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BARAGA -- On Thursday, custodians were busy disinfecting the Baraga Area Schools.

School officials decided to close the buildings on Thursday because of the high number of students being out sick. Over 25 percent of kindergarten through sixth grade students had symptoms resembling the flu.

Those symptoms included fever, fatigue and aches and pains.

The local health department director, Doctor Terry Frankovich, has a few tips to help keep students healthy.

"Regardless of what virus we're talking about, lots of viruses spread through school pretty easily, and the prevention measures are all pretty much the same," said Frankovich. "Some things are spread more easily by coughing and sneezing, and some things hand to mouth, but essentially things like hand washing for prevention are really important."

Baraga Area Schools said that custodians are also cleaning the school buses. The Baraga Schools and BHK Baraga will be closed on Friday, giving students more time to recover from their illness.