Special preparations as area schools reopen

WASHINGTON - The swine flu vaccine that is expected to arrive in October is just one of the immunizations some schools will be looking for this year.

Both the District and Virginia will require incoming 6th grade girls to get the HPV vaccine.

The human papillomavirus can lead to cervical cancer, and many districts want pre-teen girls to get it before their first sexual encounter. It's a controversial issue, and parents can opt out, if they explain why they want to.

There's also controversy over whether some District schools are ready to open. On Friday, parents protested outside John Burroughs Elementary School in Northeast. They want testing to show that the air quality meets EPA standards, before children start classes.

"A dumpster filled with trashed furniture and a large piece of machinery still sit on the Newton Street side of the school," explains Constance Cherry, spokesperson for Burroughs PTA.

The school says it will distribute face masks starting at 8:00 am today, to parents who request them for their children.

Elsewhere, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh took her annual walk-through of all Ward Three schools and found some minor problems. These included dangerous lead levels in a water fountain at Eaton Elementary. The school says the fountain will be replaced.

Despite that find, Cheh praised Chancellor Michelle Rhee for improvements, saying there are fewer and less-serious problems every year.

On the swine flu front, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says schools should be prepared to keep learning going even if the virus sickens large numbers of students.

Speaking at a D.C. elementary school Monday, Duncan urged educators to prepare online materials and other resources to ensure students can continue learning even if they have to stay home.

Duncan was joined by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and representatives from companies such as Apple and Microsoft, which are working with the Education Department to offer resources to schools severely affected by swine flu.

Sebelius says clinical trials of the swine flu vaccine "look good" and she says health officials will work with schools when vaccinations are administered possibly by mid-October.

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