COLUMBIA, Tenn. -- Many schools districts are starting the school year with a lot of sick students, and the H1N1 virus appears to be the culprit.

Absences in some districts are on the rise, leaving parents wondering whether or not classes will go on.

Maury County parents like Susan Graham are doing what they can to make sure their kids don't get it.

"I did make a recommendation that my daughter wash her hands throughout the school day frequently, and I did by her a bottle of the alcohol hand gel to carry around in her purse," Graham said.

District-wide, there was an 8 percent absentee rate Thursday.

At Cox Middle School, absences got as high as 22 percent Wednesday, and Whitthorne Middle had to cancel its football game because more than 20 players were sick.

Maury County's superintendent knows parents are worried but said that at this time, school will continue.

"Unless we get about 12 to 15 percent of our population out, then that's when we will start looking at whether we would need to close school or not," said Edward Hickman.

Several counties have either confirmed or suspected cases of the H1N1 virus.

In Clarksville, an open house will also be a health fair as the county tries to be proactive in keeping the flu out of the classroom.

Maury County has sent out letters and made phone calls to parents letting them know what's going on. The schools want to make sure people who have symptoms don't show up to class.

"The one concern that I have right now that students that have the possibility of the H1N1 flu is they're coming back to school too early," Hickman said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has set guidelines recommending students don't return back to school until 24 hours after the fever goes away.

Hickman said it isn't only the flu keeping students out but also upper-respiratory illnesses and strep throat.

Metro Nashville schools said Thursday that at this time they have no suspected cases of the flu.