WEST, Texas (KXXV) — West ISD experiences a high rate of the flu, and the district took action by closing the school right before the holidays.
- Superintendent of WISD David Truitt said the district experienced 58 cases of Flu B and 301 students had the flu, stomach virus, or strep throat.
- WISD students will return to school on January 8, 2026.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“I could not believe that all three of my kids were sick at the same time," said WISD parent Nikki Bragg.
Nikki Bragg, a mom of three, is experiencing what every parent dreads...
“Sure enough, they have strep throat. I let the doctor know that Flu B was going around, and he said you know what, let’s make sure they have amoxicillin because with everything in the air that will knock it out," said Bragg.
But Bragg isn’t the only one with sick kids. It appears that many parents at West ISD have children who are ill. The school district took to its social media page to inform parents of the spread of Flu B.
“It hits fast and hard. One minute, kids are fine, the next they have a headache and high fever," WISD said in a social media post.
All of this is no surprise to one local physician.
“As the holidays come, we anticipate the numbers will slowly rise in Texas. We have been going towards a low rate, but we’re headed quickly towards moderate. Typically in Texas, we’ll hit a high rate in February," said Jamie Avila, a doctor with McLane Children's Pediatric with Baylor Scott and White.
Braggs said the symptoms hit her kids pretty hard.
“The first two days, they had headaches, they were vomiting, and their eyes hurt. All they wanted to do was sleep. It was awful to see their little bodies like that. I kept checking on them to ensure that they were breathing at night and that nothing had happened," Bragg said.
Dr. Avila said the first few days are crucial.
“You may feel like, oh, am I getting a scratchy throat, and I'm having a little bit of the sniffles, and in reality thats one of your highest contagious points. So people will go to work, they’ll go to school, not realizing that they could be spreading it," Dr. Avila said.
Braggs said West ISD decided to close school Thursday and Friday to try to mitigate the spread of the flu they were seeing at the district. And for that she’s grateful.
“I’m so proud of our school, of the superintendent for making that quick decision to ensure the safety of the staff, the kids, our holiday," Bragg said.
In an email, WISD provided 25 News with the following information:
"As of Wednesday, we had 58 cases of Flu B, but overall we had 301 students out with the flu, stomach virus, or strep throat.
Our custodial and maintenance teams have been working extra hard to ensure all surfaces are wiped, cleaned, and sterilized, along with the restrooms, locker rooms, cafeteria surfaces, and desks. Door knobs and handles, along with stair railings, were a top priority. Buses too.
Throughout the week, the staff encouraged parents to ensure their students are washing their hands often, avoiding other sick family members and friends, covering all coughs and sneezes, and staying home if sick for the recommended 24-hour fever-free period. Communication with each of our campus nurses is key during this time of year regarding any symptoms being seen at home. We have wonderful families in West, and they know we are here to help and work together as a team during these challenging times.
On Tuesday, our campus nurses reported 203 students out with some type of illness. On Wednesday, the number jumped to 301 students. This 301 student figure equates to a 77.5% attendance rate. The district is usually at a 96% rate.
With the number of students out sick jumping from 203 to 301, the district contacted the Board of Trustees, campus principals, and staff regarding the decision to close school for today, Thursday, December 18, and tomorrow, December 19, 2025 (including all extracurricular activities). The district also emailed the Flu and Illness Report to the Epidemiology Program at the Waco McLennan County Public Health District.
This school closure period will provide our staff and students the chance to get well before Christmas, and our custodial and maintenance team time to clean and sanitize our buildings and campuses. We will be back and ready to go on Thursday, January 8, 2026, for our first day of the new year and semester."
