COVID-19: These Illinois Schools Report Outbreaks

ILLINOIS — Students are back in class across the state, but that doesn't mean things are back to normal. Even with new mask mandates in place, 25 Illinois schools have reported 26 COVID-19 outbreaks in recent weeks, including schools in Cook, Lake, Kane and Will counties.

The Illinois Department of Public Health defines an outbreak as two or more COVID-19 cases among people from different households who may have had a shared exposure, such as at school. Secondary infections, such as when a student transmits the virus to their parents after catching it at school, are not included in the outbreak. One school, Stillman Valley High School, is on the list twice for two separate outbreaks.

In total, state health officials say 9,058 school-age cases were reported for the week ending Aug. 21, including 2,512 cases among children age 5-11 and 2,674 among those age 12-17. Not all those cases are linked to exposure at schools, officials said.

Another 3,872 cases were reported among people between the ages of 18 and 22; those may include, but are not limited to, high school and college students.

In addition to the 26 outbreaks, the state says 546 schools reported potential exposures in the past 30 days based on contact tracing. That does not include Chicago Public Schools, which tracks cases independently. As of Aug. 14, CPS had reported 487 cases among students and 1,467 among staff districtwide.

In all, school-age infections have risen nearly 9 percent over the last two weeks and almost 29 percent over the last month, according to state health department data.

Most of the school outbreaks reported fewer than five cases. A notable exception was Carlyle School District in the Metro East, which voted last month to defy the governor's mask mandate. Carlyle School reported more than 16 cases tied to a single exposure, state health officials said.

Schools that do not comply with the mask mandate risk losing their state funding and the ability to compete in Illinois High School Association and Illinois Elementary School Association sports.

"I understand the pressure some school and district leaders may be facing from community members, and I will provide you with every support to understand, communicate, and comply with the order," state education Superintendent Carmen I. Ayala said Aug. 11 in a letter to district superintendents. "However, noncompliance is not an option. I will not compromise the health and safety of students or staff, nor will I risk even one child’s life."

RELATED:

• Mokena Junior High Principal Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
• Hundreds Of Local Students In Quarantine
• Mask Mandate, Teacher Vaccine Requirement Expected In IL: Reports
• 2 Students Hospitalized With COVID-19
• High School Students Walk Out To Protest Mask Mandate

Schools reporting outbreaks include:

Ben-Gil Elementary School (K-12), Gillespie
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Bicentennial Elementary School (K-12), Coal Valley
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Brown County High School (K-12), Sterling
5–10 cases among students
Source: Sports

Carlyle School (K-12), Carlyle
16+ cases among students
Source: Classroom

Central Junior High School (K-12), Belleville
Fewer than 5 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Centralia Junior High School (K-12), Centralia
Fewer than 5 cases among staff and students
Source: Sports

Colona Grade School (K-12), Colona
5–10 among staff and students
Source: Classroom

East Aurora School District 131 (K-12), Aurora
Fewer than 5 cases among staff
Source: Classroom

Evangelical School (K-12), Godfrey
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Geneseo High School (K-12), Geneseo
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Glenbrook Elementary (K-12), Streamwood
11–16 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Highland Elementary School (K-12), Stillman Valley
Fewer than 5 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Kaneland John Shields Elementary (K-12), Sugar Grove
Fewer than 5 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Maine East High School (K-12), Park Ridge
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Nelson Ridge School (K-12), New Lenox
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Oak Park River Forest High School (K-12), Oak Park
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

ROWVA High School (K-12), Oneida
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Reavis High School (K-12), Burbank
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Sports

Reed-Custer Elementary School (K-12), Braidwood
5–10 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Seneca Grade School (K-12), Seneca
Fewer than 5 cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Staunton Community USD #6 (K-12), Staunton
16+ cases among staff and students
Source: Classroom

Stillman Valley High School (K-12), Stillman Valley
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Sports

United Township High School (K-12), East Moline
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Williamsville High School (K-12), Williamsville
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Sports

Woodland Elementary School (K-12), Gurnee
Fewer than 5 cases among students
Source: Classroom

Correction: An earlier version of this story said state health officials reported an outbreak at Highland Elementary School in Downers Grove. The outbreak was reported at a school with the same name in Stillman Valley, Illinois. Patch regrets the error.