SOPER, OK-Oklahoma gets hit hard with the flu and that's forcing the closure of several schools, including one in Texoma.
Here's what's happening, at least six schools in the state have shut their doors to reduce infection. Among those, Porum in Muskogee, which had to cancel classes for the rest of the week after 196 flu-related absences yesterday.
Officials of the Thomas Fay Custer School District in Custer County canceled classes on Friday after nearly a fourth of their students were out the previous day. Other schools that closed because of the flu last week were Binger Oney in Caddo County, Dewar in Okmulgee County, Stroud in both Creek and Lincoln County and, as of today, Soper in Choctaw County.
Our own Victoria Maranan made the trip to Soper to find out just how hard the flu was hitting there and how the school and parents were handling the shut down.
As of Wednesday, 36% of Soper's 350 students and eleven of its staff were out sick. Because of the outbreak, Superintendent Monte Sill, and other school administrators had to make a decision.

"As a team, we decided that the best interest of our students, as well as our faculty members, is to close down for two days to allow us to recoup, regroup and to start Monday morning. Hopefully, when we come in, we can look up and have a less percentage of students absent," he said.

He said the district has never seen anything like this before.

"To my knowledge, this hasn't happened here at Soper Public Schools, but throughout the county and area, we had a lot of sickness and illnesses throughout the various school systems," he said.

Sill said maintenance crews are sanitizing the building, spraying surfaces, like desks, door knobs, lockers--even school buses with disinfectant-- and thoroughly cleaning classrooms in an attempt to stop the spread of the germs.
All of Sherri Taylor's children attend Soper Public Schools. One of them has a fever and had to miss two days of school.

"I think it's a good idea that they close. Maybe so that everyone get well and clean the school," she said.

Sill said he feels four days is sufficient time for students to recover and to sanitize the school.

"The main thing is to give those students the opportunity to be away from this setting for a four-day period. Hopefully to get them well and back up on their feet," he said.

Classes will be back in session Monday, January 31st.