Right now she says the state is on the upswing, with more cases being reported everyday. That's why she believes it's important to stress to parents and students to stay home if you show any signs of the virus.

But that can be hard to do especially for high school students. Many would rather come to school sick than miss days and have to take exams at the end of the semester.

State Superintendent Dr. Steve Paine says he's taking action to make sure sick kids know it's okay to miss class while they battle the virus.

"I am going to advise and urge our local superintendents and their boards to be lenient in terms of how they look at their attendance policies and exam policies especially at a time when we're all concerned for the safety of our kids,” Paine said Thursday.

Board members also had questions about school attendance when it comes to meeting requirements under No Child Left Behind. Board President Priscilla Haden says Dr. Paine has assured them it will not interfere with the best interest of the students.

"If we had to go to the top which is Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, to get a waiver, that we could,” Haden said.

First lady Gayle Manchin, a member of the state Board of Education, says she's glad the Department of Education is working closely with Dr. Slemp and the state Health Office to make the right decisions for students and staff.

"It's real easy under these circumstances to sort of panic or overreact and when we do that we don't necessarily make things any better or improve the situation,” Manchin said. “And I think right now we just have to be vitally concerned and make the best decisions that we can, knowing what we know."

So far, one student, a freshman at Cabell Midland High School, has died of complications from the H1N1 virus while Ashton Elementary in Mason County will be closed until next Tuesday because 25 percent of the student body had flu-like symptoms Wednesday.