Active covid-19 cases decline by 42 in state K-12 schools

K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, reported overall smaller numbers in active covid-19 cases Monday compared with numbers last week, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Public school systems saw a drop of 42. There were 419 active cases of the virus among students and employees in public schools reported Monday compared to 461 at the time of the last report on Thursday.

There were 23 active cases of the virus in private schools, down from 28 last week.

At the post-secondary level, 158 active cases were reported Monday compared with 172 late last week.

The smaller number of active cases reported Monday come as growing numbers of Arkansans — including educators — are getting vaccinated against the contagious and potentially fatal virus. Monday’s report of 419 active cases in public school districts is about one-sixth the 2,701 active cases reported as recently as Feb. 1.

And in a school year where a handful of schools or districts on a weekly basis have had to temporarily shift from in-person to virtual instruction because of covid-19 cases or exposure to covid-19, the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has not had reports of such covid-related shifts since at least March 1, agenIn

cy spokeswoman Kimberly Mundell said Monday.

On Monday, the Bentonville School District had the highest number of student and employee active cases — 40 — among elementary and secondary school systems. That Monday number was up from 37 on Thursday.

Both the Springdale and Little Rock schools districts, which are the largest- and second-largest systems in the state, respectively, had 19 cases in Monday’s report. That was a decline for Springdale, which had 25 cases last week, and an increase for Little Rock, which had 11 active cases Thursday.

The Rogers School District had 18 cases Monday. Cabot had 14, Bryant had 12, and Lake Hamilton School District had 10.

Among the private schools, only Central Arkansas Christian School in Little Rock was listed Monday for its five active cases.

The Department of Health for privacy reasons does not identify by name the individual school systems — public or private — that have fewer than 5 cases though the cases are included in the numerical totals.

At the college and university level, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville had 38 active cases of the virus, up from 31 cases among employees and students reported last Thursday.

Southern Arkansas University at Magnolia had the second-highest number at 19 cases Monday. That was down from 25 last week.