WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Warren City Schools used a scheduled day out of class as an opportunity to disinfect during flu season.

On any other Monday, Willard PreK-8 would be filled with students and teachers. But on this waiver day, for the most part, there were only maintenance workers in the halls and classrooms, spraying down touch points like computers and chairs.

Maintenance and Operation Supervisor Bill Kush said they’re trying to fight off the flu.

“Our goal is to raise our attendance…and keep the kids in the seats and keep them healthy.”

Workers sprayed a hospital-grade disinfectant made up of water and saline solution. The electrostatic spraying system charges the mixture as it comes out.

“The furniture has a negative charge and this saline solution gets a positive charge, so it goes right to the surface, wraps around instead of just floating around in the air,” Kush said.

The district started using this disinfecting method at the end of last school year. Now it sprays everything down about two to three times a week.

District leaders believe it’s one of several reasons why their flu numbers are relatively low.

“We attribute everything that we’re doing — from handwashing, intentional conversations in our classrooms with our students, as well as a preventative and paying-it-forward approach with maintenance — to keeping our kids healthy and safe,” Superintendent Steve Chiaro said.

Of the district’s 5,000 students, there were about 20 confirmed cases at the elementary level as of Friday — four of those were staff.

.