The state Department of Education on Monday began posting daily school-by-school reports of student absences on its Web site ( www.ride.ri.gov/Applications/attendanceReports.aspx). The figures, for all public and private schools, are drawn from the previous school day.

The department said in a news release that it has collected daily attendance reports and provided the data to the state Department of Health for nearly two years. The Health Department uses the data to track and monitor the course of diseases, such as the current H1N1, or swine-flu, virus.

The information will appear daily on the site at 12:01 a.m.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island schools continue to experience high absenteeism as the swine flu spreads through the state.

On Friday, 158 schools reported that more than 10 percent of students were absent. Of them, 25 schools had more than 20 percent absent. Absenteeism is typically in the low single digits at most schools at this time of year.

The school data suggest that Newport and Jamestown may be among the hardest-hit communities. Both of Jamestown’s schools and four of Newport’s six schools reported more than 20 percent of students absent, with Newport’s Frank E. Thompson Middle School missing 149 of its 587 students.

By way of comparison, on Oct. 30, 2008, only 17 schools in Rhode Island reported more than 10 percent absent, and only one recorded more than 20 percent of students out.

Friday’s absenteeism may reflect not just illness but “people staying home and keeping their kids home, too,” said Health Director David R. Gifford, who also noted that some schools routinely run absentee rates in the double digits. Still, he said, the numbers reflect that “we are seeing H1N1 across the state. A lot of people are getting sick.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend closing schools to control the spread of flu. But schools may decide to close if so many people are sick that the school can’t function. So far, that hasn’t happened in Rhode Island this season.Vaccinations

The state will vaccinate children against swine flu at schools around the state, beginning with 58 schools this week. The clinics for Tuesday and Wednesday are listed below. To find the date for the H1N1 swine-flu clinic at your schools, check projo.com and look for “School-based flu shots start Nov. 2.”

The state Health Department has not yet announced any public flu clinics for the H1N1 swine-flu vaccine. We will publish a list as soon as these clinics are scheduled.

Because of a shortage of vaccine for seasonal flu, nearly all of the previously scheduled flu clinics in Rhode Island have been canceled. We’ll publish an updated list of any new seasonal flu clinics as they are announced.

Nov. 3

East Providence: Silver Spring School

Jamestown: Jamestown School-Melrose

Johnston: Brown Avenue School

Lincoln: Northern Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln: Northern Early Learning Center

Narragansett: Narragansett Elementary School

Portsmouth: The Pennfield School

Providence: Robert L Bailey IV, Elementary School

Providence: Sgt. Cornel Young Elementary School

Scituate: Hope Elementary School

Smithfield: Anna M. McCabe School

South Kingstown: Matunuck School

West Warwick: Wakefield Hills Elementary School

Westerly: St. Pius X School

Nov. 4

Bristol: Guiteras School

Central Falls: Ella Risk School (at Veterans Memorial Elementary)

Glocester: West Glocester Elementary

Middletown: Aquidneck School (at Gaudet Middle School)

North Kingstown: Forest Park Elementary School

North Kingstown: South County Montessori School

North Providence: Centredale School

Pawtucket: Nathanael Greene School

Pawtucket: Francis J. Varieur School

Smithfield: William Winsor School

Tiverton: Walter E. Ranger School

Warwick: Lippitt School

Warwick: Warwick Neck School

Woonsocket: Harris School