Columbia Public Schools reports 13 students with active COVID-19 cases

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools is now reporting the number of student COVID-19 cases in elementary school, middle school and high school.

The district added a tab to its online COVID-19 data website that breaks down the number of students who have tested positive for novel coronavirus and the number in quarantine because of exposure to the virus.

The data includes the number of positive cases at each level, how many students are quarantined, how many school buildings are affected and numbers of active cases.

CPS reported 13 active COVID-19 cases Tuesday for all elementary, middle and high school students. The district reported 193 students being quarantined.

In total, CPS has had 77 positive student cases since September and 597 kids have been quarantined.

The number of Columbia Public Schools staff in quarantine has increased after the district reported 17 staff exposures to COVID-19 on Friday.

Ariel Schwarting, a third-grade teacher at Grant Elementary, said staff members are doing their best to not interact with others outside their groups to help with contact tracing if there is an exposure.

"I know that all of the staff members in my building are doing their best to stay in their stable groups; we aren't eating lunch together in common spaces, we're trying to get outside with students when the weather cooperates," she said.

Schwarting said if there is a case of COVID-19 in the classroom, learning has to move online for two weeks.

"I know that if a classroom does have to quarantine, then the teacher must teach from home," she said. "The class and teacher along with any other possible contacts must learn virtually for two weeks."

On Monday only two staff exposures were reported.

As of Tuesday, 78 staff are quarantined, but only 11 have tested positive for COVID-19.

CPS did not respond Tuesday morning to a request for comment about the numbers.