Tucker County nurse Kathy DiBacco updated the Board of Education on the progress of the H1N1 clinics and other related measures she has been taking. While none of the clinics have seen 100 percent participation, DiBacco is pleased with the results so far.

According to her report, the clinics have seen between 40 percent and 45 percent of students. The in-school clinics have been going by grade level starting with the younger grades. DiBacco is working closely with both Jonathan Hicks and James Snyder at the Tucker County Health Department who has been administering the vaccines. Estimates from the Health Department say the cases of H1N1 will probably become more widespread within a month.

"I think we're going to be seeing a lot more during the next few weeks," DiBacco said of the information from the Health Department.

The hardest hit school, absence-wise, is Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School, DiBacco reported. This is due mostly to the higher population of that school. DiBacco has been keeping a list of students she has seen and sent home with flu symptoms. More than likely, she said, these cases are H1N1.

"Pretty much 90 percent or more is H1N1," DiBacco told board members.

Also in her report, DiBacco said that other schools wouldn't be closing as a result of a large number absences. That was the consensus at a conference with other schools' nurses across the state. Superintendent of Schools Richard Hicks agreed saying that having students who aren't in the schools is better than having them out because that may cause a strain on parents.

"The plan is to not close the schools unless we don't have the staff," Hicks told the board. "If they (kids) are sick, keep them home."

Former band director Brian Flanagan spoke on behalf of the Tucker County High School Band's current director Heather Lantz about the possibility of moving the band's practice space to a smaller facility.

Flanagan was referring to speculation that the current space the band uses at the high school would be utilized as cafeteria space. This, according to Hicks, has not been decided upon but only suggested as a possible solution. He also said the notion of the band being moved to one of the elementary middle schools hasn't been discussed in any great length. These suggestions came from the walkthroughs conducted by McKinley and Associates, the group moderating and providing suggestions for the Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan that is due in 2010.

"There are a lot of unhappy parents," Flanagan told the board. "It is a detriment to their (the band's) progress to make that change."

In personnel matters, the board accepted the superintendent's recommendations for the resignations of Jonathan Hicks as assistant baseball coach at TCHS, Ben Hamrick as assistant girls' basketball coach at TCHS and Paula Stahl as Rx for Success after school teacher for grades one through eight at DTEMS. Board members also accepted the recommendations to hire Jill Evick as Rx for Success after school program teacher for grades one through eight, as needed, at DTEMS and Teresa Brusak as Rx for Success after school program for reading/language arts, as needed, at TCHS.

The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Tucker County Board of Education office in Parsons.