In midst of flu season, ten percent of Las Cruces Public Schools employees call in sick

In the midst of the 2017 – 2018 flu season, more than ten percent of Las Cruces Public Schools employees called in sick Monday.

“I encourage you to seek medical care, remain home, and take care of yourself and family,” Superintendent Dr. Greg Ewing wrote to staff on Sunday in an email obtained by ABC-7.

Exactly 264 LCPS employees called in sick Monday, according to LCPS. That’s more than ten percent of the district’s 2,300 hundred employees.

“The district will never punish an employee who takes leave due to illness, including our teaching force who have a State mandated evaluation instrument which factors attendance into the final formula,” Ewing wrote.”

“I’m on board with Dr. Ewing,” said Sandy Peugh, director of the district’s health services. “If you’re running a temperature of one hundred or above, you should stay home and take care of yourself and not come spread it to those of us that don’t have it yet.”

Peugh said employees should not expose children to viruses which would make them sick and jeopardize their health.

“I’ve encouraged the nurses, if they’re sick, and employees as well… take our time off and be sick and not come back and affect everyone else,” Peugh said.