FROM STAFF REPORTS

More than 3,400 Iredell-Statesville Schools students, or 16 percent, were forced to quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19 or isolate because they had symptoms last week.

Eighty staff members were required to quarantine or isolate for the same reasons as COVID-19 had an impact on instruction at 34 schools, including the district’s three early college programs.

The disruption was most severe at six district schools were the quarantine numbers reached the point where Superintendent Jeff James closed those schools to in-person learning through September 10. On Friday, Scotts Elementary joined East Iredell Middle, West Iredell Middle, Lakeshore Middle, North Iredell High, and Central Elementary School in the temporary remote learning cohort.

Some 260 students across the district tested positive for COVID-19 and 710 were isolating due to symptoms as required by public health protocols.

Only 47 of the cases of COVID-19 in district schools were attributed to secondary spread in school facilities, district officials said.

The school board opted to begin the year with a mask-optional policy, but reversed course last week and made masks mandatory in all schools, effective Thursday, September 2.

I-SS COVID-19 Dashboard