Another mid-state school system is temporarily closing its doors to stop the spread of the flu.
This time it's Macon County.
 School officials are telling students to stay home and rest.
  And as we found out there is a lot that goes into closing a school for sick days.
Macon County Schools say they had more than 500 of their 37 hundred students absent today with the flu.
 But before closing, officials say they considered the impact on classroom time as well as the school system's budget.
For the students it’s two free days - but for the Macon County Director of Schools it was about keeping kids healthy. Doctors and nurses were reporting a range of illnesses in the county.
Director of Schools, Margaret Oldham says, “They were reporting strep throat, flu, stomach viruses even a case of mono in one of our schools.”
The decision to close came after the system saw a steady increase of students missing school due to illness - what started off as more than 450 students out sick at the beginning of the week, quickly became more than 570 out sick just two days later.
 And since student attendance affects federal dollars the school receives... There were more reasons than one to take the two days off.
Oldham says, “When you look at that number and you look at that percentage see we are funded through our attendance and that doesn't help at all to have a high absentee rate.”
 Oldham says she will ask state education officials to take the two days off for illness from the system's 11 snow days.
 Parents say they don't mind seeing the snow days used this way to keep their kids healthy.
Parent Jane Proctor says, “I would rather my kid not go to school and catch it from them - we don't have a lot of snow so maybe they won't have to make it up.”
 Oldham says there is a chance the students will have to make up the days.
Oldham says, “It is risky it sure is it sure is- because if we miss over the 11 days that we have saved back we'll have to make those up we will have to extend the day or extend the whole school year.”
 Oldham says custodians will work for the next four days to disinfect every desk, door knob and water fountain in every school across the county.
All extra-curricular activities were also cancelled through Monday - the school system says they will work with TSSAA to reschedule the games.