The Caldwell County Board of Education continues to monitor the H1N1 virus and its effect on county schools.

During Monday's board meeting, Jill Duffy, student support services director, told board members that the school system remains in close contact with Caldwell County Health Department officials as the situation changes on a daily basis. Duffy said the school system currently is conducting surveillance of the virus throughout the schools, but if that is to change, she assured the board that the school system has developed a pandemic response plan. Duffy said any changes to the status of H1N1 will be posted on the system's Web site.

"Since August, the primary concern has been at colleges and universities where they are seeing an outbreak in the dorms, but right now it's hit and miss in our schools," Duffy said. "We haven't seen a great drop in attendance, but the drops have been temporary, which tells me it is moving through quickly."

Duffy further stated that she encourages all parents to keep their children at home if they are sick. She said children should not return to school until their fever has subsided for a full 24 hours without medication.

Meanwhile, board members adopted a resolution stating that the school system will celebrate Memorial Day for years to come. The resolution - presented by Eddie Tapper, American Legion Hudson Post 392 and other Caldwell County veterans - states that the school system should discourage Memorial Day as a regular school day in the calender, but if school needs to be in session, all schools should have some kind of ceremony to commemorate the day. It further states that volunteer veterans should be allowed to participate in an Memorial Day presentations at the request of the schools.

"We thank you very much for your action tonight," said Jerry Hatfield, vice chairman of the Caldwell County Veterans Council. "Some holidays are very important to us as veterans, especially Memorial Day. It is our responsibility to make sure you don't forget the men and women who gave their lives for us."

In other news:

* Board members approved the proposed changes to the student transfer policy. The changes state that the tuition fee may be waived or modified at the approval of the superintendent for students who transfer from another county. It also gives employees the option to transfer their children to the appropriate school of their choice, excluding the Early College High School and Career Center Middle College because they have a separate application and selection process.

* Board members approved 18 transfer requests, bringing the grand total to 428 for the 2009-2010 school year.

* Board member Tim Hawkins recognized the Caldwell County Schools Finance Department for earning the Certificate of Excellence from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for the fifth year in a row. Department members are Finance Officer Karla Miller, Donna Robbins, Naomi Gilbert, Belinda Floyd, Terese Goble, Bonnie Caudle and Bobbie Dancy.

* Board member Mike LaBrose recognized faculty and staff members who have recently obtained an advanced educational degree. Those individuals include: Lynn Aydlett, of West Lenoir Elementary School, master's degree in elementary education from Appalachian State University; Tammy Beach, of Gamewell Middle School, master's degree in middle grades mathematics from ASU; Tabitha Call, of Davenport A+ School, master's degree in elementary education from ASU; Sandy Church, of Baton Elementary School, master's degree in instructional technology specialist from ASU; Marcus Dula, of South Caldwell High School, master's degree in technology education from ASU; Kelly Ervin, of GMS, master's degree in middle grades mathematics from ASU; Melissa Hampton-Hogan, of Hibriten High School, master's degree in middle grades language arts from ASU; Patricia Hartley, of GMS, master's degree in middle grades language arts from ASU; Kimberly Hindman, of Granite Falls Middle School, master's degree in middle grades mathematics from ASU; Stephen McMasters, of West Caldwell High School, master's in instructional technology specialist from ASU; Susan Pope, of SCHS, master's degree in school administration-principal from Gardner-Webb University; Robbie Powers, of SCHS, master's degree in instructional technology specialist from ASU; Jeanie Robinson, of Career Center Middle College, master's degree in middle school language arts from ASU; Janice Smith, of HHS, master's degree in school administration - principal from ASU; Bryan Speagle, of GFMS, master's degree in middle grades language arts from ASU; Jeanie Walker, of Collettsville School, master's degree in middle grades mathematics from ASU; Michele Willis, of Collettsville, master's degree in middle grades language arts from ASU; Courtney Wright, of WCHS, master's degree in school counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne College; Reba Yarborough, of Davenport, advanced degree in school administrator-superintendent from ASU; and Meredith Zur, of GFMS, master's degree in reading from ASU.