EAST LIVERPOOL - There are now at least 10 East Liverpool city schoolchildren reported to have the H1N1 flu, according to Superintendent Ken Halbert.

Halbert made the announcement at Monday night's board of education meeting.

"Today we have, in my estimate, 10 to 12 cases of H1N1 in the district," Halbert told the board, adding that county health officials have told him there are "likely hundreds of cases in Columbiana County."

Despite the spike in the number of cases - there were no reports of H1N1 in the school system until Friday - Halbert said, "We are not panicking."

On Monday, Halbert issued a new directive under the guidance of Atlanta's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the recommendation of the district's two registered nurses.

Halbert said parents whose kids have a confirmed case of H1N1 are asked to keep that child and all siblings at home for five calendar days.

"If these kids can stay at home for five calendar days, the siblings, maybe we can avoid a huge outbreak, and that's what we're trying to do," Halbert noted.

In the meantime, custodians and staff are disinfecting wherever possible, and bottled water with drinking cups have replaced water fountains in each school.

In other board business on Monday, the district's five-year financial forecast was approved and sent to the Ohio Department of Education.

Treasurer Todd Puster said the forecast reflects the district's growing expenses while facing flat line revenue.

"The critical year for us is fiscal year 2012 to 2013," Puster noted. "The trend lines become difficult because what we're seeing is basically flat revenue and expenditures that increase over time. At some point in time, those two trends become a problem.

"This year and the next two years, absent some sort of outside shock, we're fine."

The budget projection does not take into account any rehabilitation work for Patterson Field, Mangano Track or a new home for administrative offices.

During the meeting, Halbert said he would prefer the board not use general funds to pay for athletic upgrades and that the district should turn to the booster clubs or find alternate funding sources if possible.

Puster did say he "factored in" the 6 percent pay raise over two years for union teachers within the district plus "a similar amount" for administrators and other union employees.

The board has not yet approved raises for the administrators or service union employees.

As for the budget projection in general, Puster said, "I'm comfortable with it provided everyone understands the cautions that I've talked about."

In other business Monday, the East Liverpool City Schools Board of Education:

- authorized the disposal of two 1990 maintenance vans by accepting the offer of $100 each from Shawn Hill. The vans were only worth salvage value.

- authorized any new board member elected Nov. 3 to attend the OSBA Capital Conference in Columbus Nov. 8-11.

- agreed to cancel the Nov. 9 and Dec. 28 regular board meetings.

The East Liverpool Board of Education will meet again at 6 p.m. Nov. 23 at the Administration Building along Maryland Avenue.