Park City » Students were overjoyed while parents remained concerned but not panicked Thursday as school was cancelled in the Park City School District that includes most of western Summit County.

On Tuesday, Park City School Superintendent Ray Timothy was advised by private physicians that at least one case of flu -- potentially swine flu --- had popped up in elementary and middle schools students.

By Wednesday, that number had grown to three and the school district contacted Summit County and Utah health authorities. On Wednesday evening, Timothy called an emergency meeting of the Park City School Board to advise them of his decision to close the districts schools until tests from the federal Centers for Disease Control could confirm or deny that it was in fact the swine, or H1N1, virus.

Meanwhile, state health officials announced Thursday afternoon there is also a probable case of swine flu in Salt Lake County, and another case in a third, unnamed county.

Alerting families » On Wednesday at midnight, the Park City district posted the closure on its website and activated its text messaging system that alerted parents and students to the closures. School officials also issued a press release in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The notification system worked well. Not many students showed up for school, said Ed Clouse, the school resource officer.

It's typical for families in the Park City area to travel to Mexico over spring break, Timothy said. Of the three cases that are listed as "probable" swine flu, one child had recently traveled to Mexico with his family. The other two students apparently contracted the virus locally, Timothy said.

"Rather than put the rest of students at risk," he said, "we decided to close the schools until Tuesday."

The results of tests by the CDC should be known by Friday and Monday.

Park City schools have students with asthma and other health-related issues, the superintendent explained. "We couldn't justify waiting two more days to get the results back."

Timothy said he hoped parents would keep children at home and not allow them to meet in groups while school is out. "We want to give this an incubation period and isolate the virus and not allow it to spread."

Kids thrilled » But for Nate Kintner, 14, Charlie Halsey, 13, and Lukas Robertson, 13, it's a five-day weekend. And that means skateboarding, bicycling, hanging out with friends and enjoying a marvelous spring day in the mountains.

"My parents didn't think it was that big of a deal," said Kintner, who is in 8th grade at Park City Academy. "My dad is a pilot and flies to Mexico quite often. I'm more afraid for him than I am for me."

Like many students, Halsey knew about the closure before his parents did.

"I got about 30 text messages on my cell phone," said the Ecker Hill Middle School 7th-grader."Everbody was really excited because we got a five-day weekend."

Robertson, also in 7th grade at Ecker Hill, said he got the go ahead from his parents to hit the skate park. "My dad said just make sure and wash your hands a lot."

Parents remaining calm » Maria Barndt has a 16-year-old daughter at Park City High School but isn't too worried that the potential flu outbreak will be deadly. "I think Park City (School District) did the right thing, to close schools," she said.

The common-sense approach to the flu virus will get the town through the epidemic, if there is one, she said.

"My daughter is smart. If she's not feeling well, she'll stay home."

Margaret Hyatt has kids in 5th and 6th grade in Park City. She watched Thursday morning as her daughter got in some turns at the skate park.

"The precautions the school district is taking make sense," she said. "I'm just glad its spring so the kids can get out and play."

Park City area officials have been good at getting the message out that the flu virus is a concern, Hyatt said. "My daughter asked if she could bring the hand sanitizer to the skate park."

Hyatt noted that her daughter had recently attended a sleep-over where two girls had just returned from Mexican vacations. "I'm very glad the symptoms that have been reported are relatively mild," she said.

A "proactive" move » The decision to close schools "was made after careful deliberation and with the best interests of our students, employees, and community in mind," Timothy said. "We are putting the safety of our children first."

He said the action was taken after consulting with health professionals throughout the state. He characterized it as "proactive and precautionary."

Steve Jenkins, director of the Summit County Health Department, said he consulted with the school district Wednesday and didn't push for the closure.

"Until we get our first [confirmed case] we wouldn't recommend closing the schools," he said.

He said the health department isn't at the point of offering anti-viral medications from the state's stockpile to the children. "I don't think we can release it until we have a confirmed case. Because of the limited number [of drugs] they'll be given to people who are sick," he said.

Four private schools in the Park City area are closed, too: The Colby School, Park City Academy, Soaring Wings Montessori School and The Winter Sports School.

Information and prevention » Park City officials set up an emergency operations center at the Park City Police Department to field calls from concerned residents and to coordinate activities between education, health and community organizations.

At hot line -- 435-615-5989 -- was established to answer concerns from citizens.

"It's about calming people and providing information," said Phyllis Robinson, Park City spokeswoman. "Right now, all we have is three cases of sick people. We don't know if it's swine flu."

The nursing director for Summit County, Carolyn Rose, said local officials are following the federal CDC guidelines. "If you have all the symptoms of the flu and have been in close contact with someone who has been to Mexico," call your doctor.

The main role of health officials is prevention, said Katie Mullaly, spokeswoman for Summit County Health Department. That means washing your hands a lot and staying home if you feel ill.

She added that people who don't show all the signs of flu should not report to a clinic or doctor's office, because it jams up the system.

"A lot of people are showing up with a cough or running nose," she said. "And that's not helping."

Local clinics have anti-viral medications that fight flu symptoms on hand and are ordering more, she added.

-- Reporters Heather May and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.