Preparing for a Pandemic.

Unsure if or when the next flu pandemic might strike, public health officials are telling school districts to be prepared should the bird flu virus evolve to the point where it can spread easily from person to person.

Worldwide, there have been 194 confirmed human cases of the virus abroad--known as H5N1--largely resulting from exposure to infected poultry, according to the World Health Organization. But the spread of the strain in Asia and a human fatality rate of more than 50 percent have public health officials concerned.

Health authorities are telling districts to reexamine their emergency plans. "A pandemic is clearly different and that's what we're looking at," says Linda Erdos, director of school and community relations at Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. "How are we going to act differently, given the fact that we don't know how it's going to affect our community ... and the schools?"

Districts preparing for a pandemic should:

* Coordinate with local and state public health officials to develop an operational pandemic plan. Work with them to establish an incident command center that will show clear lines of authority during a pandemic. "What we're asking now is for schools to begin working with those local officials to ensure that they are all part of the same plan," says Valerie Smith, a spokeswoman at the U.S. Department of Education.

* Develop scenarios for rampant absenteeism. Set pandemic-specific policies for students and staff, such as non-punitive, liberal sick leave. To reduce disruptions in services, cross-train staff members stationed at multiple work sites so that those employees can step in and perform essential functions. Explore ways that employees could telecommute from home.

* Create communication systems to maintain student learning during pandemic emergencies, such as providing lessons via Web sites, telephone trees, mailings, radio and television. Those mechanisms also can be used to keep parents informed of the pandemic.

* Talk with students and parents about pandemic flu including district emergency plans and preventative hygiene practices. The Arlington school district produced a 30-minute public access television segment to educate parents about pandemic flu. Providing accurate information helps dispel myths. "Parents are hearing things in the news all the time, but there is a lot of confusion," Erdos says.