(April 30, 2009)--Tens of thousands of Texas public school students weren’t in class Thursday as more school districts opted to close in an effort to prevent the spread of what so far have been isolated cases of a new strain of swine flu.

Fort Worth school officials decided to close down all of the district’s schools after confirming one case of swine flu at one of its middle schools.

Fort Worth Independent School District Superintendent Melody Johnson announced Wednesday night that the district would close through at least May 8 and only essential personnel would be working.

Administrators were at schools Thursday morning to inform parents who didn’t get the word.

The medical director of the Tarrant County Public Health agency, Dr. Sandra Parker, said during a news conference that one case of the swine flu is confirmed at a Fort Worth middle school.

Tarrant County has 11 probable swine flu cases.

The Fort Worth school district has about 80,000 students in 140 schools.

Schools are also closed in Cleburne.

Corpus Christi Independent School District officials are closing a high school until further notice because a student at the campus has a probable case of swine flu.

Superintendent Scott Elliff said late Wednesday night that Miller High School would be closed but no other campuses in the school district were affected.

Dr. William Burgin, the medical authority for the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Health District, said the suspected case of swine flu had not been confirmed and he had no details about the student.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports Elliff said, if health officials find any additional probable cases, then the entire district may shut down.

School districts including Aransas County, Banquete, Calallen, Freer, George West, Ingleside, Mathis, Orange Grove, Port Aransas, Riviera, Robstown, Sinton, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso have suspended out-of-district travel until further notice.

Texas officials are postponing all public high school athletic competition until May 11 because of the swine flu outbreak.

University Interscholastic League Executive Director Charles Breithaupt says that the move suspends the baseball and softball seasons and eliminates the regional track championships, which were to start Friday.

He says UIL officials acted on the recommendation of Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Gov. Rick Perry announced a disaster declaration Wednesday for the entire state.

The declaration will allow officials to begin emergency protective measures and seek reimbursement from the federal government.

The state golf and tennis championships are scheduled to begin May 11.

The state track meet, one of the largest high school track and field competitions in the country, has been extended from its normal two days to three and is scheduled for May 14-16.

Breithaupt says the top four athletes in each region, based on the district championships, will be invited to the state meet, which will have about 4,000 athletes, twice the normal size.

That still shuts out about 16,000 athletes who compete statewide in the regional meets.

All UIL academic competitions, including the state meet that was to begin May 7, are also postponed and will be rescheduled later.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending that schools and childcare centers should close if they have a confirmed case of swine flu or a suspected case that is linked to a confirmed case.

The CDC says all school-related gatherings should be canceled, and parents and students should avoid gatherings outside of school as well.

Decisions about closing other facilities nearby should be left to local authorities, the CDC said.

Big gatherings linked to schools or other places where swine flu cases have been confirmed should be canceled.