ROCKLIN, Calif. (KTXL) — It is the second full week of classes in the Rocklin Unified School District, and last week there were more than 400 students showing symptoms of the coronavirus. 

Some parents are angry more precautions are not in place to protect their children, but the district says those infections are coming from the community and not inside the classrooms. 

“It has me worried for our schools, especially for kids who can’t get vaccinated,” said parent Paul Smith. “I think it’s probably the tip of the iceberg.” 

Smith has two teenagers at Rocklin High School. Both of them play sports in close contact with other students, and Smith says more precautions should have been taken. 

“At what point, how many kids need to get sick before the district decides to switch back to virtual? We don’t know what that number is and they haven’t told the parents,” Smith said. 

RUSD says they are keeping a close eye on the situation. 

“One thing we’re noticing is that nearly all of these exposures are due to community spread, not because of schools being back in session,” said Sundeep Dosanjh, chief of communications. “And the top priority here at Rocklin Unified is the safety of our students and staff.” 

The district says they will continue to follow the guidance of the Placer County Public Health Department to keep classrooms safe. Face masks will be required inside, outdoor spaces will be maximized and COVID-19 tests will be provided upon request.

“We do offer testing for COVID-19 through the Rocklin Unified School District so if any student or staff member would like to get tested, testing is available for them,” Dosanjh said. 

But parents like Smith believe the safeguards do not go far enough. He is calling for more aggressive action to be taken to prevent more contagious COVID-19 strains from running rampant at RUSD. 

“Parents are very worried right now. We’re all watching the news and seeing what’s happening with the delta variant across the country and seeing these massive outbreaks and schools shutting down and hospitals filling up,” Smith said. “We’re just behind the curve. It’s only a matter of time before this happens here.”

The school district is recommending that students and staff get tested if they’re showing symptoms. They aren’t, however, requiring testing, which is another point of concern for parents. 

According to the district, between Monday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 22, 403 students showed symptoms and 50 tested positive for COVID-19.