Circuit Judge Charles Price ruled correctly when he said he did not have the authority to force school officials to allow parents in Alabama to let their sons work from home because of the swine flu scare.

Alabama has only four confirmed cases of the swine flu. This does not make an epidemic.

Parents like these, who seek excused absences until the school year ends, are reacting without thinking. They love their children and don’t want to see them sick.

We agree with the attorney for Elmore Schools, the defendant in this case, that it would be impossible for Elmore or any other schools in Alabama to excuse the children.

“This would create chaos,” Seale said, adding that if this couple was allowed to take their children out of school with excused absences, what would stop the others from doing the same thing?

The parents had the option of home-schooling their children or enrolling them in a private school.

Fortunately, for the children, the parents sent them back to school after Madison County opened its school. Madison County has the most swine flu cases in the state.

Good judges, such as Price, who refuse to allow the courts to be used as a panic room for unreasonable people blinded by fear should be praised. And the parents should take lessons in calming down and using their common sense.