Here are all the Central Indiana schools that have recorded a COVID-19 case since July 1

Arika Herron
Indianapolis Star

Starting last week, thousands of central Indiana students returned to classrooms for the first time since the novel coronavirus pandemic interrupted education nationwide last spring and more are set to start the school year in the coming days.

School districts have been preparing for this moment for months, but already several had to enact plans they had hoped they wouldn't need: how to handle a case of COVID-19 in their schools. 

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Affected school districts have said they have plans in place for how to isolate individuals who test positive, track their close contacts and continue educating students. Local districts have been instructed to work with their county health departments as cases arise.

Even before classrooms reopened, some school districts were dealing with cases on athletic teams, which were allowed to resume after schools reopened July 1.

Here are the cases connected to schools in Marion and surrounding counties (Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Morgan and Shelby) IndyStar has tracked so far:

This list was last updated Aug. 31 at 6 p.m., it will be updated as the school year goes on. 

Harper Williams waves from the bus as she prepares for her first day of first grade at Sycamore Elementary School in Avon, Ind., on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.

July 8

July 22

July 27

July 28

  • Carmel Clay employee tests positive but contract tracing led to no quarantining due to masks.

July 30

Aug. 1

Aug. 3

Aug. 4

Aug. 5

  • An Avon High School student tested positive, the district announced one week after school started. School officials declined to say when the student last attended classes or how many people were considered close contacts and must quarantine.

Aug. 6

  • A person who was at a Noblesville High School athletic practice tested positive for COVID-19. The district declined to specify if it was a student or staff member but said students were at the practice. The person who tested positive had not been in school.
  • A second Avon High School student and a student at Pine Tree Elementary have tested positive for COVID-19, Avon Community Schools spokesperson Stacey Moore confirmed. 

Aug. 7

Aug. 9

  • A second case was confirmed at Brownsburg High School. The district did not say if it was a student or teacher.
  • Thompson Crossing Elementary in Franklin Township notified families of a positive case among its staff. An unknown number of students considered close contacts must quarantine.
  • A student at Bishop Chatard High School tested positive. Their last known day on campus was July 30. Close contacts must quarantine.

Aug 10

  • Avon Community Schools confirms that four more students have tested positive one each at Avon High School, Avon Intermediate School East, Avon Intermediate School West and Hickory Elementary School. An unknown number of other students were in close contact.
  • A second student at Edinburgh High School tested positive and an unknown number of others were considered close contacts and must quarantine.
  • A Greenwood High School student tested positive and had been in attendance on Aug. 6, the district's first day of classes. An unknown number of individuals were in close contact.
  • A Mooresville High School tested positive and had been last in attendance Aug. 7. The district started school on Aug. 5. An unknown number of individuals were in close contact and must quarantine.
  • A Triton Central Middle School student tested positive. School began Aug. 5. An unknown number of other students and staff are considered close contacts and must quarantine.
  • Two additional cases were confirmed at Brownsburg High School.
  • A football player at Hamilton Southeastern High School tested positive but had not attended practice or a team activity since Aug. 5 per a letter to parents.
  • A second student at Edinburgh High School tested positive and an unknown number of others were considered close contacts and must quarantine.
  • A student at Greenwood High School tested positive and had been in attendance on Aug. 6, the district's first day of classes. An unknown number of individuals were in close contact.
  • A student at Mary Bryan Elementary in Perry Township tested positive and had last been in class Aug. 7. An unknown number of students and staff must quarantine.

Aug. 11

Aug. 12

  • Per an email to families, a person at Noblesville High School tested positive. Anyone considered a close contact was notified to quarantine.
  • Per Hamilton Southeastern Schools, four employees have tested positive since the start of school virtually on Aug. 6. A total of 55 employees including 34 teachers are quarantining.

Aug. 13

  • A student-athlete at Hamilton Heights High School tested positive but did not attend school. A football coach also tested positive. As a precaution, one staff member and 13 students are quarantining.
  • Lawrence Township Schools said it has had positive cases and they've been dealt with on an individual basis. The district would not say where those cases occurred if they were students or staff members or how many others were isolating.
  • In an email to families, Hazel Dell Elementary in Noblesville confirmed a positive case but didn't say if it was a student or staff member. Anyone considered a close contact was notified.
  • A person at Hinkle Creek Elementary in Noblesville tested positive. Close contacts were identified and are isolating.
  • Another case was confirmed in a student at Brownsburg High School. An unknown number of students and staff were considered closed contacts.
  • A Bishop Chatard High School student tested positive. Close contacts were identified and must quarantine.

Aug. 14

  • Another case was confirmed in a student or staff member at Brownsburg High School. An unknown number of students and staff were considered closed contacts.
  • Two staff members at ALPHA in Brownsburg were positive and five students had to quarantine.
  • A student at Carmel High School tested positive. The student was asymptomatic and wore a mask. An unknown number of students were in close contact and must quarantine.
  • Two people at Noblesville High School tested positive, and families were notified. One person had no close contacts at the school and close contacts of the second were notified.
  •  A person at Noblesville West Middle School tested positive, per an email to parents. Close contacts were notified and are isolating.
  • A student at Avon High School tested positive. An unknown number of others were close contacts.
  • Two cases of COVID-19 were identified at Plainfield Community Middle School. An unknown number of close contacts must quarantine.
  • Ten people at the Zionsville Community Schools were excluded from school due to COVID-19 positive test results as of Aug.14. It's unclear how many of those people knew they were positive before the start of school. 

Aug. 15

Aug. 16

  • A student at Avon High School tested positive. An unknown number of others were close contacts.

Aug. 17

  • Five teachers at Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate/Jr. High tested positive and 10 others were quarantined as a result. The school closed for a day for deep cleaning. Students are currently attending school virtually.
  • A student at Avon High School tested positive. An unknown number of others were close contacts.
  • A student at Pleasant Crossing Elementary in Clark-Pleasant Schools tested positive after their parent did. The student was in class Aug. 6 and 7. 

Aug. 18

  • A staff member at Westfield Middle School tested positive. Close contacts were notified and are isolating at home.
  • A person at Hickory Elementary in Avon tested positive. Close contacts were notified.
  • Another case was confirmed at Brownsburg High School. An unknown number of close contacts were notified.
  • Lawrence Township Schools report that the district has had two staff members test positive since staff returned Aug. 10. One student tested positive the weekend before school started on Aug. 13.
  • Multiple people at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis tested positive and close contacts were notified.

Aug. 19

  • A Hamilton Heights High School student tested positive. Multiple students and one teacher who were close contacts are quarantined.
  • A person at North Elementary in Noblesville tested positive. Close contacts were notified.
  • A person at Center Grove Middle School North tested positive. Close contacts were notified.

Aug. 20

  • Two students at Avon High School tested positive and close contacts were notified.
  • A person at Avon Intermediate West tested positive. Close contacts were notified.
  • Two more cases were confirmed at Brownsburg High School. The cases are not related to each other. An unknown number of close contacts were notified.
  • Per Decatur Township Schools, there have been 4 cases among students and staff since school started Aug. 6. The total number of students and staff who have been quarantined is 8.

Aug. 21

  • A student at Hamilton Heights High School tested positive after they were exposed to a sibling, not a student in the district, who tested positive.
  • Brownsburg Community Schools confirms 11 positive cases among high school students and says that 174 students throughout the district have had to quarantine.
  • Five staff members at Brownsburg Comhave tested positive but did not require any students to quarantine.
  • A Southport High School football player tested positive and close contacts are quarantining.

Aug. 22

Aug. 23

  • A person at Hazel Dell Elementary in Noblesville tested positive and close contacts were notified.
  • A staff member at Avon High School tested positive. Close contacts were notified.

Aug. 24

  • A person at Hinkle Creek Elementary in Noblesville tested positive. Contact tracing was done.
  • A person at Noblesville High School tested positive and close contacts were notified.
  • A person at Noblesville West Middle School tested positive. Close contacts were notified.

Aug. 25

  • A staff member in the transportation department at Westfield Washington Schools tested positive and additional staff members were quarantined.
  • A person at Noblesville High School tested positive and close contacts were notified.
  • A student at Avon High School tested positive. No other students were identified as close contacts due to the hybrid schedule.
  • A person at White Oak Elementary in Avon tested positive. Close contacts were notified.
  • Per Guerin Catholic High School, there were "recent positive cases among some of our students, which have resulted in a large number of students being quarantined."

Aug. 26

  • A person at Hazel Dell Elementary in Noblesville tested positive and close contacts were notified.
  • A person at Noblesville High School tested positive.
  • A person at Noblesville West Middle School tested positive. Close contacts were notified. A second person also tested positive but had no direct contacts at the school.

Aug. 27

  • A student at Hamilton Heights Elementary tested positive but had not been in school that week. Close contacts were notified and are quarantining.
  • A person at Avon Middle School South tested positive.
  • A person at Brownsburg East Middle School tested positive and close contacts were notified.

Aug. 28

  • A student at Triton Central Elementary in the Northwestern Consolidated Schools district tested positive. Close contacts were notified.

Aug. 29

  • Less than five people at Sheridan Community Schools have tested positive. And less than 5 employees and 46 students are quarantining as a result.

Aug. 30

  • Two people at North Grove Elementary in Center Grove Schools tested positive. Close contacts were notified.

Aug. 31

  • Two people at Noblesville West Middle School tested positive. There were no close contacts at the school.
  • A person at Promise Road Elementary tested positive and close contacts were notified.

Do you know of a case connected to a school not reported here? Send it to us at education@indystar.com. 

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.