Education

SC’s K-12 schools add 102 of coronavirus cases as of Sept. 25

S.C. K-12 schools have seen 102 new coronavirus cases since Tuesday, when cases were last reported, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data.

The 724 total infections since school began include 501 student cases and 223 employee cases, according to the DHEC database updated Friday.

Tuesday, when cases were last reported, there had been 622 total cases since classes began.

The data apply to all South Carolina 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.

As COVID-19 cases have stabilized in S.C., school districts have been moving toward more in-person classes. For example, on Oct. 5, Lexington 1 will move on to phase two of its school reopening plan, which includes four days of in-person education and one virtual learning day per week.

Other school districts, such as Richland 2, are still waiting on cases to decrease further before resuming in-person classes.

Schools throughout Richland and Lexington Counties continued to see small numbers of cases in schools. However, no school in the two counties had more than 10 cases, according to DHEC data.

Here is an update on coronavirus cases, in alphabetical order, for Lexington and Richland County schools:

Lexington 1

  • 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
  • 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: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Meadow Glen Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Pelion Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases
  • Pelion High: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • River Bluff High: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases
  • Rocky Creek: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • White Knoll High: Fewer than 5 student cases

Lexington 2

  • Airport High: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Brookland-Cayce Senior High: Fewer than 5 student cases

Lexington 3

  • Batesburg-Leesville Middle: Fewer than 5 student cases and fewer than 5 employee cases

Lexington 4

  • Sandhills Elementary: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Swansea High: Fewer than 5 student cases

Lexington-Richland 5

  • 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
  • Dutch Fork Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
  • Seven Oaks Elementary: Fewer than 5 employee cases

Richland 1

  • A.C. Flora: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Columbia High: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Hand Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases
  • Hopkins Middle: Fewer than 5 employee cases

Richland 2

  • 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
  • Cardinal Newman: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • Hammond: Fewer than 5 student cases
  • St. Peter’s Catholic School: Fewer than 5 student cases

This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 2:28 PM.

LD
Lucas Daprile
The State
Lucas Daprile has been covering the University of South Carolina and higher education since March 2018. Before working for The State, he graduated from Ohio University and worked as an investigative reporter at TCPalm in Stuart, FL. Lucas received several awards from the S.C. Press Association, including for education beat reporting, series of articles and enterprise reporting. Support my work with a digital subscription
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