I’ve been paying close attention to the Swine Flu school closings in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, especially since I live in Plano TX myself. Swine Flu (H1N1) concerns has lead Fort Worth ISD to close all schools in the district, with Lewisville ISD and Ponder ISD following suit.

The Swine Flu debate rages on, in regards to whether or not school districts and officials are overreacting to the Swine Flu/H1N1 outbreak, especially since Dallas ISD has yet to close all schools at least temporarily, and hearing the word “pandemic” from health officials is quite unsettling for everyone.

Tawnell Hobbs, a Dallas ISD reporter, recently asked if school districts are overreacting to the “swine flu thing” on her blog:

“We’re trying to understand why school districts have reacted differently to this swine flu thing. Here’s what some districts are doing:

*Dallas is closing Daniel Webster Elementary after one student tested positive for the virus.

*Fort Worth ISD decided to close all of its campuses after one student tested positive for swine flu. Three students in the district also are listed as “probable” for having the virus.

*Cleburne ISD decided to close all of its campuses because four students could possibly have the virus.

*Lewisville ISD shut down a campus because three students possibly have it.”

The discussion in the comments section on Tawnell’s post from readers pretty much sums up what I’ve thought about the school closings in Fort Worth, Ponder, Lewisville as well as other cities and suburbs.

Ever heard the phrase, “damned if you do and damned if you don’t”? Schools that make the decision to close due to concerns about Swine Flu are said to be overreacting and in sheer panic mode, and schools in districts like Dallas that haven’t (yet) decided to close cause people to ask, “Why hasn’t Dallas ISD closed because of Swine Flu”? Damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
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