Veguita, Carlsbad, Deming schools open

La Promesa Elementary School, Carlsbad High School and Deming Intermediate School will reopen to students on Wednesday after closing their doors because of possible cases of H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu.

La Promesa, which is in Veguita, was closed only Tuesday after a probable case of the disease was detected.

Carlsbad High School and Deming Intermediate School were closed both Monday and Tuesday.

Lordsburg Municipal Schools were also closed on Monday and Tuesday. District officials said Tuesday that the schools will remain closed Wednesday. They'll meet again Wednesday at noon to evaluate the situation.

Socorro Consolidated Schools officials also said the district would remain closed on Wednesday. Cottonwood Valley Charter School in Socorro will remain closed as well.

After federal agencies revised their recommendations regarding schools and H1N1, the state Department of Health on Tuesday revised its recommendations. It's now advising them not to close if probable cases of H1N1 are detected.

State health officials said local districts will need to decide when it's best to reopen schools that had been closed under previous recommendations.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the virus has been milder than initially feared, but said parents should still make sure to keep sick children at home.

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During its closure on Tuesday, La Promesa brought in custodians to sanitize the school. It had closed after a probable case of H1N1 was detected in someone associated with the school, although health officials wouldn't say if the person was a student, faculty member or staff member.

The school is part of the Belen Consolidated School District, but is the only school in that district to be in Socorro County. Superintendent Patricia Rael said Tuesday the state Department of Health saw no reason to close other schools in the district.

Before news of the school's reopening or the revised recommendations from the state, Rael said it wasn't clear how students would make up the missed classes or if it would be necessary. La Promesa students have three weeks of school left.