Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon education officials attempted to reassure school leaders Monday by publicizing the plan  to manage the effect of the swine flu pandemic on schools.

At the beginning of the school year, officials directed Oregon superintendents to keep their schools open, unless they absolutely had to close. So far, only two schools - in the small rural districts of Paisley and Prospect -- have closed.

Still, Oregon education spokeswoman, Susanne Smith, says the department is finalizing a new, on-line platform to get lessons to kids, if school is out.

Susanne Smith: “We’re aware that this might not even be something that gets used very much, but we want to make sure that we’ve done everything we can to support schools in this way, and we definitely have received the message loud and clear that schools need to be thinking about delivering education, if they close.” 

Smith says some schools have remained open in spite of very high absentee rates – some as high as 60 percent.

Staying open isn't the only challenge. The federal government mandates attendance rates. State officials are looking into what options districts have, if their schools fall below those levels.