School systems across the state are continuing to experience the effects of another aggressive flu season, but officials here are noting some gradual improvement this week.

Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk said West Limestone and Ardmore high schools had been hit hard last week, but absenteeism had improved this week. He added the new “hot spot” this week is Tanner Elementary.

“We’re up a little from yesterday by about 1 percentage point,” Sisk said Thursday. “We expected a 2 to 3 percent (improvement) but we’re seeing 1 to 1.5 percent.”

He’s still urging parents to keep any child at home who is running a fever or exhibiting any flu-like symptoms. Parents are also being urged to follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which specify a person should avoid interaction with others until 24 hours after the last visible symptom.

“We’re continuing to monitor it every day,” Sisk said. “I’m telling parents, those little 97-cent hand sanitizers go a long way (toward preventing the spread).”

Athens City Schools Superintendent Dr. Trey Holladay said the flu bug had hit Athens Middle School hard this week, with a 25 percent absenteeism rate reported Tuesday. That number had improved to 20 percent Wednesday.

“Systemwide, we’re at 13 to 14 percent (absenteeism), which is 5 to 6 percent less than normal,” he said, adding that only about 5 percent of absences were from confirmed cases of flu.

Holladay said sick teachers have been as problematic as sick students. He said it’s been difficult to ensure there were enough substitutes to cover the teacher absences. As of Thursday, he said there were no plans to close any schools.

“We’ve got custodians working late every night, wiping down the building,” he said. “The company we get our supplies from gave us some special cleaning solution to kill the viruses and bacteria.”

Wednesday, Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Jon Bret Smith announced Moulton Elementary and Moulton Middle schools would be closed through Friday. Like Holladay, Smith said the school system was having trouble finding substitute teachers.

In late January, Albertville, Boaz, Guntersville and Marshall County school systems closed because of a flu outbreak.

At least one pediatric flu death has been reported this year, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. It occurred in the Montgomery area.