Tennessee Schools Get Early Test With COVID-19 Outbreaks

Middle Tennessee school districts are already readjusting their plans for the semester because of positive coronavirus contacts.

In Maury County, Whitthorne Middle School closed Monday and plans to begin a virtual schedule until further notice. Spring Hill High School also closed Monday, but Maury County Schools has not yet announced when students will come in person.

The district says there aren’t enough teachers or substitutes available due to potential exposure to the virus — there are 44 teachers and staff are self-quarantining.

Christiana Middle School in Rutherford County has had two employees test positive and 10 others isolating as a precaution, according to Rutherford County Schools spokesman James Evans. The school has decided to go fully remote until August 24. In-person classes were supposed to start Thursday.

“We know this will be a hardship for some parents, but we want to ensure we are maintaining a safe learning environment for our students and employees,” Evans said in a message to parents.

Coffee County initially had to close two of its schools last week. Now, the district is preparing to shift to a hybrid schedule starting Wednesday.

In Putnam County, more than 80 students, plus seven school staffers, are quarantining after having close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. The district returned to in-person classes a week ago.

The case is a student at Cookeville High School, according to news reports, and the school remains open.

“As educators, we believe that in-person learning is best; however, we are keenly aware that there will continue to be positive cases in our schools and in our community,” superintendent Corby King said in a news release. “We will continue to strive to remain in-person as much as is prudent and feasible while protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.”

Putnam County says it will begin reporting data on cases and contacts in its schools. The governor announced last week he’s developing a plan to share that information from schools statewide.