More than 80 students quarantined in Tennessee county after exposure to COVID-19 at school
Meghan MangrumMore than 80 students in Putnam County are quarantined since the first week of classes after a student tested positive for COVID-19.
A student at Cookeville High School has tested positive, the Associated Press reported, and others who were in close contact with the student have been told to quarantine for 14 days, according to the mostly rural school district.
An additional seven teachers and staff, and a bus driver, are also at home due to a positive test or coming into close contact with someone who tested positive.
Many of the contacts occurred outside of school or before the academic year began on Aug. 3, the district said.
"As educators, we believe that in-person learning is best; however, we are keenly aware that there will continue to be positive cases in our schools and in our community," Director of Schools Corby King said in a news release. "We will continue to strive to remain in-person as much as is prudent and feasible while protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff."
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Putnam County Schools is just one of more than a dozen school districts already reporting confirmed COVID-19 cases since the first schools re-opened their doors to students less than three weeks ago.
At least 65 of Tennessee's school districts had reopened as of Friday, Aug. 7 — the majority of them offering in-person learning. Only 10 school districts intend to start the school year virtually, including the state's two largest — Metro Nashville Public Schools and Shelby County Schools — according to the Tennessee Department of Education.
Some districts that have reopened have already had to close schools or switch their mode of instruction from in-person to either hybrid or even virtual learning because of positive cases.
A Williamson County school, Chapman's Retreat Elementary, delayed reopening last week after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and Coffee County Schools closed two schools following confirmed cases as well.
After reporting multiple school-related COVID-19 cases, both Coffee County Schools and Blount County Schools switched from in-person schedules to hybrid models with some students attending school for two days a week while learning from home the other days in an attempt to limit the number of students and staff in the buildings each day.
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As Gov. Bill Lee and state education officials push for schools to reopen in-person, Tennessee Public Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey has said that transmission of the virus in schools is expected.
Putnam County, located about 80 miles east of Nashville, has reported more than 1,740 cases and 18 deaths as of Sunday, according to the Tennessee Health Department.
The district announced last week that it plans to develop protocols to keep parents better informed of positive cases or close contact within the school system moving forward, according to FOX17. Beginning Monday, the district will provide the following information online daily on the district's website:
- The number of students at a particular school who currently have tested positive for COVID-19
- The number of students at a particular school who are currently being quarantined due to being in close contact with positive cases
- The number of faculty and staff in a particular school who are either positive or being quarantined due to positive contact
Meghan Mangrum covers education in Nashville for the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Contact her at mmangrum@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.