Bob Hearn, director of transportation for the district southwest of Austin, says the school asked the wash bay technicians to spray the interior of the buses with a fine mist of the disinfectant being used across the campus that is effective against Type A influenza. After spraying the bus, technicians wait and wipe down the interior to prevent any allergic reactions to the cleaner. Hearn says this is preferable to asking drivers to wipe down the buses with disinfectant towels because it provides a more complete cleaning.

Like Hearn, Lee Iredale still has his school open despite a number of closures around him. But the director of transportation at San Antonio’s East Central ISD and president of the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation had his buses wiped down as a precautionary measure and says officials are watching the nurse's office to catch the earliest signs of the disease.

According to the Associated Press, there are only six confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1) in Texas, but as many as 30 districts in the state have shut down in order to slow a potential spread. Of 132,000 schools in the country, the AP reports only 100 have shut down, mostly in Texas, California, Illinois and Minnesota.

In Texas, even at districts that are still open, buses won’t be going to sports and extracurricular competitions for over a week. The University Interscholastic League, the state body overseeing all competitions between schools, has ordered all these activities be put on hold until May 11. State testing and several regional bus roadeos have also been interrupted by lock down.

Illinois department of public health spokeswoman Kelly Jakubek told the Associated Press that the disease is spread through human contact — children sneezing and coughing — not buildings and door knobs. Still, Hearn says he plans on keeping up this regiment for the next two weeks or until someone tells him to stop.

Tomorrow, Friday May 1, 2009, Education Week will hold a live chat on planning and responding to swine flu. More information here. The Center for Diesel Control and Prevention has also set up a Web site with information about the disease.