School chief says flu having slight effect on attendance

• By AARON E. LOONEY
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Sep 4, 2009 - Page: 4B

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DONALDSONVILLE — Ascension Parish’s superintendent of public schools said Thursday that while absentee rates have been slightly higher than usual, there is no immediate fear of school closures due to the current H1N1 virus situation.

“We typically have an absentee rate of 3 or 4 percent around this time in the school year. This past week, it was around 6 to 8 percent,” Donald Songy said while speaking to the Ascension Parish Council at its regular meeting at the Parish Courthouse.

Songy said there have been about 100 reported cases of “flu-like symptoms” in parish students so far this school year. Of those, 40 already have returned to classes.

“The doctors don’t really test for H1N1 anymore,” Songy said. “When someone comes in, they just assume it’s H1N1. The doctors are telling us that it’s not a serious flu. It’s pretty mild, as far as symptoms go.”

Songy told the council that the school system is monitoring the situation closely, but that the current numbers are “nowhere near close” to requiring closure of schools.

Songy also told council members that initial, but unofficial enrollment tallies show an increase of 400 students in the parish public schools, bringing total enrollment to just under 20,000 students in the system’s 27 schools. However, he said, more concrete figures would be available next month.

Songy also said he was “very pleased” with the recent opening of schools for the 2009-10 school year.

“Everything went extremely smooth,” Songy said. “I owe that to the teachers and administrators.”

The system opened three new primary schools this year with little to no problems, Songy said.

The superintendent also outlined the School Board’s plan to renovate or rebuild the system’s older schools.

“We have nine schools that have been built in the 21st century,” Songy said. “However, we also have nine schools that are more than 50 years old in our system.”

To fund the estimated $100 million project, which includes building a new G.W. Carver Primary School in Gonzales, the School Board voted to present a four-year extension of its 15.08 millage to parish voters.

The parishwide election on the extension will take place Oct. 17 If approved, the projects would take about five years to complete, Songy said.