Clinton Elementary students went home today with letters sharing the sad news of a teacher's death and information on meningitis.

Teresa Anne Smoak died Tuesday of meningococcal meningitis, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis. It's an inflammation of the spinal cord and brain caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis.

Smoak, 57, went to the emergency room at the Ohio State University Medical Center with a fever, Lewis said tonight. Tests run by Lewis' office confirmed that she died of meningitis.

The school's Web site says Smoak was a fifth-grade science and social-studies teacher. She had worked for Columbus schools for 35 years, 28 of those at Clinton.

"You never met a nicer person. All you would have to say was her name and people would smile," said Kim Driscoll, who said Smoak taught two of her three children at Clinton. "There was never a time that you would look at that woman and she wouldn't have a smile on her face.

"You just loved being in her presence."

Driscoll, whose daughter, Kate, now 17, and son Timothy, 10, both were taught social studies by Smoak, said her children were devastated by her death.

"She was such a gem. I am just very saddened by it," Driscoll said. "This was her final year of teaching. She was looking very forward to being retired."

There's little risk to students or other faculty members, said Assistant Columbus Health Commissioner Debbie Coleman.

Health officials know of no related cases of meningitis and are working with people who might have been in close contact with Smoak, she said.

Meningitis is spread through close contact such as kissing, sharing a beverage or sharing a cigarette.

Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion and a rash.

Meningitis can result in brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, organ failure, loss of limbs or death. It comes on quickly and must be caught early to be adequately treated.

Columbus schools found out about the death today and quickly worked to notify students, parents and staff members, said district spokesman Jeff Warner.

In the letter sent home with students, the district and health department told parents to contact their family doctors if their children develop symptoms during the next few weeks.

The school system is doing extra cleaning to provide an "extra level of insurance and comfort," although that was not considered necessary by health officials, Warner said.

mcrane@dispatch.com

mmarx@dispatch.com