Fort Worth school district ***CLOSING until May 8th****

[rainbow4321]

Heads up to people not reading the DMN website..breaking news banner says that FWISD is closing down every school until May 8th.

[Ranting_Wacko]

1. Any word on if the teachers still get paid?

I have friends who teach in FWISD and they're barely making ends meet as it is.

[rainbow4321]

2. No word on that aspect of it

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1347939.html

Superintendent Melody Johnson said only necessary staff at central administration would work.

The school district has about 80,000 students and 11,000 employees.


Johnson had closed four campuses earlier in the day after probable cases were reported at those schools. They were McLean Middle, McLean 6th Grade Center, South Hills Elementary and Westcliff Elementary.

Johnson had said earlier this week that she would only close schools if a case was confirmed. But after it was taking longer than the expected 48 hours to get such confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Johnson said today that she would close schools when there were probable cases.

[moc]

3. Crap. No cases in Plano ISD yet, although we had Canyon Creek Elementary closed

which is less than a mile south of the Collin County line. With my luck, PISD will close. I have to travel next week for business and if both my kids are out of school, child care is going to be a nightmare. Dh is self employed so if he doesn't work, he doesn't earn any money. Cripes. Maybe I can participate by conference call if that happens....

Btw, rainbow, any more news on the Parkland front? I received a broadcast email via UTSW about 5pm that there were no confirmed cases at any of the university hospitals. I assume they include Parkland in that moniker.

[rainbow4321]

4. A case was confirmed at one of Parkland outpatient clinics

We got word of it today. I don't know what UTSW defintion of "university hospitals" is..if they still deny any cases, then their definition doesn't include those patients seen and diagnosed in PMH's outpatient system, I guess, because there IS a confirmed case in an off campus Parkland clinic.

Now that all the outpatients with ANY symptoms are being diverted to the ER (of their choice, which ever one they can afford..most will probably go to Parkland's unless they have Medicare), we may see a spike.

The "team" that they have put together to monitor all of this is going to give out twice daily updates so it will be interesting to see exactly what those updates entail..hopefully more than just "wash your hands alot".

[moc]

5. Thanks for the clarification, Rainbow. My bet is they didn't include the COPCs.

[rainbow4321]

8. Up until a few days ago, Texas had only ONE machine to test for swine

Gawd...the entire state had one machine.


http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/swineflu/entries/2009/05/03/cdc_officials_says_us_not_out.html

A leading official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the swine flu outbreak is percolating throughout the United States, as Texas reported 43 confirmed cases — four more than yesterday.


The numbers in Texas could change quickly, too. The state lab received so many nasal swabs last week it could not keep up. A Department of State Health Services spokesman said on Friday that the lab had tested just 181 of 2,492 swabs sent since April 22. It has just one testing machine but was adding three more, in addition to more personnel and two shifts so it could catch up, spokesman Doug McBride said. The CDC also said it was sending supplies to the states so they could confirm their own tests.

Schuchat said there are encouraging signs that the virus is not that severe, but “we do remain cautious (because) it is too soon for us to know how this is going to play out.” She also is encouraged because the flu is showing signs of weakening its spread in Mexico where it started, but she is cautious, she said, because flu is unpredictable

[MrsBrady]

6. here is from the FWISD website

http://www.fwisd.org/News/Pages/2009-04-29_closed.aspx

[mbperrin]

7. Football spring training is still going on.

Ah well.