Schools’ total for virus cases reaches 2,559
138 districts log 5 or more infections; NW leads tally
Active cases in public school systems across the state continued to increase this week, according to data released Thursday evening by the Arkansas Department of Health.
There are now 138 districts — almost half the public school districts and charter school systems in Arkansas — with five or more active cases, bringing the cumulative total of cases in school systems to 2,559, the Department of Health reported in its educational institution data released biweekly on Mondays and Thursdays. The state has 262 school districts and 24 open enrollment charter school systems, according to the division of Elementary and Secondary Education.
On Monday, there were 2,215 active cumulative cases and 124 districts with five or more positive cases, the Health Department reported. Districts with fewer than five cases are not individually identified for privacy issues, though those numbers are included in the cumulative total.
With 160 active cases, the Springdale School District has the most, followed by the Bentonville School District with 103 and the Fort Smith School District with 85. The Springdale district is the state’s largest district enrollment-wise.
Positive cases at private schools number at 128, with Pulaski Academy in Little Rock at the top of the list with 14 cases, according to the Health Department.
Against the backdrop of spiraling positivity rates, more districts have announced pivots to remote learning this week through the Thanksgiving holiday as part of an effort to mitigate the spread.
The Stuttgart School District announced that its junior high and high school would shift to off-site learning Thursday and today “due to the large number of students and staff who are quarantined,” Superintendent Rick Gales said in a letter to parents.
Those students will return to face-to-face instruction on Nov. 30.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Stuttgart School District reported four active student cases and one positive faculty member, according to the district website.
Greenwood Public
Schools pivoted to online instruction Wednesday through Tuesday, the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. Students will also return to campus on Nov. 30, the Monday after Thanksgiving, the district said.
“This decision was made through consultation with the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Department of Health as a result of an increased number of staff members being quarantined as a result of covid-19,” the announcement said.
Hampton School District also will have off-site learning on Monday and Tuesday of next week, according to a letter to parents from Superintendent Doug Worley. Buses will not run and no students will be on campus on those days.
Students will return on site on Nov. 30.
“We continue to see community spread of covid in the district geographical boundaries,” Worley said. “The school is, of course, a reflection of what is occurring within the community. The district continues to see the impact of the current spike in covid activity.”
Worley said that “in virtually all instances” of student and staff quarantines, the probable close contact with positive cases has “occurred outside of the school environment.”
Elementary students in kindergarten through fourth grade in the Bergman School District shifted to off-site learning Thursday until the start of the Thanksgiving holiday on Wednesday of next week, according to an announcement on the district’s website from Sarah Alexander, the superintendent.
Alexander said the decision stemmed from a “community outbreak of covid-19” that has affected teachers in the elementary school.
Also because of an increase of cases in the community, the Russellville School District shifted to remote learning today , which will “give students 10 days off-site before returning after the Thanksgiving holiday,” the district said in a Facebook post.
The Fort Smith district shifted to remote learning today, adding an extra day of virtual instruction to already scheduled off-site days on Monday and Tuesday of next week, the district said on Facebook.
“This schedule adjustment is necessary because of challenges to providing adequate supervision and services for students at this time,” the Fort Smith public schools announcement said.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Cases at college and universities also increased, with the Department of Health reporting 766 active cumulative cases on campuses Thursday, an increase from 741 reported by the Health Department on Monday.
With 152 active cases, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, has the highest positivity rate, according to the Health Department.
Harding University in Searcy is second with 89, followed by the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with 51.
A number of colleges have made the decision to shift to remote learning after Thanksgiving for the rest of the fall semester with students returning to campus in January for the start of the spring semester.
The schools are gearing up this week to help students with the transition to off-site learning over the next couple of months.
The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, which is transitioning fully to remote learning for the last two weeks of the semester, is providing students with technology they may need to complete assignments as well as food for the winter break, Rachel Putnam, a university spokesperson, said via email.
“More than 500 students filled out our technology assistance form,” Putnam said. “We have provided hundreds of Wi-Fi hotspots, laptops, webcams, microphones and more to help meet their tech needs.”
UA-Fayetteville is encouraging students to be tested before traveling home for Thanksgiving and then again after resuming classes, Mark Rushing, a university spokesperson, said.
UA-Fayetteville will wrap the semester up with the same blended learning approach it has had throughout this term where students have the option to attend some face-toface classes or learn virtually, Rushing said.
“We understand some students will choose to stay remote after the break,” he said. “We just encourage them to make arrangements with their instructors as has been the case all semester.”
At UCA in Conway, the last day of in-person classes is today . Students will have virtual instruction for the remainder of the term.
These plans were made in July, Amanda Hoelzeman, UCA’s director of media relations, said.
UCA’s spring semester will begin on Jan. 19, a week later than in previous years.
Some universities are continuing to revise their academic calendars, specifically for the start of the spring semester and for spring break.
Earlier this week, the University of Arkansas at Monticello notified students that the start of the spring 2021 semester would be delayed one week, with the first day of class beginning on Jan. 13.
UA-Monticello also announced that spring break would be not be observed so that the number of instructional days would not be affected because the later start and also “to limit the possibility of travel exposure to covid-19,” Ember Davis, the university’s director of marketing and public relations, said.
Arkansas Tech University is concluding in-person instruction for the fall semester on Tues. Nov. 24 with final exams beginning on Nov. 30 through the first week of December.
“The fall 2020 academic calendar was adjusted by eliminating fall break, thus ensuring the appropriate number of instruction days and allowing for the execution of this plan,” Sam Strasner, a Tech spokesperson, said via email.
Tech plans to begin the spring semester without any delays on Jan. 11.
A university covid-19 task force “remains ready to make recommendations to the university leadership if evolving circumstances suggest a change in operating procedures may be necessary,” Strasner said. “Adaptability will continue to be an essential characteristic of the university as well as its students, faculty and staff.”
Henderson State University in Arkadelphia will also be remote for the rest of the semester after Thanksgiving.
“The spring schedule also is continuing as planned although we are monitoring local covid-19 cases and remain in contact with the Health Department for any guidelines and recommendations,” Tina Hall, Henderson’s associate vice president of marketing and communications, said.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has not made any changes to its spring academic term or for the remainder of the fall semester, Cody Decker, UALR’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said.
“The university continues to emphasize the importance of adherence to health safety guidelines,” Decker said. “The university is fortunate to continue having a relatively low number of positive covid cases on campus.”