HARDIN COUNTY, IL - Local school districts continue to see high absentee numbers as flu season moves forward.  Hardin County School District has almost a third of it students home right now, but the district is staying open.

Hardin County's superintendent says he is still able to have enough staff on hand to handle the students.  As it stands right now, those who are sick stay home and catch up later.  Sheri Caraker has made several trips to Hardin County General Hospital recently.  She currently has four kids at home with the flu or flu-like symptoms.

"They are enjoying not being in school, but they are all young enough that they don't understand that they are going to be behind what everybody else has already learned," Caraker says.

Caraker is not the only parent playing doctor mom.  More than 27-percent of school district was home sick Wednesday.

"This week has probably been the worst," says Carroll Phelps, Ph. D., Hardin County School Interim Superintendent.  "We had 163 of 600 some-odd students out yesterday, and we have 143 or so out today.  Hopefully it has peaked."

Phelps says he is following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to keep classes in session.  He says, right now, the younger grades are getting hit the hardest.
 
"I think they should have closed it to at least disinfect and clean, if nothing else," Caraker says.  "It's not fair for the kids who have been to miss out on the learning."

Caraker says those missed lessons will have to be made up by her, helping her kids get through piles of homework.

Marcos Sunga, MD, is Chief of Staff at Hardin County General Hospital.  Dr. Sunga says the hospital and adjoining clinic have canceled appointments for patients who aren't sick because of an overload in the emergency room.

Phelps says Hardin County Schools will close if there are not enough teachers and substitutes to cover the classrooms.