Pocono News Section

Crews Disinfect Elementary School

Crews Disinfect Elementary School - Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 6:50PM EST

TOBYHANNA, MONROE COUNTY- We first told you Friday night about hundreds of sick students at a Monroe County elementary school. We stopped by Coolbaugh Elementary Center Saturday morning to catch crews disinfecting.
Kelly and Rich Swingle of Tobyhanna spent two straight days tending to their son Brandon. "I took off Thursday because I had stomach pains and a headache," he said.

"By 9pm that night, he began vomiting. And then every 20 minutes to a half hour for a full 13 hours," said Kelly.

By 3am Friday, her older son got sick, but she says it wasn't as severe. Both were fine Saturday morning.

About 200 Coolbaugh Elementary Center students stayed home from school Friday -- or left after getting sick. That's one-third of the school population. "It wasn't your average run of the mill stomach virus," said Kelly.

A couple school employees told us -- it was terrible -- students were vomiting in classrooms and on buses. Our cameras weren't allowed inside, but cleaning crews were disinfecting the school from top to bottom.

The says officials determined the students did not eat the same food. They called in the Department of Health, which said it could have been a norovirus or stomach flu. The Department of Environmental Protection tested the water but found no bacteria.

The Swingles say the district left a recorded message on their phone about Friday's problems. They have confidence the school will be clean and safe when the doors reopen Monday.