Lincoln High goes to online learning

LINCOLN — Lincoln High School began remote learning on Tuesday and it will continue through Thanksgiving break, according to Mary Ann Spears, School District superintendent.

Spears talked about the switch to online learning for freshmen through seniors at the School Board meeting Monday.

She said the pivot to remote learning was necessary mainly because of staff quarantines, including bus drivers.

“We have three drivers who are quarantined at the moment,” she said.

Spears told board members she had just been “bragging” on Nov. 13 about how the district was doing in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.

“No more bragging,” she said.

Lincoln’s school website shows the district has two active cases of covid-19 among staff members, with 13 staff members in quarantine. For students, the district has five active cases with 31 students in quarantine.

The pivot for the high school doesn’t affect any other schools, Spears said.

Lincoln High Principal Stan Karber sent out letters to parents and the community on Monday about the change and posted the letter on the high school’s Facebook page.

Karber said the decision was made because of the increasing number of staff in quarantine and for the overall health of all students and staff on campus.

Teachers will be on campus this week, except those in quarantine, as they teach students at home.

“Our hope in the implementation of this plan will keep the remaining staff members healthy and will allow for all of our students to have a healthy and safe Thanksgiving,” Karber said.

High school students will return to campus Nov. 30.

Prairie Grove School District announced its own plan last week to pivot to extended online instruction because of the number of staff members in quarantine, mainly cafeteria workers and bus drivers.

Prairie Grove High switched to online learning for three days, Nov. 9-11 and the elementary, middle, and junior high schools are having remote learning to Nov. 24. Those students are scheduled to return to on-site learning Nov. 30.

On Tuesday, Prairie Grove’s school website showed the district had eight active covid cases for staff with 32 staff members in quarantine. For students, the district has 10 active cases with 114 students in quarantine.

None of Farmington’s schools have switched to online learning recently. The district’s covid-19 Dashboard shows one active case for students with 57 students in quarantine and one active staff case with six staff members in quarantine.

In addition, Prairie Grove and Lincoln city governments have temporarily closed facilities to the public because of the increase in covid-19 cases and the need to protect essential workers from possible exposure and having to be quarantined. Libraries are available for curbside pickup.

Prairie Grove closed temporarily Nov. 9, and Lincoln announced it’s temporarily closings on Nov. 13.