North Carolina is now reporting eight school clusters of COVID-19 in the Charlotte region, just as a mass return to classrooms begins.
Union Academy in Monroe, which opened July 26, remains the state's largest cluster with 101 cases — 13 staff and 88 students. The K-12 charter school reports that only four cases are active now.
Next largest in the region is Bradford Prep, a Charlotte charter school with 19 students and one employee testing positive.
The state defines a cluster as five or more cases of COVID-19 that appear to be related to school spread. Others posted Tuesday are:
- Independence and Ardrey Kellhigh schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Independence has 11 cases and Ardrey Kell has five.
- Gaston County’s Ashbrook High with 11 cases.
- Lake Norman High in Mooresville, part of Iredell-Statesville Schools, with six cases.
- Cabarrus Charter Academy in Concord with six cases.
- The private Cannon School in Concord with nine cases.
While most students returned to classrooms just this week, athletic practices are taking place and teachers returned to their buildings earlier to prepare.
