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Illinois School District Closes Schools Wednesday After Child's Mysterious Death

An Illinois elementary school district closed Wednesday after a student mysteriously died at a hospital this week.

Officials with Peru Elementary School District 124 said both Northview and Parkside elementary schools would be closed after a student at one of the schools died at a hospital Monday. 

According to officials, the child became ill Friday evening and was transported to Rockford Mercy Health where she passed away a few days later.

An official cause of death had not been released as of Wednesday, but the district’s superintendent, Mark Cross, posted in a Facebook note to parents that schools were closed Wednesday “as a precautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.”

“Tuesday evening, the child's parents informed us that they were contacted and the child may have died from another illness than what they initially thought,” Cross wrote. “This immediately caused us to seek information and we have been in contact with various health agencies since that time. Since we could not verify with absolute certainty that there were no concerns, we decided it was best to cancel school for today.”

The district said it was working with the hospital, health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and maintenance staff was conducting additional cleaning procedures at Northview Elementary School.

"We understand there is concern," the LaSalle County Health Department said in a statement. "We were made aware of the school's decision to close this morning. We are working in conjunction with the school district and the Illinois Department of Public Health on this ongoing investigation. Any type of health action that needs to be taken, those individuals are being notified."

The Winnebago County coroner’s office confirmed the 8-year-old girl died just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday but a cause of death was "pending further study," according to coroner Bill Hintz.

Hintz confirmed the child did test positive for the flu, but said several other tests were being conducted. 

“We will share any symptoms as soon as we possibly can,” Cross wrote. “If you have any concerns with any illness or symptoms that your child has, then you should seek medical attention or speak to your family doctor, just as you would at any other time. We are not medical professionals and we are not able to provide any information that is going to tell you whether or not you should go to a doctor or seek medical attention.”

Cross said schools are expected to reopen Thursday. 

Peru is located about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. 

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