Mainstreet Daily News
Alachua County Public Schools families, students, staff and the general public will have easier access to more detailed data on COVID-19 cases in schools thanks to an updated online dashboard. It is available here.
The new dashboard includes additional information on monthly, weekly, even daily trends in cases going back to the first day of school. Users can view that information by school, by school level (elementary, middle, high) and broken down by students and employees. They can also see the number of students and staff quarantined districtwide on any given day.
An added feature of the new dashboard is a chart showing the percentage of students in the district attending school in person, through the Digital Academy or through the Alachua eSchool.
The information on the dashboard will be updated daily.
“Our public schools work best when the community is informed and engaged,” said Prescott Cowles, who works in the district’s public information office and developed the new dashboard. “My hope is that the dashboard can be a tool that families and staff can use to keep a pulse on the impact of COVID-19 in our schools.”
Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon says the new dashboard will provide parents with more of the information they need to make school-related decisions that are best for their children and families. That will be even more significant as families decide whether to remain in the Digital Academy or return to brick-and-mortar schooling for the second semester, which begins February 1.
The state of Florida recently approved the district’s request to continue offering the Digital Academy through the rest of the 2020-21 school year.
“I think that having up-to-date information in an easy-to-understand format will give our families a greater level of comfort as they make these complicated choices,” Simon said. “It’s an important part of my overall commitment to transparency in our district.”