COVID-19 cases reported in Alabama public schools

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC FOX6 News is On Your Side working to find out how many COVID-19 cases have been reported in public school districts in our viewing area.

We have compiled a list based on responses provided to us from each school district. We will update this information as school districts respond to our request.

We have included a link for school systems that have a public dashboard. This list is in alphabetical order:

Alabaster City Schools:

School leaders are releasing information weekly. For the week of Sept. 21-25, the school district had 12 students, 8 employees test positive for COVID-19. 166 students and 13 employees had to quarantine.

Anniston City Schools:

The school district is reporting 4 employees tested positive due to contact outside of school. 80 students were sent home at some point due to possible exposure by a secondary person.

Attalla City Schools:

From the start of the school year until Sept. 25, the school district is reporting the following information:

Positive Cases - 26

Quarantined for close contact to a positive case - 91

Isolated for Major Symptoms - 25

Quarantined for close contact to a major symptom - 182

Bessemer City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Bibb County Schools:

From the start of school until Sept. 25, the school district had 14 students and employees total test positive for COVID-19 and 97 students and employees have had to quarantine.

Birmingham City Schools:

For the month of September, the district recorded 8 positive COVID-19 tests for school staff, 1 for students, and 1 for a district-based employee.

Blount County:

Since the start of the school year, the school district reported the following percentages:

Students Confirmed Positive - 1.2%

Teachers Confirmed Positive - 5%

Students Quarantined - 23%

Teachers Quarantined - 15%

Calhoun County Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Chilton County Schools:

Of students and faculty/staff who have been on the campuses since school opened on September 8, 2020, the school district has had about 63 students who tested positive, 6 faculty/staff who tested positive, and about 314 quarantined.

Coosa County Schools:

The school district is in a virtual situation for the first nine weeks so the school has not received calls for positive cases – although school leaders say unofficially they have had student cases. The school district is reporting two employees have tested positive and 20 have had to quarantine.

Cullman City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Cullman County Schools:

Since the beginning of school, the district is reporting 51 total positive cases between students and employees. There have been 399 individuals quarantined at some point since school started. This makes up approximately 1.5% of the school district’s population.

Demopolis City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Etowah County Schools:

Since school has started in Etowah County, the district has had a total of 55 student cases and 39 employee cases. Currently, the district has 6,921 traditional students and 1,117 employees.

Fairfield City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Fayette Schools:

Since school has started, the district is reporting 47 students and employees have tested positive for COVID-19. 286 students and employees have had to quarantine.

Gadsden City Schools:

The school district is reporting 1 student and 4 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. 2 employees have had to quarantine.

Greene County Schools:

The school district is reporting 3 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 8 employees have had to quarantine.

Hale County Schools:

As of September 25, 2020 the Hale county school System has had 2 students and 2 staff members diagnosed with COVID-19. As of September 25, 2020 the Hale County School System has had 7 individuals that required quarantine due to close contact with a COVID-19 infected person. Out of the seven people, five came in close contact with a Covid patient while out in their community and not at school.

Homewood City Schools:

Homewood City Schools did not release this information to the media but did send it to parents. We were able to obtain the statistics from a parent who reached out to WBRC.

Hoover City Schools:

Since August 20, 2020, the Hoover school district is reporting 67 students and 29 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. They have had up to 280 students and up to 43 staff members quarantined at a given time. For a link to Hoover’s own COVID-19 dashboard, click here:

https://www.hoovercityschools.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=11&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=18996&PageID=1

Jacksonville City Schools:

The district is reporting 10 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of school and 115 students and staff have had to quarantine. To see the school district’s COVID-19 tracker, click here.

Jasper City Schools:

Since the beginning of school, the district is reporting positive cases for 8 students and 2 staff members. The school district says 64 students have self-quarantined due to close contact and suspected close contact.

Here is a statement school leaders sent to WBRC:

We have attributed our good luck to our parents being our first line of defense by not sending students to school with cold or flu-like symptoms. Our teachers and employees have also done a great job in checking temperatures before students enter the building and following the guidelines set forth by the DPH and ALSDE. Additionally, our custodians and administrators have done an excellent job of cleaning and keeping our buildings sanitized. We are really proud of our students. They have been so gracious in doing their part to keep everyone safe.

Overall it has been a team effort between our parents, students, teachers, and community in keeping our numbers low. We realize that we will have a spike at some point and we have plans in place to address those issues as they arise.

Dr. Ann Jackson, Superintendent

Jefferson County Schools:

https://www.jefcoed.com/dashboard

For the months of August and September, the school system reports 164 students and employees have tested positive for COVID-19. 376 students and employees have quarantined due to direct exposure.

Here is the full statement school leaders sent to WBRC:

In the interest of transparency, we want you to know there is a chance our student numbers for this time period could increase. Positives are immediately reported to ADPH. Those who need to quarantine are also immediately contacted at the local school level. However, the district office is still collecting and combining the student totals from September 25th till September 30th. This process will be completed by Friday, October 2nd, and we would be glad to provide you an update at that time.

It should also be noted that our Direct Exposures resulting in quarantines are not necessarily from cases within the school setting. This number includes the community setting as well, which is the majority of the exposures.

Statement from Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, Jefferson County Schools Superintendent:

“While these numbers are relatively low, it is important to note that the majority of our students were participating in remote learning during this time. We caution everyone not to let down their guard. We are doing everything we possibly can to keep everyone safe as students begin to return to the classroom. However, it will take a concentrated community-wide effort, 7-Days a week, to keep our numbers low.”

Lamar County Schools:

From August 24th until September 28 Lamar County data is:

Total quarantined - 79

Student positives - 10

Employee positives - 16

Leeds City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Midfield City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Mountain Brook City Schools:

The school district told us to contact the Jefferson County Department of Health for official local COVID-19 statistics. We have reached out to the Jefferson County Department of Health and are awaiting a response from them.

Oneonta City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Oxford City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Pell City Schools:

The school district is currently reporting 20 active positive cases among students and staff. 185 students and staff are currently quarantined. To see the school district’s COVID-19 tracker, please click here.

Pelham City Schools:

For the week ending September 25: The school district is reporting 4 reported COVID positive cases under quarantine which includes 0 students (0.0% of our on-campus student population) and 4 staff members (1.0% of our staff population). They have 35 total quarantine cases which include the reported COVID positive cases, close contacts of positive cases, and people who are exhibiting COVID symptoms as identified by the ADPH. These cases include 28 students (1.2% of our on-campus student population) and 7 staff members (1.8% of our staff population).

Pickens County Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Shelby County Schools:

On Monday, September 28, we received the following statement from Shelby County Schools: “We are currently working on correspondence that will go out to our parents in the coming days. We appreciate your willingness to help communicate this information to parents, but we are preparing to do that ourselves soon.”

On Tuesday, an email was sent to parents showing COVID-19 numbers for one day (September 25) showing 96 students and 20 employees have tested positive. The school district is reporting for that day 850 students and 54 employees quarantined.

On Wednesday, October 21 an email was sent to parents showing COVID-19 numbers for one day (October 16) showing 43 students and 4 employees have tested positive. The school district is reporting for that day 526 students and 9 employees quarantined.

St. Clair County Schools:

Since the start of school, the district is reporting 67 positive cases out of 10,607 staff and students. The school district is reporting 243 cases of symptoms.

Sylacauga City Schools:

The superintendent is not releasing the information at this time.

Tarrant City Schools:

Did not respond to our request

Talladega County Schools:

Students returned to school on August 20, 2020. Since then, the school has reported a total of 55 positive cases. As a result, they have only had to a quarantine two students K-12 due to close contact at school.

Tuscaloosa City Schools:

Tuscaloosa City Schools began in-person learning September 21st and has reported 10 students and 12 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. 159 students and 56 employees are quarantined. To see the Tuscaloosa City Schools own COVID-19 track, click here:www.tuscaloosacityschools.com/tracker

Tuscaloosa County Schools:

The information below reflects cases from September 1– September 11, 2020. 48 Tuscaloosa County School students have tested positive for COVID-19. 349 students have had to quarantine, due to possible COVID-19 exposure. On September 17, 2020, 33 employees were listed as absent under the “COVID-19” absence code. This does not mean an individual has a COVID-19 diagnosis, but they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or needed other COVID-19 related leave. To see the Tuscaloosa County Schools own COVID-19 information, click here: https://www.tcss.net/Page/35537

Trussville City Schools:

The school district is reporting the following numbers:

From 6/28 – 7/25: 40 students tested positive for COVID-19

From 7/26 – 8/22: 25 students tested positive for COVID-19

From 8/23 – 9/19: 72 students tested positive for COVID-19

For more information about COVID-19 in Trussville City Schools, please click here: https://www.smore.com/ry79j

Vestavia Hills City Schools:

In an email received Monday September 28 at 11:40 a.m. school leaders told WBRC, “Based on guidance we’ve received over the past few days, we will not be able to furnish numbers at this time.” However that evening the superintendent informed the Board of Education in an open meeting that approximately 1.25% of our students have had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis at some point since the start of the school year on Aug. 20. No additional information has been released to the media or parents since then.

Walker County Schools:

These stats reflect August 24, 2020-September 24, 2020. 17 students have tested positive for COVID-19 and 339 students have quarantined. 7 staff members have tested positive and 54 have quarantined.

Winfield City Schools:

Since the beginning of school, 15 students and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and 71 students and staff have quarantined.

Winston County Schools:

Did not respond to our request

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