoms, he said.

The number of Florida deaths linked to swine flu rose from 121 to 131, according to a weekly report issued today by the Florida Department of Health.

Reporter José Patiño Girona can be reached at (183) 259-7659.

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