IRON RIVER - West Iron County Public Schools will be closed again this week due to student illness.

Students returned to school on Monday after classes were cancelled on Thursday and Friday last week.

Since a large percentage of students were still absent, school was dismissed at noon on Monday.

"We are seeing absenteeism climb to 27 percent in the district," said interim superintendent Chris Thomson. "We have never seen these types of numbers being out, especially with our kindergarten through fourth grade students."

Classes will resume on Nov. 9.

In addition to the K-12 school program, after-school day care and pre-school will be closed all week.

Parent-teacher conferences will still be held on Thursday. Staff members will have professional development days on Thursday and Friday.