Two campuses in the North Little Rock School District are shifting to off-site learning today through the Thanksgiving holidays because of a growing number of students and staff members who have been identified as probable close contacts to individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus, Superintendent Gregory Pilewski announced Wednesday.
The North Little Rock High School and the Center for Excellence will continue virtual classes through Dec. 1, with students returning to face-to-face instruction after that, if administrators determine that it is safe enough to do so, Pilewski said in a phone interview Wednesday.
The district is one of at least four other districts that announced Wednesday a shift to virtual learning through the Thanksgiving holidays, a trend among many school systems around the state that are struggling to safely keep doors open as case numbers and quarantines skyrocket in surrounding communities.
The Arkansas Department of Health reported Monday that public schools now have more than 2,200 cumulative active cases. Data also released from the Health Department this week shows that roughly 27% of cases in the state are for people age 24 and under.
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"Anything is possible," the North Little Rock superintendent said. "As of today, there is not a decision to go [remote] until the Christmas holiday, but we will continue to monitor daily as we always do, and if things continue to rise, and the data continues to trend, then I would not have a problem extending virtual learning as appropriate for our schools."
Positive cases within the North Little Rock district are "relatively low," but the number of teachers who are quarantined because of probable close contacts is straining the schools as administrators struggle to find substitutes and ensure a safe, uninterrupted learning environment, Pilewski said.
As of Wednesday, the North Little Rock district reported 22 active cases and 265 student and faculty quarantines.
"When you have a lot of teachers out and you have to have a lot of substitutes come in, it just becomes taxing on your resources," he said.
The North Little Rock High School and Center for Excellence will still provide resources for parents who cannot find child care, for students who need internet access and for other specialized services, he said.
The superintendent said one concern surrounding the coming holiday is that students and faculty members will not self-report positive test results or probable close contacts to the district, which would help the district determine whether there is an increase in probable close contacts and cases.
Pilewski said he is encouraging the district community to update schools on any changes in health conditions to curtail further spread once on-site learning continues. The district has a hot line for people to call to report contact/positives: (501) 240-1753.
"One of the things we are concerned about is people not informing us they have tested positive or they are a close contact," he said. "We are not going to know if they are positive or a close contact until we start back to school. If we can get that information as it happens in real time, we will have more accurate data to help with decision-making."
The Hamburg School District pivoted to virtual learning Wednesday and will continue through the Thanksgiving holiday as the number of positive cases and close contacts continued to increase, Tracy Streeter, the superintendent, said in an announcement posted on Facebook.
"Despite our best efforts in trying to do everything we can to remain in school, we cannot remain open at this time," Streeter said. "We simply cannot cover the number of people out with the quality of instruction and supervision that our students need and deserve."
With 20 active cases and 200 individuals quarantined "for precautionary measures," the Ashdown School District is shifting the entire district to blended learning until Nov. 30. Blended learning for kindergarten through 12th grade began Wednesday, the district announced on its website.
Buildings will remain open for students who need to attend on-site, the district said, adding that buses will continue to run and meal services will still be available on campuses.
"Students are encouraged to learn off-site," the district said.
Parkers Chapel School District moved to all virtual instruction Wednesday through the end of the week, with students returning to their campuses after next week's holiday break, the district announced on Facebook.
The decision was made "due to an increased number of positive covid-19 tests and a large portion of our student body and faculty being quarantined," Superintendent Michael White said in the announcement.
"We feel that it is best for our community and school district to cancel on-campus instruction to decrease contact and prevent any possible spread," White said.
After an increase in the number of close contacts and positive test results this week, the Dermott School District shifted all grades to off-site instruction until Nov. 30, the district announced on Facebook.
"Despite our efforts in taking proactive measures to remain in school, we cannot remain open at this time," the announcement said. "We simply cannot cover the number of people out with the quality of instruction and supervision that our students need and deserve."
"Please social distance and do everything you can to keep your family safe," the district said.