Many Hamilton County Schools with the most COVID-19 closures thus far are among the schools with the lowest percentages of students learning in-person this semester, according to a Times Free Press review of school data.
The Times Free Press analyzed fall enrollment numbers from the district to determine if campuses that had higher percentages of students select in-person learning were more likely to experience a COVID-19 closure, which occurs when a positive case is identified.
So far, the schools with more than 90% of their students attending in-person have experienced no closures, whereas the schools with the most closures – Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper, Red Bank High School, Ooltewah High School and The Howard School – have roughly 50% of their student body attending virtually.
In addition, Ooltewah High and Red Bank High each underwent a week of hybrid learning this fall in order to reduce the number of students in the classroom with hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Jen Bronson, lead COVID-19 response coordinator for the district, said by email that she can’t say why those particular schools have been hardest hit by closures, because she “can’t share specifics of any case.”