It’s that time of year when a lot of people are getting sick. Toutle Lake Schools say it has gotten so bad that they have had to notify the Cowlitz County Health Department and cancel school today. Down in Portland, a few more districts have also said they had to cancel school due to norovirus spreading across the region.

In a release from Toutle Lake yesterday, officials said 75 students from the middle/high school were absent and 79 from the elementary school due to illness. Because that exceeds 15% of the district population, they were required to notify the health department. They say about 35% of staff report feeling ill, and they do not have enough substitutes to safely supervise and support students.

During the day off, the district says they will conduct a deep cleaning of all classrooms, surfaces, doors, and other high-touch areas.

The district is reminding parents to keep kids home if they show signs of being sick, especially if they have a fever. They also want to remind families to follow healthy habits, including frequent handwashing at home.