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In an effort to curb the spread of germs among Ohio County Schools students and bus drivers, hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed on all the district's regular run school buses.

With omore than 3,000 students riding 39 school buses daily, it only made sense to Gary Kestner, transportation director, to install the dispensers.

"We're taking every precaution we can to help combat the spread of germs," said Kestner.

He said officials made a request to the West Virginia Department of Education Transportation Office for approval of placing the hand sanitizer dispensers on the school buses. Kestner said local officials can't alter anything on a school bus without consent of the state office. He noted the state office approved the dispensers with the condition that they contain a non-alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Kestner said Ohio County Schools purchased the hand sanitizer from Beabout Equipment Services of Valley Grove. He said with the purchase of the sanitizer, the company offered to donate and install all the dispensers on the school buses at the transportation center.

Kestner said, as directed by the state office, the dispensers are located on the upper left side of the bus entrances just inside the door. He said drivers also spray the seats with disinfectant after every run and completely mop and disinfect the bus once a week. Kestner said the drivers have been instructed to remind students to use the hand sanitizer as they enter and exit the bus.

"We just hope this will help," Kestner said, "not only with H1N1, but with the seasonal flu."

"It's another fantastic way that we'll be able to keep the spread of germs down," said Rick Dunlevy, principal of Elm Grove Elementary. Dunlevy said the school has hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom and near each water fountain. George Krelis, superintendent of Ohio County Schools, said the district started the campaign for hand sanitizers in the schools back in August. He said once Kestner proposed the idea to the board of education, members went through the process of getting state approval.