Neillsville Superintendent John Gaier say 246 students are absent from school today. In an interview with WEAU-TV, he says not everyone may have the flu, rather parents are doing their part to make sure their children don't get sick by just keeping them home today.

On Wednesday, nearly 200 students were absent or sent home due to the flu. Gaier said cleaning crews were working a late shift at district school “doing a lot of sterilizing”,

A message on the district's website from the school nurse earlier in the week read:

The district has been seeing rapidly increasing numbers of students ill with the respiratory flu or stomach flu as of today. Symptoms of the respiratory flu are headache, sore throat with or without fever. Students should stay home until they are free of vomiting, fever, or diarrhea for a full 24 hours without the aid of fever reducing medication such as Tylenol, Advil, or ibuprofen. Vaccination against the respiratory influenza is available through your doctor office, or Sniteman's pharmacy.
Thank you

The district also wants parents to keep their children home from school until they have gone a full 24 hours without vomiting, coming down with a fever, or having diarrhea without taking Tylenol, Advil, or Ibuprofen.

There are 1,000 students in the Neillsville School District.