COVID-19 clusters reported in Wake schools as children return to class

More than a million North Carolina public school students will return to classrooms Monday.

Wake County will welcome back traditional calendar students, while modified calendar students returned to school on July 26.

Since students on the year-round calendar went back to school, WRAL News has been tracking COVID-19 cases in the classrooms. In Wake County, six clusters have been reported since Aug. 1. The most recent cluster was reported Friday at Holly Grove Elementary, where six students tested positive.

Knightdale High School and Sanderson High School also reported COVID-19 clusters in the past week, with five and 10 cases of COVID-19.

Safety in the halls and classrooms is a big concern for teachers, parents and students as the Delta variant fuels a surge of new COVID-19 cases.

Back-to-school: What to know about masks, free meals, bus routes and more

So far this month, there have been more than 430 confirmed coronavirus cases connected to Wake County Public Schools. The majority of those cases are among students in year-round schools, district data shows.

If a Wake student shows any COVID-19 symptoms, including a cough, headache, sore throat or fever, they will need a negative COVID-19 test or a visit to the doctor to confirm another diagnosis before returning to school.

Common COVID-19 symptoms mean more stringent guidelines for sick students returning to class

"Your child may be home with a cold, whereas in the past, like you say, two years ago, that child may have been allowed to be in school ill," Chief Medical OFficer of Avance Primary Car Dr. Joanne Fruth told 5 On Your Side. "Think about all those symptoms. They're typical to what the common cold would be, typical to influenza and even typical of the stomach bug in some cases for children."

Wake students who must quarantine for COVID-19 will have access to coursework online and "live" office hours with school employees to help. Unlike last year, virtual academy won't be available to students who must quarantine, because virtual academy is now set up as entirely separate from other instruction.

A close look at COVID protocols for kids at Wake County schools shows parents play a key role

Students boarding the bus will also see changes. The school district has always had seating charts for students on their buses, but this year, assigned seats will be enforced more than ever to help schools trace possible coronavirus case.

Wake school leaders have implemented a mask rule for students on and off the bus. Face masks are also required for all indoor prekindergarten through 12th grade school environments, including sports, band and other extracurricular activities.

All major school systems in the WRAL viewing area now require masks following revised U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidance and recommendations from state health officials.

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