Richardson High School is sending a serious message home to parents this weekend, warning them about a stomach bug that has caused nearly 400 students and staff members to get sick this past week.
Administrators, who’ve been in contact with area health departments, said they don’t exactly know what the bug is, just that it’s a bacterial infection that can cause stomach aches, vomiting and diarrhea.
On Monday, 203 students were absent and 12 staff members were home sick.
By Thursday, 349 students were home sick and 22 staff members out sick.
During class Thursday, 70 students went home during the day.
“A couple players on the team aren’t here today and we had one that got sick during the game,” said parent Bruce Crawford during his son’s varsity RHS soccer game Friday night.
Crawford’s wife, Tina Crawford, said she received a phone call from the school warning her about the illness.
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“The school called and told us there was something going on and told us to warn our students about it. Tell them to wash their hands and if they had any symptoms to keep them home for 24 hours,” Tina Crawford said.
Tina Crawford said she’s never seen so many students get sick so quickly.
“No. Especially I’ve never gotten a warning like this, and a phone call,” Tina Crawford said.
In a letter home to parents, administrators said they are in contact with area health departments about the situation and have additional custodial staff members coming in during the weekend to clean the school.
School officials said they don’t believe the students are getting sick from anything they ate or drank at school.
