Two cases of H1N1, the virus formally known as swine flu that made international headlines in April when it first surfaced in rural Mexico, have been verified in the Hermosa City School District, Superintendent Bruce Newlin said at a board meeting Wednesday.
School officials from each of the district's schools, Valley and View, have reported a case.
"We're not anywhere close to closing schools," Newlin said. "We are aware of what's going on and watching it very closely. This is flu season, and every case of flu is not going to be swine flu. But we're watching (these cases) very carefully so we can take steps that when cases do show up we can verify them and then make recommendations to families in the community. "
H1N1, which caused a stir for its ability to strike the young and apparently healthy, has been reported in 34 schools and linked to 57 deaths in Los Angeles County.
On Tuesday, county health officials told the Daily News that some senior citizens may be immune to the virus if they had been exposed to similar strains before.
Hermosa school board President Linda Beck and member Greg Breen said they would like to see flyers sent home to parents notifying them of the cases, just as a precaution.
"If you've got kids that have been diagnosed, then everybody knows about it," Breen said. "It seems to me that communicating accurate facts is better than the rumor mill communicating inaccurate facts."
According to county recommendations, letters to parents typically don't go out unless there is a cluster of five cases in one class, said district business manager Angela Jones.
"What we don't want to do is start a panic," Newlin said. "We are trying to keep a balance between keeping people informed and not creating a stampede."
Enrollment up
Enrollment in the district has reached 1,244 students, up 6.1 percent from the previous year.
"You get the picture, by looking at those numbers, that we can reach 1,500 to 1,600 students in the near future, which raises all kinds of other questions regarding capacity issues," Newlin said.
There are 175 students in the first grade - up from 156 the previous year. The growth equates to 19 students, or a full class.
"Enrollment has continued to grow, and that has been helpful in offsetting (budget) cuts," Jones said.
McCurdy appointed to board
After a discussion that lasted 20 minutes, board members unanimously appointed Cathy McCurdy to fill the seat Barbara Zondiros vacated after the sudden illness of her husband. McCurdy is a former board member, and was first elected in 1991. She vacated her seat in 2007.
" The institutional memory that Cathy brings is quite valuable," Beck said. "I feel there is a need for contintuity, and that is why I support Cathy at the present time."
In November, the seats currently occupied by Beck, Breen and Lance Widman will be up for election.
The board interviewed six candidates to fill the vacant seat.
Leave a comment