UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Over 5,000 students and staff are in quarantine in Union County Schools, the district reported Friday, Sept. 3.
According to the district's weekly COVID-19 dashboard, a majority of those students in quarantine are at the elementary school level.
High school students make up the most students with positive cases at 1,664, and elementary school staff makes up the most in quarantine at 82, according to the data.
About 12% of Union County Schools' roughly 41,500 students are in quarantine. Union County Schools is the sixth-largest school district in North Carolina.
During an emergency BOE meeting on Aug. 18, a motion was made to have masks mandatory for the start of the semester. The motion failed, 7-2.
Union County Public Schools will start the school year with a masks optional policy.