Nearly 600 students and staff members of a suburban school district were absent on Monday due to illness, prompting school officials to take extra measures in flu prevention.

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 reported the absence of about 10 percent of their students and staff citing an outbreak in cold and flu illnesses as the cause. The custodial staff was scheduled to deep clean the school Monday night in the hopes of preventing the illnesses from spreading the rest of the week.