TUSCUMBIA — Four more Colbert County schools are under full masking mandates for 10 calendar days after they surpassed the threshold of three or more positive COVID-19 cases in each school.

Superintendent Chris Hand said Colbert Heights High School, Colbert Heights Elementary School, Cherokee Elementary School and Leighton Elementary have all gone to mask mandates since each school has reported more than three positive cases.

The board of education approved a policy stating that a campus would move to a full mask policy if it reports three or more positive cases.

If isolation rates at a school surpass 18%, the school will close for 10 calendar days and move to remote learning.

So far, only Hatton Elementary School in Leighton has been forced to close. 

Hatton Elementary students were given coursework to study during the isolation period, Principal Nick Cottrell said.

Colbert County High School is also under a full masking policy.

Emily Lanier, lead school nurse for Colbert County Schools, said Colbert County High School reported eight students tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the masking policy.

Lanier said she did not have individual positive test results for each of the four schools that went under mask mandates as of Tuesday. She said she would have those numbers at a later date.

Cherokee Elementary School Principal Tiffany Fuqua referred questions about the number of COVID-19 positive students to the central office.

She confirmed the school went under a mask mandate on Monday.

Leighton Elementary School Principal Vickie Osborn said the school has three positive COVID-19 cases.

Efforts to reach Colbert Heights Elementary School Principal Alvie Shaw and Colbert Heights High School Principal Katie Dalrymple were unsuccessful on Tuesday.

Lymos McDonald, the school system's COVID officer, had left the office and did not have the individual school numbers available Tuesday afternoon. He said the schools are continuing their cleaning processes, which include disinfectant foggers.

McDonald said traveling football teams will take a fogger with them to disinfect the visiting locker room, even if it was sanitized before they arrive.

He said Colbert County schools will sanitize stadium facilities, including locker rooms, before visiting teams arrive.

So far, only New Bethel Elementary and Cherokee High School are operating without a masking policy within the Colbert County School System.