Schools in the North Little Rock School District were shut down for in-person learning Friday and will continue to be shut down until at least Monday.
North Little Rock Superintendent Gregory Pilewski announced the move to virtual learning in a letter to parents Thursday, saying that schools in the district will be closed for a "deep cleaning."
"This is an ever-changing situation, and we thank you for being patient with us as we make critical decisions for the health and well-being of our students and employees," Pilewski said.
All after-school events, including sports, are canceled, but the school district will provide food services from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day at each campus. The entire school district moved to virtual learning after Pilewski announced Monday that North Little Rock Middle School's campus for seventh and eighth grades would go to virtual learning starting Tuesday.
-- Neal Earley
4:30 p.m.: Little Rock, Pulaski County Special school districts to continue virtual classes Monday, Tuesday
The Little Rock School District will continue virtual learning Monday and Tuesday for all grades due to an increase in covid-19 cases, the district said Friday.
The Pulaski County Special School District's central office administration sent word to teachers at mid-afternoon Friday that they would continue with virtual instruction on Monday and Tuesday.
Mike Poore, superintendent of the Little Rock district, sent a letter and video message to parents. He cited a "significant increase in covid-19 cases and close contacts impacting students, school staff, transportation and meal service throughout the district " as the reason for the extension of remote learning that began Thursday in both districts.
Both Monday and Tuesday will be considered school days, Poore said. Students who have been provided district computing devices are expected to interact with their teachers and go through their daily class schedules.
The time allotted for turning in assignments, however, has been extended, he said.
Teachers, counselors and librarians will also work from their homes in an effort to reduce the chances of their exposure to the covid-19 virus.
School meals will be available to Little Rock district students on Monday and Tuesday. Families should call their child's school or the district’s Child Nutrition Office at (501) 447-2458 to register for the meals, which will be available for pick-up from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at six locations in the district.
Poore said the Little Rock system district consulted with the Arkansas Departments of Education and Health in making the decision to rely on virtual instruction.
The Health Department has provided three contact trace workers to help the district this week with its efforts to take calls from students and employees who are affected by covid-19. Poore said, however, that wait times for information have grown despite that assistance.
The Pulaski County Special School District will also have alternative methods of instruction on Monday and Tuesday, the district said in a news release.
All school and district offices in the Pulaski County Special district will be closed for public access and follow alternative methods of instruction procedures, the release states.
Students will be required to log into Schoology to complete their assignments, the district said. Employees will follow alternative methods of instruction procedures as approved by the Department of Education earlier in the school year, according to the release.
The district’s covid-19 team will continue to monitor case numbers and make decisions about additional alternative methods of instruction days on a school-by-school basis, the district stated.
The Pulaski County Special district will provide a two-day meal box which will include breakfast and lunch for parents to pick up Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 10 different locations:
- Baker Elementary
- Cato Elementary
- College Station Elementary
- Daisy Bates Elementary
- Harris Elementary
- Lawson Elementary
- Oak Grove Elementary
- Pine Forest Elementary
- Robinson Elementary
- William Jefferson Clinton Elementary
-- Brianna Kwasnik and Cynthia Howell