State reports more than 5,000 cases of COVID-19 in schools
A total of 639 students, 135 teachers and 141 school staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week, according to new data from the Indiana State Department of Health.
The department updates its dashboard of COVID-19 cases in schools weekly on Mondays and the new statewide totals since the start of the school year are 3,507 students, 719 teachers and 801 staff members statewide — more than 5,000 cases total. There are roughly 1.1 million students in the state, per state data from the 2019-20 school year.
Participation in the state dashboard is not mandatory for schools, and 490 schools have yet to report to the state. That includes all of the Indianapolis Public Schools district.
Superintendent Aleesia Johnson told IndyStar on Friday that the district wouldn't be participating in the state dashboard, as it's not mandatory. IPS will report positive cases on its own dashboard, instead, and continue to report to the Marion County Health Department.
The priority, she said, is making sure that school leaders and central office staff are communicating with the district's families.
The IPS dashboard also updates on Mondays, but had not been updated as of noon.
Day-by-day:Marion County schools bringing students back, watching COVID-19 numbers
This latest state dashboard update includes Hamilton Southeastern Schools for the first time as well as at least some schools in the Carmel Clay school district, including the district’s high school and middle schools. However, multiple elementary schools in Carmel were still listed as not reported.
Carmel Clay Schools previously said it planned to participate in the dashboard and that the delay was due to technical difficulties. The district is reporting numbers on its own dashboard, but had not yet added last week's data as of noon Monday.
Of the schools that have reported to the state, 1,314 have at least one case and 562 have no cases.
Cases reported in Central Indiana schools
For the data that has been reported, the state dashboard lists data by school. IndyStar has compiled totals for public school districts in Central Indiana — those in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and Shelby counties.
Totals are listed as a minimum number of cases because for schools that reported somewhere between one and five cases, the state has suppressed that data for privacy reasons.
Also listed are each district's 2019-20 student enrollment figure and the date that the school year started. If a district started the year virtually, both the first day of school and the first day with the option of in-person class for at least some students are listed.
Here's a look at the latest district totals as of Monday:
Boone
Lebanon Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least four students, at least one teacher and at least two staffers.
Enrollment: 3,381
School start date: Aug. 13
Western Boone Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least one student and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,732
School start date: Aug. 12
Zionsville Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 37 students, at least three teachers and at least three staffers.
Enrollment: 7,435
School start date: Aug. 10
Hamilton
Carmel Clay Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least six students and at least two staffers. This is the first week that Carmel Clay Schools has submitted data to the state, and six elementary schools in the district are listed as not reported. Per the district's dashboard on its website, 95 students have tested positive since Aug. 9, as well as seven teachers since Sept. 13 and nine staff members since Sept. 27.
Enrollment: 16,664
School start date: Aug. 13
Hamilton Heights Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least one teacher and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 2,351
School start date: Aug. 11
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 30 students, at least three teachers and at least four staffers.
Enrollment: 22,183
School start date: Aug. 6 virtually; Sept. 8 in-person
Noblesville Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 37 students, at least three teachers and at least three staffers.
Enrollment: 10,676
School start date: Aug. 4
Sheridan Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least two students and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,031
School start date: Aug. 17
Westfield-Washington Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 20 students, at least five teachers and at least 2 staffers.
Enrollment: 8,435
School start date: Aug. 13
Hancock
Eastern Hancock County Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,195
School start date: Aug. 3
Greenfield-Central Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least nine students, at least two teachers and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 4,498
School start date: July 30
Mt. Vernon Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 13 students, and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 4,338
School start date: Aug. 17
Southern Hancock County Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 16 students, at least one teacher and at least two staffers.
Enrollment: 3,801
School start date: Aug. 3
Hendricks
Avon Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 42 students, at least four teachers and at least seven staffers.
Enrollment: 9,871
School start date: July 29
Brownsburg Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 24 students, no teachers and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 9,453
School start date: July 30
Danville Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least one teacher and no staffers.
Enrollment: 2,487
School start date: Aug. 13
Mill Creek Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least one student and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,534
School start date: July 31
North West Hendricks Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least one teacher and no staffers.
Enrollment: 1,877
School start date: Aug. 5
Plainfield Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 17 students and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 5,759
School start date: Aug. 5
Johnson
Center Grove Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 25 students, at least five teachers and at least five staffers.
Enrollment: 8,876
School start date: Aug. 12
Clark-Pleasant Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 16 students, at least six teachers and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 6,979
School start date: Aug. 6
Edinburgh Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least one student and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 859
School start date: July 30
Franklin Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 15 students, at least one teacher and at least four staffers.
Enrollment: 5,031
School start date: Aug. 17
Greenwood Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least five students, at least two teachers and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 4,006
School start date: Aug. 6
Indian Creek Schools (Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United Schools)
COVID-19 cases: At least two students, at least one teacher and no staffers.
Enrollment: 1,981
School start date: Aug. 5
Marion
Beech Grove City Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least four students, at least one teacher and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 2,939
School start date: July 30 virtually; Aug. 10 in-person
Franklin Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least seven students, at least four teachers and four staffers.
Enrollment: 10,305
School start date: Aug. 5
Indianapolis Public Schools
COVID-19 cases: IPS is not reporting cases to the state. On its own dashboard, the district lists eight cases recorded from Oct. 4 to Oct. 17.
Enrollment: 25,611
School start date: Aug. 17 virtually; Oct. 5 in-person
Decatur Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least two students, at least six teachers and at least two staffers.
Enrollment: 6,825
School start date: Aug. 6
Lawrence Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 12 students, four teachers and seven staffers.
Enrollment: 16,165
School start date: Aug. 13
Pike Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least one teacher and at least two staffers.
Enrollment: 11,274
School start date: Aug. 11 virtually, Sept. 9 in-person
Warren Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 27 students, at least eight teachers and at least two staffers. Several of the district's elementary schools have not reported to the state yet.
Enrollment: 11,830
School start date: Aug. 6
Washington Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least seven teachers and six staffers.
Enrollment: 11,157
School start date: July 30 virtually; Oct. 12 in-person
Wayne Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 26 students, 12 teachers and nine staffers.
Enrollment: 16,915
School start date: Aug. 12
Perry Township Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 54 students, at least 10 teachers and at least nine staffers.
Enrollment: 16,938
School start date: Aug. 5
Speedway Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least one teacher and at least two staffers.
Enrollment: 1,871
School start date: Aug. 5
Morgan
Monroe-Gregg Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, no teachers and at least three staffers.
Enrollment: 1,503
School start date: Aug. 5
Eminence Community Schools
COVID-19 cases: No reported cases.
Enrollment: 364
School start date: Aug. 6
Martinsville Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least three students, at least two teachers and no staffers.
Enrollment: 4,340
School start date: Aug. 12 virtually; Aug. 31 in-person
Mooresville Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least 14 students, at least two teachers and at least one staffer.
Enrollment: 4,412
School start date: Aug. 5
Shelby
Northwestern Consolidated Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least two students and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,566
School start date: Aug. 5
Shelby Eastern Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least nine students and no teachers or staffers.
Enrollment: 1,144
School start date: Aug. 5
Shelbyville Central Schools
COVID-19 cases: At least two students, no teachers and at least one staffer. Golden Bear Preschool has not reported.
Enrollment: 4,178
School start date: Aug. 5
Southwestern Consolidated Schools
COVID-19 cases: No students, teachers or staffers. Southwestern Elementary School has not reported.
Enrollment: 566
School start date: Aug. 4
Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
Call IndyStar education reporter MJ Slaby at 317-447-1586 or email her at mslaby@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mjslaby.