CCISD wraps up second six weeks of classes, high school set to reopen Monday
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
As of Friday, Oct. 29, the Copperas Cove Independent School District 2020-2021 school year was one-third complete, as students and staff worked not only on academics and instruction, but learning a “new normal” of practices to thwart the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
On-campus student enrollment was a little more than 4,000 students during the first six weeks of classes, with nearly 800 at-home learners joining them at the start of the second six weeks.
During the first 12 weeks of the 2020-2021 school year, there have been a total of 27 test-confirmed, positive COVID-19 cases among CCISD students, to include 13 at Copperas Cove High School, two at Copperas Cove Junior High, two at Fairview/Jewell Elementary, three at House Creek Elementary, one at Martin Walker Elementary, and six at Williams/Ledger Elementary.
Staff cases since the start of the school year number 20, with 14 at the high school, two at Copperas Cove Junior High, one at S.C. Lee Junior High, one at Clements/Parsons Elementary, one at Fairview/Jewell Elementary.
Copperas Cove High School is set to reopen next week for on-campus classes after being closed since Wednesday, Oct. 27, due to a sudden increase in staff positive cases coupled with a shortage of staffing and substitute teachers. On Oct. 25, district administration announced its decision to close the campus temporarily.
“As of right now, we plan to reopen Copperas Cove High School for Face-to-Face instruction on November 9,” said Wendy Sledd, the district’s Director of Communications.
There were a total of 10 active student cases at the high school, and four staff cases, as of Thursday, Nov. 5.
According to the district’s COVID-19 tracker on the district’s website, there were a total of 23 total active cases as of Nov. 4. The district updates the tracker to reflect active cases only.
Aside from the 14 active cases at the high school, both junior high campuses had one active student case, one student and one staff at Fairview/Jewell Elementary, one student at House Creek, two students at Williams/Ledger Elementary, one staff member at Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, and one staff member at the district’s Technology Services/District Training Facility.
CCISD reports its cases weekly to the Texas Education Agency, which releases a weekly update from all Texas school districts. CCISD’s report to TEA as of Oct. 25 also includes reported sources of infection, with the majority of case sources among CCISD staff and students from off campus, at 25, seven on campus, and two unknown.
Statewide, there are an estimated 2,136,847 students enrolled on school district campuses across Texas, with a cumulative positive student case count of 15,986. Staff on campuses number 800,078, with a total of 10,141 cumulative positive staff cases.