SEVERNA PARK, Md. - Many parents of students at two Maryland schools are keeping their kids home Thursday, after the announcement that students at those schools have been preliminarily diagnosed with swine flu.

Matt Myers is among the parents who decided their children would be in class this morning. He says his girls wanted it that way. "Our kids have perfect attendance. They have pride in going to this school."

"They're not scared," added Myers. "They don't watch the news and don't see the epidemic. What they're talking about is actually, 'can I come to school Mom and Dad?'"

But it's clear some parents at Folger McKinsey Elementary made a different decision once a letter was sent home reporting a possible case of swine flu in the school. The letter says a Folger student spent most of the illness at home, but indicates he or she may have attended classes sick.

Sources say before news that a student probably had the virus, 97 percent of the elementary school children were in class. On Thursday, the number dropped to 60 percent -- meaning four in 10 desks were empty.

Nicholas Horgan and his little brother spent the day playing parent-induced hooky. "My parents don't want us to go because of the swine flu," he said.

Even though Michelle Horgan opted to keep her boys home Thursday, she says she may reconsider tomorrow with the hope that the virus will be gone.

"It was one student -- contained to one family. I really think the school made the right decision," she said.

There is some ambiguity about just how long someone is contagious and how long it takes to show symptoms, so just in case, the school system sent in a cleanup crew overnight to disinfect the building in time for morning classes.

Widespread precautionary absences among students could pose another problem. The attendance rolls are often a barometer to show just how much an illness is spreading, but in this case it may only be a measure of how frightened are about their children's safety.

State officials should get test results back Thursday on six people suspected of having the virus, including those two students.

President Obama suggested Wednesday morning that "schools with confirmed or suspected cases should strongly consider temporarily closing so we can be as safe as possible."

But Folger is keeping its doors open. Milfred Mill Academy in Baltimore County will also be holding classes as usual today, though a teen student there is also believed to have contracted the disease.

John Colmers of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene believes that the infected students should not pose a danger to their classmates. School officials say that enough time has passed since the student was last in class, a week ago Thursday, that the danger should be past.

And Kevin Maxwell, Superintendent of Anne Arundel County Schools, said, "We've been in constant consultation with state and county health departments and the state and county governments and they say they believe in their expert medical opinion it safe to open the school today."

Sources say a World Bank employee suspected of contracting the virus while in Mexico has a wife who teaches at Takoma Park Elementary School and children who attend Westland Middle School in Bethesda and Einstein High School in Kensington.

While they are not showing symptoms, the man's wife and children have been asked to stay home for the next few days.

Meanwhile, Baltimore County health officials are opening an emergency hotline to answer county residents' questions about swine flu.

The public health emergency hotline will be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday. Officials have not determined when the hotline will operate in the future.

County residents with questions about swine flu can call the hotline at 410-887-BCHD (2243).

And while there have been no confirmed cases of the swine flu in Virginia, the commonwealth is setting up a call center to field questions from concerned residents.

Department of Health workers are taking calls until 4:30 this afternoon, and again tomorrow.

The hotline number is 1-877-ASK-VDH3 (1-877-275-8343).

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