More than 250 public school students and faculty in quarantine this week

More than 400 Alachua County Public Schools students and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year. 

As of Friday afternoon, ACPS has 81 active COVID-19 cases, according to the school district’s COVID-19 dashboard. This week, 258 are in quarantine — an increase of more than 100 since last week. 

The increase was tied to members or coaches from the Buchholz cheerleading, girls’ basketball and boys’ basketball teams testing positive, ACPS spokesperson Jackie Johnson said. 

She noted that the protocol is to quarantine entire sports teams when a student or coach tests positive out of an “abundance of caution.”

Cases in Alachua County Public Schools In elementary schools, there are 17 student and 10 staff COVID-19 cases.  Alachua: 1 student 1 staff Archer: 1 student 1 staff Chiles: 2 students 1 staff Glen Springs: 4 students 1 staff Hidden Oak: 1 student High Spring: 1 staff Metcalfe: 1 student Newberry: 2 students Norton: 2 students 1 staff Shell: 1 staff Terwilliger: 1 student 1 staff Wiles: 1 student 1 staff  Williams: 1 student  There are 19 student and six staff COVID-19 cases in middle schools.  Bishop: 1 student Fort Clarke: 2 students Hawthorne: 1 student 2 staff Kanapaha: 4 students Lincoln: 1 student 2 staff Mebane: 5 students  Oak View: 2 students Westwood: 3 students 2 staff There are 22 student and six staff COVID-19 cases in high schools.  Buchholz: 10 students 2 staff Eastside: 1 student Gainesville: 3 students 2 staff Newberry: 7 students 1 staff Santa Fe: 1 student 1 staff There are four cases in school centers. Sidney Lanier: 1 staff A. Quinn Jones: 3 staff There are four staff positives in district administration.

This brings district totals for the school year to 262 student and 140 staff cases. 

Here are important upcoming dates:

• The Half Cent Oversight Committee, who review spending under the Half Cent for Schools, a sales tax initiative approved by voters that raises money for facilities improvements and the rebuilding and remodeling of schools, meets Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. 

• The school board meets Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. where it will vote on interim Superintendent Carlee Simon’s contract and review the updated plan the state required after last week’s  emergency order. 

• ACPS interim progress report cards go out Dec. 15. 

• The district’s winter holiday break is from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1.