Dials presented figures showing Mingo County schools had a total of 4,522 students at the end of the second month of the current school term, compared to 4,625 for the second month last year. Those figures did not include Headstart enrollment of 66 this year and 63 last year.
He also presented figures to members of the county Board of Education, showing that student absenteeism during the month of October soared to over 1,000 on two different days. He attributed that to the Swine Flu scare.
Absenteeism ranged from 645 on Oct. 27 to 1,085 on Oct. 16, but Dials said power problems in the Lenore/Tug Valley area accounted for the heavy absence of students on the latter date..
Figures on absenteeism in county schools on Oct. 16 were as follows:
Burch Elementary, 105; Dingess Elementary, 25; Burch High, 80; Gilbert Elementary, 122; Gilbert High, 76; Kermit K-8, 25; Lenore K-8, 174; Matewan Elementary, 50; Matewan High, 50; Matewan Middle, 58; Riverside Elementary, 52; Tug Valley High, 208; Williamson High, 23, and Williamson Middle, 37. Total on Oct. 16 was 1,085, and on Oct. 9 was 1,013.
Figures show 507 absences for the county of 507 on Nov. 2 and 780 absences on Nov. 3.
The regular board meeting was attended by the full board including President Charles S. West, who conducted the session; Vice President Jacqueline Branch, William D. Duty, Dr. J.W. Endicott and Michael Carter.
Dials distributed to the board members copies of a letter addressed to parents around the state by Catherine C. Slemp, MD, MPH, state health officer. The letter was distributed by the state Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health.
Dr. Slemp oversees West Virginia’s response to the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to share information, provide advice from the field, and assure that the Public Health bureau works as a public health system across the nation.
Slemp noted that H1N1 is now widespread across West Virginia and likely in the local community.
“It’s important to remember that the vast majority of children with H1N1 disease have a few days of illness and recover without complication,” she stated. “Flu can be serious, however, and it’s important to link children at increased risk of complications or very sick children to appropriate care.”
She cited the importance of separating ill from well children. “If a student comes to school with a fever and cough or sore throw (or if they develop this at school), the school should send them home.”
She discussed other matters pertaining to the flu outbreak and cited the fact that vaccination is an important tool now becoming available to protect children and others from H1N1 flu.
Dr. Slemp said it is important to note that H1N1 flu vaccines have been made just the same way seasonal flu vaccines are made. Vaccine experts expect the safety level to be the same as well, and all testing to date supports this expectation,” she added.
The West Virginia Department of Education is circulating H1N1 (Swine) Flu facts for parents and students, so all concerned are expected to be aware of what is happening and what can be done to counteract any outbreak of the disease.
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