COLORADO SPRINGS — With more schools bringing back students for in-person learning, some are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases. The recent uptick prompting unexpected quarantines and pivots to e-learning days.
"My son at the middle school just got quarantined this last week," said Art Ruiz, Academy School District 20 parent.
He has three children in Academy School District 20. The district says they saw an increase in COVID-19 cases in mid-February and again at the end of March, especially among students.
"I think that the spikes are very consistent. When you look at Spring Break happening a couple of weeks ago, I don't think it's an accident that you see a rise and increase in those COVID numbers. When you look at Christmas Break and Thanksgiving, and you look at the peaks, it does coincide with spring break a couple of weeks ago," said Ruiz.
Earlier this week, the district had to quarantine nearly 500 staff and students in five schools. They also had to move Rampart High School to e-learning for two days due to the high number of quarantines. Despite the recent uptick, Ruiz says he's not worried or concerned.
"I think it's just falling in line with the trends that Colorado and El Paso county has seen. I think the schools are a direct reflection of what's going on there," said Ruiz.
While the district doesn't know the exact reason behind the increase in cases, they believe out-of-school, after-school activities, and club sports are contributing factors.
"I'm glad that the district is using science and the data to make their decisions. I think whenever you have data-driven decisions, you have the right outcomes," said Ruiz.
The hope that with the right decisions, his daughter can enjoy the last few weeks of her high school experience.
"Homecoming, graduation, prom, and I think the best way we can our seniors this year is to have as normal of a milestone as possible," said Ruiz.
School districts such as Pueblo School District 70 and Colorado Springs District 11 have also seen increases. They are also prepared to pivot to e-learning days if the trend continues.
