TIPTON, Ind. — On Monday afternoon, Jacoby DeFoe is normally sitting in his eighth grade class at Tipton Middle School.
Instead, he and his two siblings, along with his mom, were at a nearby park playing pickleball because school was canceled.
"(I was) pretty pumped, and then, there is no e-learning. It's kind of fun," DeFoe said.
It was a fun day for several other teens, too.
"I played Minecraft all day, and now I'm here at the park playing pickleball with my friends," said Hagen Wyman, a junior at Tipton High School.
In an email to 13News, Tipton Community School Corporation superintendent Ryan Glaze said several staff members reported stomach flu-related illnesses around 5:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 28.
"The number of illnesses would significantly impact our school operations," Glaze wrote.
That forced the elementary, middle and high schools to close.
"I think it made sense because it might have been the cafeteria workers," Wyman said.
School leaders have not yet confirmed if cafeteria workers or teachers are ill or how many are out sick.
A spokesperson with IU Health Tipton Hospital told 13News that doctors have seen a slight increase in patients with gastrointestinal-related symptoms.
Doctors said hand-washing is one of the best methods to prevent its spread.
"I really wouldn't want a whole class or classes or however many students to pick this up. It doesn't make it fun," said Katie Boruff, a parent of two children who also spent their day at the park. "Whenever my child got into school, it seemed like every turn, she was getting sick again, so whatever precautions are taken to limit sickness spread within the kids, I feel like is well worth it."
Regardless, kids enjoyed their day off of school, enjoying the nice weather.
"Next week, we have Monday off, too, for Labor Day, so it's a plus," Hagan said.
School leaders expect to have a full day of classes on Tuesday.