Flu season has gotten an early start this year, and in Haywood County, the school system has already seen the effects of the illness spreading rapidly among students, especially at the high schools.

School Superintendent Anne Garrett said that while attendance rates at county elementary schools have been normal, one of the high schools had about 170 absences and another had about 100 over a two-day period recently. Those numbers are higher than normal for this time of year, and school nurses are reporting that many of the absences are flu related.

However, rumors of schools closing because of the flu are untrue, she added.

“As far as closing schools, we do not have the authority to do that. The health department has to do that, and it has to be an epidemic to close. It’s definitely not (an ...