HANCOCK COUNTY — With the exception of one school district, COVID-19 cases reported by Hancock County schools haven’t risen much since the beginning of the academic year, according to a new monitoring tool.
Schools in the county have been tracking infections of the novel coronavirus within their walls and reporting them publicly to various extents since schools reopened in July and August. Now, they and schools across the state are providing their numbers of student, teacher and staff cases to a public online dashboard.
The reporting went live earlier this month at coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm. It’s updated weekly on Mondays, and the latest data is through the previous Friday. Students, teachers and school staff that are 100% virtual are not included in the counts.
The dashboard doesn’t report exact figures for new cases or totals if the number is fewer than five. As of Monday, Oct. 12, New Palestine High School is the only school in Hancock County to surpass that threshold, and only in the total category for students, which amounts to eight.
The dashboard reported fewer than five new student cases and fewer than five new staff cases at New Palestine High School along with fewer than five new student cases at New Palestine Intermediate School.
Last week, Southern Hancock officials announced that New Palestine High School would switch to virtual learning immediately, and the rest will follow suit upon the return from fall break on Oct. 19, which began Friday, Oct. 9. With five recent new cases throughout the district’s buildings, the Hancock County Health Department saw the potential for community spread. The schools will remain on virtual learning for at least one week and are tentatively slated to resume in-person studies on Oct. 26.
Eastern Hancock, the only public school district in the county not currently on fall break, has not seen its student COVID-19 case total rise from the three it reported toward the beginning of the academic year, Superintendent Dave Pfaff said. No teacher or staff cases have been reported at any of the corporation’s schools.
Pfaff said the low numbers are likely due to a combination of factors, including the schools’ rural surroundings.
“I think it’s a mixture of people being careful and using common sense,” he said. “And we’re far enough removed from urban centers, that probably helps… The teachers, the administrators work really, really hard to put in place everything possible — social distancing, masking, cleaning.”
The state dashboard’s most recent update reported fewer than five new student COVID-19 cases at Greenfield-Central High School.
Harold Olin, G-C superintendent, told the Daily Reporter in a statement that before Oct. 2, the district hadn’t had a student case in six weeks or a staff case in five weeks.
“I attribute most of it to our students wearing masks when they are not socially distanced,” Olin said. “I am extremely proud of our student response to masks in the first quarter of the school year.”
Last week, the district announced it would roll back the high school’s hybrid schedule, which had alternated at-home and in-school sessions by alphabetically aligned blocks. After spring break, all students will be in school four days a week.
The dashboard didn’t report any new cases for Mt. Vernon. As far as totals, the corporation hasn’t had any teacher or staff cases at any of its schools and fewer than five student cases at all of its schools except for McCordsville Elementary, which reports zero.
Geist Montessori Academy in McCordsville reports no student, teacher or staff cases, according to the dashboard.
Zion Lutheran School in New Palestine, St. Michael School in Greenfield and Montessori Science Academy in New Palestine have not reported to the dashboard.
Kristie Sombke, principal of Zion Lutheran School, told the Daily Reporter that the school doesn’t have any cases. She added the school, which has 200 students in preschool through eighth grade, has worked hard to keep the virus at bay through measures like keeping desks 6 feet apart, equipping desks and work spaces with shields and by having students wear masks in common spaces and while traveling throughout the building.
Adults in the building are limited to staff; students have their lunches delivered to them in classrooms; and the playground is divided into sections assigned to a different class each day, Sombke continued, adding temperature checks and health screenings are conducted at vehicle windows during drop-offs.
“We’re thankful for great teachers, great staff, great families,” Sombke said. “It makes our school get through each day.”
Dr. Sandra Aspy, Hancock County health officer, told the Daily Reporter in a statement that the county’s schools have worked hard on their return-to-school plans.
“This began with preparation that started very early and was highly collaborative with the health department,” Aspy said. “Our school nurses are amazing. The top priority has remained the safety of our students and staff.”
