Masked with a protective shield around her desk, a student at Duneland Boys & Girls Club works on an assignment on Aug. 28.
As schools navigate their first weeks of reopening, COVID-19 cases are beginning to be reported in school communities small and large, raising a difficult question: How much information should be disclosed publicly about COVID-19 cases?
State health officials have acknowledged the benefit of disclosing general statistics to help inform the public on the nature of the coronavirus’ spread.
In school board meetings, Facebook comments and administrators’ voicemails, parents have pressed for more information.
However, many school leaders say privacy laws such as FERPA and HIPAA preclude them from sharing specific details of COVID-19-positive students or staff at the risk of identifying individuals’ personal health information.
FERPA, the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act , establish expectations that certain student and health records be kept private unless individual consent is given to share those records.
In March, the U.S. Department of Education issued a nine-page guidance document advising schools of their obligation under student privacy laws during the pandemic.
In it, Department of Education officials outline that schools can share identifying student records with public health officials and other appropriate parties without prior consent if that information is deemed necessary to protect others’ health and safety.
General, non-identifying information may be shared more broadly with students and parents of a school community if a student in attendance is out sick with COVID-19.
Information sharing varies
However, the guidance leaves schools broad discretion in determining what details — such as when an affected student was last in school, what grade the student belongs to or how many others have been asked to quarantine — can be shared so long as districts do not provide enough detail that others can guess the identity of the student who tested positive.
“We have to be so broad in the info we provide so nobody can identify who that student is, so even kids who attend that school can’t tell who that kid is,” said Monica Conrad, an attorney who represents several Northwest Indiana school districts. “Even the U.S. DOE will tell you that’s going to vary from school to school as far as what is considered to be personally identifiable. … It’s really a lot of local discussion; you kind of know your community and your context.”
At the university level — housing a greater number of students — school officials have established public-facing dashboards to regularly inform the community about testing efforts and active cases on campus.
However, in K-12 schools across Northwest Indiana, administrators are taking different approaches in what details are shared and how that information will be communicated to families.
When the School City of Hammond saw its first reported case of COVID-19, a Hammond Area Career Center student, the district widely distributed details, such as affected courses and other suspected cases, via social media, and its superintendent did a WJOB radio interview to discuss the case.
School leaders in other districts have shared only limited details, or have directed media requests to the local health department, upon advice of legal counsel.
In the MSD of Boone Township, Superintendent Jeff Brooks said emails with general details have gone out to parents districtwide each time school officials have learned of a positive case.
The district saw six cases reported last month after opening Aug. 12 — two cases among staff, three among Hebron High School students, and two at Hebron Middle School. No cases have been reported since Aug. 26, Brooks said.
However, after early cases were reported in the district, the superintendent said the number of students taking advantage of Boone Township’s virtual learning option has increased from 14% to 20%.
“From the get-go, we’ve wanted to be as open as we can with cases and what’s happening,” Brooks said. “We want to make sure parents are informed so they can make decisions for their family.”
Brooks said he’s had individual conversations with parents of close contact to further explain their students’ possible exposure.
“That’s a hard conversation to have with people,” Brooks said. “We can tell parents their student is a close contact, but we can’t say with who. In a small town, people find out.”
State dashboard forthcoming
While information about cases in K-12 schools is currently being relayed in a somewhat piecemeal fashion by those school leaders who opt to disclose cases, the Indiana State Department of Health is developing a dashboard to help track these cases.
The department tested an electronic reporting portal last week allowing local administrators to log case information specific to their schools in the state’s public-facing dashboard, which is expected to go live later this month.
Data shared with the public will not name students, and data will be suppressed for schools reporting fewer than five cases, Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said.
“The purpose is not to stigmatize a school or to penalize them,” Box said. “Rather, the purpose is to help all of us make the best decisions possible as we navigate this pandemic.”
Schools’ participation in the database is not a mandate, but a strong request from the Indiana State Department of Health, Box said.
“I firmly believe this knowledge will be powerful and knowing that what’s happening in our schools helps us to make the best decisions we can in real time,” Box said.
The Times is compiling confirmed reports of cases confirmed in Northwest Indiana schools in its own interactive database accessible at nwi.com/education. Know of a case not reported by The Times? Contact education reporter Carley Lanich at carley.lanich@nwi.com.
Crown Point Community School Corp. Bulldog Back to School Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? cps.k12.in.us
Options: Hybrid learning first nine weeks.
Schedule: Students will meet in person two days a week and participate in remote learning the remainder of the week.
Masks: Required in most contexts, except when eating or in classrooms where social distancing is appropriate.
Important dates: Students' first day of school has been pushed back from Aug. 19 to Aug. 24.
Duneland School Corp. Reentry Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? duneland.k12.in.us
Options: Duneland began on a hybrid learning model. Students are expected to transition to four days a week in-person, with a full virtual option available, in October.
Schedule: In the district's hybrid model, students attend class two-to-three days a week in-person in an alphabetically determined rotation. When not meeting in-person, students will be expected to keep up with remote learning assignments. As the district shifts to in-person learning, students will attend school in person four days a week with elearning on Wednesdays.
Masks: During the pandemic, students will be required to have a mask with them at all times. Students may be allowed to remove masks in classrooms when social distancing can be maintained.
Important dates: Students' first day delayed from Aug. 12 to Aug. 25. Four days a week in-person to begin Oct. 5.
East Porter County School Corp. Return to Learn
Where’s your school’s plan? eastporter.k12.in.us
Options: On campus or elearning.
Schedule: Students on campus will follow a traditional school schedule. Remote students must attend all recorded or live instruction sessions and communicate with teachers during school hours.
Masks: Masks are recommended when riding the bus, when dropping a student off to enter the school building and where social distancing is not possible.
Important dates: Students’ first day is Aug. 12.
Gary Community School Corp. 2020-2021 School Re-Entry
Where’s your school’s plan? garycsc.k12.in.us/2020-2021-school-re-entry
Options: All virtual start to school year.
Schedule: More information to come.
Masks: Masks will be required at certain times for all students and staff.
Important dates: Students’ first day of Aug. 12 delayed to Aug. 17 following power and internet connectivity outages.
Griffith Public Schools Return to Learn
Where’s your school’s plan? griffith.k12.in.us
Options: Virtual for first four weeks. In-person instruction to continue after.
Schedule: Online learning to be provided by Griffith teachers.
Masks: Masks will be required, but may be removed where social distancing is appropriate. Face shields may also be used.
Important dates: Students' first day of instruction will begin Aug. 19, pushed back from the district's original start date of Aug. 12. In-person instruction resumes Sept. 16.
Hanover Community Schools Re-Entry Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? hanover.k12.in.us
Options: In-person or elearning.
Schedule: Five days a week of instruction. Virtual instruction will be provided by licensed Hanover teachers.
Masks: Masks are strongly encouraged where six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained and required on school buses, in restrooms and when visiting an office.
Important dates: Online registration packets will be made available to parents in late July. Students’ first day is Aug. 19.
Lake Central School Corp. Return to School
Where’s your school’s plan? lcsc.us
Options: In person or online learning.
Schedule: Five days per week for in-person instruction; minimum five hours a day for grades 1-6, and six hours for grades 7-12, if choosing elearning option.
Masks: Masks will be required anytime students and staff cannot maintain six feet of distance. They will not be required while in classrooms if students are working individually and facing the same direction.
Important dates: School board members approved a delayed start date of Aug. 17, pushed back from Aug. 12.
Lake Ridge New Tech Schools IN Class Re-Entry Plan 2020-21
Where’s your school’s plan? lakeridge.k12.in.us
Options: Remote learning for first nine weeks.
Schedule: Remote students will receive education from teachers as they would in the classroom with some live teaching sessions or recorded lessons being provided.
Masks: Staff and students will be required to have a mask with them at all times.They will be required to be worn in certain settings such as on school buses, moving throughout school buildings, and speaking to others face-to-face.
Important dates: Students' first day was delayed from Aug. 19 to Sept. 2.
LaPorte Community School Corp. Getting Back on Track
Where’s your school’s plan? www.lpcsc.k12.in.us
Options: In-person, LPCSC-led distance learning, or LPCSC Homeschool Academy.
Schedule:Distance learning will require a nine week (grades K-8) or semester-long (9-12) commitment. LPCSC Homeschool Academy is a full school year commitment.
Masks: Masks will be available for students and staff and worn as much as reasonably possible. Some students may be considered medically exempt. See full school plan for more details.
Important dates: Registration for traditional in-person, LPCSC distance learning and LPCSC Homeschool Academy is required by Aug. 5. Students' first day is Aug. 24.
Merrillville Community School Corp. Re-Entry Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? mvsc.k12.in.us
Options: Virtual learning first trimester.
Masks: Students must have a mask with them at all times. Masks can be removed at lunch or where social distancing is possible.
Important dates: Students' first day is Aug. 20.
Michigan City Area Schools Reopening 2020
Where’s your school’s plan? educateMC.net/reopening
Options: All online until fall break. In-person or one of two Michigan City online learning plans available upon building reopening on Oct. 19.
Schedule: Five days a week with daily guidance either in-person or online of instructor, or self-paced online model for students not intending to return to traditional learning in future years.
Masks: Visitors, students and staff must have masks with them at all times.
Important dates: Students’ first day is Aug. 24 with a potential return to in-person instruction based on community coronavirus positivity rates on Oct. 19.
Portage Township Schools Re-Entry Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? www.portage.k12.in.us
Options: All Portage students' learning will be virtual for the first quarter of the school year. Grades K-6 to return in-person in the second quarter. Grades 7-12 will return in hybrid with full virtual available to both sets of students.
Schedule: Grades K-6 will attend five days a week in person. Grades 7-12 will return in a hybrid model, attending either Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays in person. All other days will be elearning.
Important dates: Students will begin their first day of virtual learning on Aug. 12. In-person learning to begin Oct. 20.
School City of East Chicago Protect Cardinal Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? scec.k12.in.us
Options: Virtual learning for first nine weeks. In-person or virtual instruction offered in second quarter.
Schedule: Synchronous instruction will be led for students on a daily schedule from East Chicago classrooms. Students will transition to four days a week of in-person instruction in late October. Wednesdays will be remote learning days for all students.
Masks: Required in most contexts, except when eating or in classrooms where social distancing is appropriate. Visitors, students and staff must have masks with them at all times.
Important dates: Teachers' first day is Aug. 12. Instruction begins for students on Aug. 17. Students to transition to in-person instruction beginning Oct. 26.
School City of Hammond Re-Open Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? hammond.k12.in.us
Options: Virtual learning for first semester.
Schedule: Students will be taught on a a school day schedule with attendance taken daily, with exceptions for in-person career and special education programs.
Masks: Masks must be work by everyone in common spaces such as hallways, cafeterias, washrooms and teacher work rooms.
Important dates: Students’ first day is Aug. 19.
School City of Hobart Protect Brickies Plan
Where’s your school’s plan? hobart.k12.in.us/ProtectBrickies
Options: Choice of in person or elearning.
Schedule: Five days a week of in-person instruction or virtual elearning for all students following set school day schedule.
Masks: Students and staff are required to have a mask with them at all times. Required in most contexts, except when eating or in classrooms where social distancing is appropriate.
Important dates: Students’ first day pushed back from Aug. 12 to Aug. 24.
School Town of Highland School Reopening Framework
Where’s your school’s plan? highland.k12.in.us
Options: Online instruction for first nine weeks.
Schedule: Online students will receive instruction from a school town employee via Google Classroom or another online instructional program.
Masks: Required in most contexts, except when eating or in classrooms where distancing is appropriate.
Important dates: Student registration begins online Aug. 3. Students’ first day is Aug. 12.
Valparaiso Community Schools Return to Learn
Where’s your school’s plan? valpo.k12.in.us
Options: In-person or remote learning.
Schedule: Valparaiso Community Schools reopened five days a week in person. Remote learners will be assigned classes and consistent instructors in an effort to provide education synchronous to students’ in-person peers. The districts transitions to Wednesday e-learning days beginning Sept. 23.
Masks: Face masks are recommended at all times. Masks will be required where social distancing is not possible.
Important dates: Students’ first day is Aug. 12. Once-a-week e-learning days will take place every Wednesday from Sept. 23 to Dec. 9.
Carley Lanich
Education Reporter
I cover all things K-12 and higher education throughout the Region. I come to Northwest Indiana via Indianapolis and studied journalism at the IU Media School in Bloomington.
