SC K-12 coronavirus case numbers are growing at a steady rate. Here’s who is affected
S.C. K-12 schools have seen 89 new coronavirus cases since Tuesday, when cases were last reported, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data.
The 910 COVID-19 positive tests since school began include 640 student cases and 270 employee cases, according to the DHEC database updated Friday.
The increase of 89 cases is in line with that schools have seen thus far in the school year. Tuesday, when numbers were last released, S.C. schools saw 97 new cases. The Friday before that, Sept. 25, there were 102 new cases and on Tuesday, Sept. 22, there were 90 new coronavirus cases, according to previous articles from The State.
It’s unclear how many people in K-12 schools have recovered from the virus or how many cases are “active,” metrics the University of South Carolina uses when reporting campus case numbers.
The data raise questions about Lexington 1 — more than half of the district’s schools have cases — which will be adding more in-person classes starting Monday. Other districts that are online-only, such as Richland 1 and Richland 2, are seeing fewer schools with cases, despite having more schools.
The data apply to all SC public, private and charter schools, the majority of which either have no cases or fewer than five cases, according to DHEC data.
The case numbers show how many students and employees who attend or work at a school have tested positive for coronavirus, but that doesn’t mean the infected person contracted COVID-19 from being at the school.
Schools that are still virtual-only may have cases listed in the DHEC database because the infected student employee may have been participating in a school sponsored event, such as sports, when they were potentially contagious.
Lexington 1 (19 of 31 schools have cases)
- Beechwood Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Carolina Springs Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Centerville Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Forts Pond Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Gilbert Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Gilbert High: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Gilbert Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Lexington Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Lexington High: 7 student cases
- Meadow Glen Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Midway Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Pelion Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Pelion High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Pleasant Hill Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Red Bank Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- River Bluff High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Rocky Creek Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Saxe Gotha Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- White Knoll High: Fewer than 5 student cases
Lexington 2 (6 of 13 schools have cases)
- Airport High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Brookland-Cayce Senior High: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Herbert A. Wood Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Pine Ridge Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- R.H. Fulmer Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Saluda River Academy for the Arts: Fewer than 5 student cases
Lexington 3 (1 of 4 schools have cases)
- Batesburg-Leesville Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
Lexington 4 (2 of 7 schools have cases)
- Sandhills Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Swansea High: Fewer than 5 student cases
Lexington-Richland 5 (9 of 22 schools have cases)
- Ballentine Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Chapin High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Chapin Intermediate: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Chapin Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Dutch Fork Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Irmo Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Irmo High: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Seven Oaks Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Spring Hill High: Fewer than 5 student cases
Richland 1 (4 of 51 schools have cases)
- A.C. Flora High: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Columbia High: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Hand Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Hopkins Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
Richland 2 (7 of 33 schools have cases)
- Catawba Trail Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Forest Lake Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- L.B. Nelson Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Muller Road Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
- Richland Northeast High: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Spring Valley High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Windsor Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
Private schools in Lexington County
- Arrows Academy: Fewer than 5 student cases
Private schools in Richland County
- Ben Lippen: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
- Cardinal Newman: Fewer than 5 student cases
- Hammond: Fewer than 5 student cases
- St. Peter’s Catholic School: Fewer than 5 students