As more schools across the state reopen for in-person classes, Arizona schools Superintendent Kathy Hoffman is urging education leaders to be more transparent in reporting positive COVID-19 cases.

“I have heard from many individuals that they are alarmed to hear about positive cases in their schools through the grapevine,” she wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. 

Schools are required to report outbreaks to county health officials. But Maricopa County will not publicly identify the schools reporting the outbreaks; it only reports the total number of outbreak-related cases in schools. According to the county data, 11 schools have reported outbreaks, with a total of 46 positive cases. An outbreak is defined by the county as “having 2 or more … cases of COVID-19 among students or staff with illness onset within a 14-day period.” 

Hoffman wrote in her statement on Tuesday that school leaders “should prioritize consistent and transparent communication” to help control the rumors spreading through communities about school outbreaks. 

“Having detailed communications protocols in place – and making them publicly available – can help provide some level of certainty in these very uncertain times,” she wrote.

The Arizona Republic is tracking cases in a database available to the public. The Republic is using tips from community members to track cases, confirming cases with officials or using other public records to gather the data. Mountain View High School in Mesa recently reported an outbreak, according to a note sent to families on Monday. At least four students have tested positive.

Most school districts and charter schools in Arizona are not publicly reporting COVID-19 cases, but some are: Chandler Unified launched a dashboard for parents and community members, which shows whether individuals on campus have tested positive.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @LilyAlta.

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