MOLINE, Ill — "It was really weird, I have never been to school with only 13 kids, " Hamilton fifth-grader Kylie Harris said.
"It was definitely more fun because we actually got to choose where we sat," she said excitedly.
Shelby Daniels told News 8 he sent his first-grade daughter to school, hoping she would come home with some workbooks to do for the next two weeks.
"After we saw that there weren't that many kids today, we should have just kept them at home," he said, but added that he agreed with the district's decision.
"It’s the safe thing for everyone and every child that goes to this school and every school that’s been cancelled."
Extracurricular activities, games and parent engagement events have also been cancelled. The district is making educational materials available online to encourage students to keep learning.
"Nothing is really required. They did tell us that we should practice, maybe get a book and read everyday, do stuff for classwork. Our teacher said she was gonna be putting stuff online, like art prompts and stuff," Kylie said.
Her dad sad the kids are going to be fine, and it was the elderly in the family he was worried about.
"We’re lucky that we’re not gonna be struggling," he said, explaining that his work allowed him to be flexible and provide child care for his kids. "Honestly the people I’m worried about are people like my grandma and stepmom.
Dads picking up their kids acknowledged not every parent has the luxury to stay home with their kids.
To that end, the district says it will continue to provide school lunches as part of the National School Lunch Program in a "Grab and Go" style at three locations, Wilson Middle, Deere Middle and Bicentennial Elementary.
The school district is also keeping four buildings open during the school shutdown, in case parents or students need assistance or have questions.