New COVID-19 cases among Hoosier students drop for third week in a row

The number of new COVID-19 cases among Indiana students continued to drop last week, falling for the third straight week after reaching a record high last month. 

The state's K-12 schools reported 3,364 new cases among students to the state's dashboard tracking COVID-19 cases in schools, updated each Monday. They also reported 182 new cases among teachers and 317 new cases in other staff members. Most of the newly reported cases are from the last week, although some date back to earlier this school year. 

The drop in cases coincides with a decline in cases statewide. It also comes after most schools statewide put mask mandates in place. New studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released late last week, show more evidence that universal masking in schools can prevent outbreaks and curb the number of pediatric cases in a community. 

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The number of new cases reported on the state's dashboard is still undercounting actual cases in schools. More than 450 schools have yet to report to the state. While reporting to the dashboard was optional last year, it is mandatory for the current school year but hundreds of schools — including several large public school districts — have yet to do so. 

State health officials have said they're working with schools to overcome challenges with reporting. Schools have cited time and workload constraints as some of the reasons for not participating in the mandatory reporting. 

So far this school year, there have been 30,084 cases of COVID-19 among students reported to the state, 1,538 in teachers and 2,303 in staff members. 

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.