Suburban high schools grapple with rising COVID-19 cases

After finally going back to school, a growing number of high school students are headed home to quarantine.

Officials call it a dramatic increase—referring to the 300 students now in quarantine at Oswego East.

District 308 is now pausing in-person learning through May 1 after 15 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed.

At Hersey high school in Arlington Heights, 13 students have tested positive and another 155 are in mandatory quarantine.

District 214 says the students had close contact with infected people outside of school.

In Naperville District 203, officials say 27 COVID-19 cases were reported last week and more than 700 Students put in quarantine at Naperville Central High School and Naperville North High School.

And in Hinsdale, 155 students and staff in District 86 are in quarantine due to possible exposure linked to sports teams.

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Officials say it is extremely difficult to determine exposure during games.

Close contact means anyone who has been within six feet with or without a mask for a cumulative 15 or more minutes over a 48 hour period.

We talked to the principal at Hersey High School about where else students are being exposed.

"It’s happening in basements, in sandwich shops...these kids can’t wait to take their masks off," said Gordie Sisson. "It’s a very challenging situation."

Hersey sophomore Gabriella Laquaglia said she’s surprised by just how many students are being sent home.

"With COVID and everything, it was different already," she said. "Like my Spanish class was full, but now half of the kids are out because they’re all quarantining.

She said it’s nerve-racking when some students don’t wear their masks correctly.

Still, Sisson says the school is probably the safest place to avoid exposure adding that the quarantines are out of an abundance of caution.

In fact, state health officials say COVID-19 cases throughout the suburbs and state are declining.