MIDDLEVILLE, N.Y. (WKTV) - Roughly 60 parents attended an informational swine flu meeting Thursday at West Canada Valley School. The district has had one confirmed case of the H1N virus. The district's superintendent says because of that another 170 students stayed home from school Thursday as a precaution.

Superintendent Ken Slentz says the goal of Thursday's meeting was to educate parents and the public about the facts of the H1N1 virus, and to put to rest the rumors he says were not all true.

A panel of health experts joined school officials who informed parents that the West Canada Valley School District is a safe and clean place to be. " We sanitize with frequency. The custodial department has re-tasked to making sure the focal point is the hard touch surfaces," said Slentz.

The districts nurse says she knew there would be a problem on the first day of school when students were coming in to her with fever like symptoms. She told the audience, Thursday, by the third day of classes eight students were sent home.

Slentz says Thursday nearly 200 students stayed home, but not all were sick. " We have 785 students K through 12. Today we had 170 students out." Slentz said. "Were estimating, based on the phone calls we have made that between 40 and 50 percent of those students are staying home because of parent precaution."

Health experts informed parents of how to keep themselves and their children healthy with simple tips on how to prevent the common flu. Many asked questions and most liked what they heard.

"I am confident it's ok to send them ( to school) because I see the school has really taken an extra precaution in helping the children, that have it, to stay away from the others," said parent Gail Moore.

However, one father says even after the meeting he still doesn't know what to do with his kindergartener who is not sick. "Maybe I will hear more through the weekend and have more to go on Monday morning. That's what I was hoping to hear yesterday (Wednesday) and I really didn't hear it," said Tom Powers.

Dr. Gregory O'Keefe, Director of the Herkimer County Public Health Department, said it would be "foolish" to believe another school will not see the H1N1 virus. O'Keefe said the way the West Canada Valley handled their situation really set the standard for future incidents.