Coronavirus Cases Up Nearly 50% In West Aurora Over Past Week

AURORA, IL — Coronavirus cases are quickly growing within West Aurora District 129, which experienced an almost 50 percent increase in cases over the past week.

District 129 officials reported 51 total cases Nov. 4. That grew to 75 cases by Friday, including more than five dozen among staff members, according to the district's coronavirus dashboard.

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More than a quarter of the district’s cases are linked to West Aurora High School, where 11 employees and eight students have tested positive for the coronavirus. The district’s dashboard only includes positive cases among employees and students who are learning in person.

Eight staff members at Greenman Elementary have tested positive since Sept. 10, along with six employees in the district’s early learning academy, the dashboard shows.

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Students in District 129's Career and Technical Education program, transition programs and other alternative programs were brought back to school in September, with officials believing in-person learning would be most beneficial to those groups.

The district welcomed back small groups of students in first and sixth grades earlier this month, as well as some high school freshmen.

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Under the district's current plans, pre-K students, kindergartners and seventh-graders would return Nov. 16; and students in second, third and eighth grades would return Nov. 30.

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Students in fourth and fifth grade are set to return Dec. 7, according to the district's plans. High school students in District 129 are expected to continue learning from home through the end of 2020.

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