Classes to resume Thursday at St. Charles East after illness

Classes are scheduled to resume Thursday at St. Charles East High School after a stomach virus sickened about 800 students and forced closure of the school this week.

St. Charles School District 303 canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday after 800 of the high school’s 2,500 students were absent Monday because of a stomach virus.

The symptoms are similar to norovirus, though no clinical determination has been made, according to the school district.

The district first became aware of the situation Saturday morning, when 10 of the 14 members of the varsity boys basketball team were ill and couldn’t play their game Saturday night, according to the school district’s director of communications. The game against St. Charles North will be rescheduled.

“We are now working to assist the Illinois Department of Public Health in their efforts to more clearly identify this virus,” according to the school district.

School staff has spent the last two days cleaning the classrooms and other areas of the building.

The school’s final exams will begin as scheduled next Tuesday.