Topeka ? Swine flu is on the Kansas State Board of Education’s agenda as public schools prepare for the new academic year.

State Health Director Jason Eberhart-Phillips was scheduled to talk to the board Tuesday afternoon about the H1N1 virus and the possible role for schools in preventing its spread.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed 281 cases of swine flu in 46 of the state’s 105 counties. The first cases appeared in late April in Dickinson County.

KDHE says children account for more than half the state’s confirmed cases.

Flu season typically begins in the fall, and health officials are preparing for outbreaks of new H1N1 cases. But they’re also hoping a new vaccine will be available by mid-October.