Education
Education

Mass absences continue at Gwinnett school

By
Aug 26, 2016

A total of 175 students and three staff members were absent Friday from Gwinnett County's Lanier Middle School, two days after a stomach flu struck the school.

Nine students have checked out due to viral gastroenteritis at the school, said district spokesman Bernard Watson.

Watson said a crew will thoroughly clean the school Friday evening. The school is located in Sugar Hill and has about 1,400 students.

Viral gastroenteritis can result in stomach pain, nausea or diarrhea. The symptoms can be serious for young children and older adults. School principal Todd Hamilton sent a letter to parents Wednesday alerting them about the situation. Ill students have been urged to stay home until their symptoms are gone for at least 24 hours without the aid of medication.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

Follow Eric Stirgus on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Corbitt VanDuzer, 6, strikes a pose for her mother, teacher Kathryn VanDuzer, before her first day of first grade at Glennwood Elementary School in Decatur, Ga., on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Seeger Gray/AJC)

Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC

School starts in about a month in metro Atlanta. Check the dates here.

Most students in metro Atlanta will start school the first week of August, while others go back in July. Some school districts are already preparing for the return.

Supreme Court rulings could factor into case of Cobb teacher fired over book

Two Supreme Court rulings could impact a lawsuit by a Georgia teacher fired over a book she read to her class.

Two Georgia schools ranked among nation’s most beautiful campuses

Travel & Leisure magazine named its 30 most beautiful colleges and universities in the nation, and Berry College and the University of Georgia made the list

The Latest

Cobb County teacher Katie Rinderle testifies at a hearing at the Cobb County Board of Education in Marietta on Thursday, August 10, 2023. Rinderle was fired after reading “My Shadow is Purple,” a book about gender identity, to fifth graders. (Arvin Temkar/ajc)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Supreme Court rulings could factor into case of Cobb teacher fired over book

School starts in about a month in metro Atlanta. Check the dates here.

Clayton County again requiring clear backpacks for school year

Featured

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Credit: AP

Senate GOP passes budget bill Democrats describe as ‘a catastrophe’

Republicans in the U.S. Senate have passed the “big, beautiful bill” championed by President Donald Trump, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote.

State Farm Arena top 5 globally in box office — behind only Sphere, MSG in U.S.

State Farm Arena brought in about $76.2 million across 60 events.

At a store that never closes, an armed comedian keeps the midnight watch

At JJ Food Mart on the west side of Atlanta, an armed comedian keeps the midnight watch. If you misbehave, Connell Daniels Jr. might put you on Instagram.