Kindergarten canceled because of H1N1

EDINBURGH, Ind. (Daily Journal/WISH) - Edinburgh kindergarten is canceled until Wednesday because of the H1N1 virus.

Three students became sick during the weekend and, by the end of the day Sunday, about six students and a staff member were sick, Superintendent Rich Arkanoff said.

Twelve total cases of H1N1 have been confirmed at the school. All of the cases have been mild, Arkanoff said.

Arkanoff decided to cancel kindergarten for two days as a precaution after speaking with Dr. Craig Moorman, health officer with the Johnson County Health Department, he said. Parents of the 70 kindergarten students were notified by telephone on Sunday, he said.

The health department would not have required the school district to cancel kindergarten classes, but supports the superintendent's decision, Moorman said.

"I don't think it's a bad idea," Moorman said. "It's a brief interruption, because of a sudden spike in sickness. That's not a bad plan."

He hopes the school district will take advantage of this opportunity to remind parents to keep their children at home if they are sick, he said.

Arkanoff said it was a tough decision to cancel class but they received no resistance from parents. He said they have no plans to close the entire school at this time.

Workers are sanitizing the school with special emphasis being put on the kindergarten traffic areas, Arkanoff said.