Schools reopen in Lafayette

• By MARSHA SILLS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: May 8, 2009 - Page: 12A

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LAFAYETTE — High and low fives and a cheery chorus of “Welcome back!” greeted the more than 700 students Thursday at Cathedral-Carmel School who have spent the past week at home.

The school was closed April 29 as part of the state’s precautions against the spread of the H1N1 virus — swine flu — after five students had tested positive for Type A influenza associated with the contagious virus.

Eventually, lab tests confirmed the students were infected with the swine flu. And until Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had advised that school closures were the best way to control the virus’ spread.

Parents had been understanding of the school’s closure, said Kay Aillet, Cathedral-Carmel principal. The school was disinfected last week and teachers returned Wednesday for meetings and to give their classrooms another scrub-down as an added precaution, she said.

The school’s nurse and two counselors were available to help monitor students on campus, she said.

Teachers, parents and students were ready Thursday to get back on schedule.

Terry Kimball dropped off his two sons, Nicholas, 7, and Ryan, 5, Thursday morning.

“It was actually tough,” he said about he and his wife juggling their work schedules while the boys were out. The two took some vacation time or the boys went to work with Kimball.

“I understood why,” he said about the closure. “I honestly thought it was overblown, but it’s all about the health of the kids.”

So far, the only five cases confirmed in Lafayette have been at Cathedral-Carmel.

Schools with students with Type A flu who were friends or family with direct contact to the Cathedral-Carmel students were also closed.

Ascension Episcopal School reopened Wednesday.

St. Pius Elementary, Our Lady of Fatima School and St. Cecilia School of Broussard had been closed since Friday and reopened Thursday.