The uptick in COVID-19 cases at local schools that began last month is subsiding, but case numbers have yet to drop down to the levels seen during the fall semester, according to school administrators.

The 2,700-student Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD) saw about 2.5 cases per week on average from its initial reopening in fall 2020 until just before this school year's winter break, said Superintendent Erik Burmeister. Flash forward to the week of Jan. 10 and the district saw 88 cases in a week. The following week, it reported 88 cases again.

"As we move into February, internal MPCSD data indicate that the omicron surge is on its way down, at least among school staff and students," he said in a statement, noting school attendance rates are back up to normal, about 95%, and reported COVID-19 cases are trending downward from the peak of mid-January. "However, we still are seeing an elevated case rate compared to the fall ... at 66 cases last week, there is still a long way to go to return to those levels."

The district board will consider loosening mask restrictions at a Feb. 10 meeting, according to Burmeister.

Cases are also in decline in the roughly 10,200-student Sequoia Union High School District, which was hit hard by the surge. There were just six cases the week in December that students headed off to winter break. A little over two weeks later, it started off the semester with a staggering 710 in January. There were 237 cases reported last week.

Menlo-Atherton High School reported 53 cases last week. TIDE Academy had 12. Woodside High School had 42 cases.

"The month of January has been eventful!" Woodside Principal Karen van Putten said in a note to families on Monday. "I applaud all of our students, staff and families for working through the health and safety protocols and doing your best to return to teaching and learning with consistency and demonstrating grace and understanding as we learn to live and thrive in the midst of the uptick in COVID cases. Daily attendance has steadily increased and I appreciate everyone's efforts in following health and safety protocols."

In the Ravenswood City School District, there were 63 cases reported last week. These numbers are comparable to the week before (65 cases), but down from the district's peak of 120 cases the second week back from winter break.

"We want to hope that we have reached the peak, but the most recent data does not change our behavior in implementing safety protocols," said Superintendent Gina Sudaria in an email, adding that the district is continuing to test aggressively and host vaccine clinics.

Last week there were four cases in the Woodside Elementary School District, which has roughly 360 students. The surge had a high of 19 cases reported the week of Jan. 10.

"As the current COVID outlook improves, which it has this week, we will begin to get back some of what we have missed and what we were on the verge of before this surge," said Superintendent Steve Frank in a message to families on Jan. 28.

"The last two years have taught us much," he said. "... What lies ahead as far as mandates and guidelines from the state regarding COVID-19 is a mystery, but we do seem to be coming to a much better place, and it will be here sooner than we realize."

He said he's hopeful that annual events like May Day, the Operetta and the eighth grade graduation ceremony will go on as planned, and that parent volunteers will be back on campus soon.

Last week, there were 19 cases in the 1,100-student Las Lomitas Elementary School District, which has a middle school in Menlo Park and elementary school in Atherton. It reported 37 cases the week prior.

The Portola Valley School District, which has about 470 students, reported just five cases last week after seeing 26 cases its first week back from winter break.

Private schools

At Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, which has 1,195 students in preschool through 12th grade, there were 27 cases reported last week, on par with the number of cases it reported the week prior (30).

The school went to remote learning for its first two days back from winter break to give students time to test. It reported 166 cases that week.

The 400-student Woodside Priory, a Catholic Benedictine day and boarding school in Portola Valley, went remote its first week back from the holiday break as well. There were 23 cases reported to the school that week and 15 the following.

On Jan. 31, there were 10 cases.