Kids are coughing and sneezing and missing school across the Flathead Valley this fall - but in most cases, that's typical this time of year, school officials say.

In most public school districts throughout the county, illnesses are no more numerous or severe than usual this fall. Even so, districts are taking extra precautions to guard against the H1N1 virus, which has begun making the rounds in some schools.

Deer Park School has had a higher-than-usual number of students and staff missing school because of flu-like symptoms, Principal Dennis Haverlandt said.

Six or seven students, about 10 percent of Deer Park's enrollment, reportedly have had the flu - probably H1N1, since seasonal flu has not yet hit Flathead County, according to the county health department.

Three of the school's 14 staff members have been out as well, Haverlandt said.

"It's a little unusual now, with it hitting the adults," he said.

Helena Flats has had a similar number of absences, Principal Ann Minckler said.

"We're up (from last fall), and we've tried to identify whether or not our kids have the flu," she said.

The Evergreen School District has seen more students with flu-like symptoms, but so far attendance hasn't been affected, Superintendent Joel Voytoski said.

"It does seem to be on an upswing," he said of the number of students reporting flu symptoms. "But we haven't seen a lot of absenteeism yet."

Other districts are reporting lower-than-usual numbers of absences. In Columbia Falls, average daily attendance rates are a little higher than normal, Superintendent Michael Nicosia said.

The same seems to be true at the opposite end of the valley. Thirteen Lakeside Elementary School kids missed school Wednesday, Somers-Lakeside Superintendent Teri Wing said.

"That's even low for the average," she said.

Fifteen were absent Wednesday at Somers Middle School. In both schools, many students were gone for reasons other than illness, Wing said.

"We're just not seeing it in a big way," she said of flu-related absences - but added that the district is doing what it can to thwart the flu.

"We have become some pretty committed consumers of hand sanitizer," she said. "We're trying to make sure people use it ... keeping our fingers crossed."

Other districts are likewise hoping increased hand sanitizer use and encouraging children more than ever to wash their hands will help guard against illness this year.

"We've put a lot of effort into encouraging extra cleanliness on the part of the teachers," Bigfork Superintendent Russ Kinzer said. "We've bought a lot of hand sanitizer, extra Kleenex. The custodians are stretched a little thin, wiping down more surfaces."

In addition to those efforts, some experts have recommended setting up a "containment room" for sick students, Kinzer said, but that isn't a practical option at most school districts. Schools aren't meant to be run as hospitals, he said, and the Bigfork School District has asked its parents to pick up their sick children as soon as possible.

"We've asked them to be extra alert to that," Kinzer said.

Every district encourages its sick students and staffers to stay home. To avoid tempting those who might return before they're healthy, the Columbia Falls School District has assured its staff and students that they won't be penalized for missing school if they get the flu.

"We won't hold our students or our employees to our attendance rules and regs related to flu," Nicosia said. "We don't want kids coming to school sick. ... We will waive time related to flu."

School districts have been working closely with the Flathead City-County Health Department, which offers more information about H1N1 and season influenza.

For further information, call the influenza information line at 751-8188 or visit www.flatheadhealth.org.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com