Freedom High School Principal Eric Volta has issued the following statement in response to student and parent anxiety about the recent appearance of CA-MRSA staph infection on campus:

"Once again I am reminded of how fragile our sense of security is when it comes to our students and children. I would like all of you to know that as soon as the school was notified of a potential health risk to your child, the County Health Department was contacted. We followed all of their guidelines and recommendations.

"The first question asked was: should we close the school? Unfortunately, some of us fell into the same hysteria that forced a young man to move from our town last spring. As adults, we need to make informed, intelligent decisions that are based on fact and professional advice. We need to teach our students that MySpace.com might not be the best source for factual information.

"What is a fact is that at the time of this printing, two of our students were reported by their parents (only one confirmed by a doctor) as having a CA-MRSA staph infection. Both students are doing very well physically and have responded well to their medication. Both students have been cleared by their doctors to return to school. One student's doctor consulted with an infectious disease specialist before clearing the student to return.

"Unfortunately, neither girl returned when able because their comfort level was affected by the media coverage and overreaction. We appreciate your concern and trust that we have all students' safety in mind as well. Again, for information about the CA-MRSA bacteria, go to www.cchealth.org."