Arkansas school systems are continuing to grapple with widespread covid-19 illnesses and quarantines among employees and students, with several schools and entire districts turning to the use of remote learning for one or more of the next few days.
The state's universities, on the verge of their spring semesters, are also watching covid-19 numbers and reviewing strategies to minimize the spread of the virus that has hit a record number of new cases in recent days.
The pre-kindergarten-through-12th grade school systems of Texarkana, Newport, Sheridan, Mansfield, Lee County and Helena-West Helena are among those recorded Monday by the state Division of Elementary and Secondary Education as turning this week to the use of AMI -- alternative methods of instruction -- days in lieu of traditional on-campus instruction.
Additionally, the Cabot School District posted on its website and social media late Monday that while on-site courses will be held today, the district will transition to online instruction Wednesday through Friday. The district cited anticipated challenges in staffing and increased student illnesses as the week progresses.
The Texarkana district announced earlier Monday that all campuses will close to on-site instruction today through Jan. 17, and all pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students will do school work from their homes.
On-site campus instruction in Texarkana will resume Jan. 18, after next Monday's Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday holiday.
Texarkana district leaders reported to the state agency that student absenteeism had grown from 26.7% absent Thursday to 38% Monday or about 1,550 students. About 20% of the staff was out, as well.
"Great care and research went into this decision and we regret the hardships this will cause for some of our families," Texarkana district leaders said in a news release. "However, we believe that this is the right step to take for the health and safety of our families, employees, and the community."
All six of the Pulaski County campuses in the LISA Academy charter school system, the Arkansas School for the Blind, the West Wind School for Performing Arts, the Clarendon School District, Harmony Grove (Ouachita County) School District, Midland School District and the Woodlawn School District are other systems that are turning to online instruction for at least a day, if not more, this week.
Other school districts -- Springdale, Hot Springs, Farmington and Lavaca for example -- are sending students in particular schools or grades home for instruction because of outbreaks of covid among students or because of staffing shortages and lack of substitutes caused by illness or quarantines.
Districts are allotted up to 10 days in which school campuses can be closed and students assigned school work at their homes. Those alternative methods of instruction days count toward the minimum 178 school days that districts are required to offer each year. The days do not have to be made up at a later point in the school year.
The alternative methods of instruction days were originally intended for use during inclement weather or utility disruptions to campuses but are now also being used when covid-19 causes widespread illness or quarantines.
PULASKI COUNTY
The districts choosing this week to go to remote instruction -- which can include both online lessons and paper-packet lessons -- join districts such as Little Rock, Pulaski County Special and North Little Rock that transitioned to online instruction last week and are continuing that through today.
Last week was the first week of school after the Christmas/New Year's Day holiday break.
The North Little Rock School District had announced last week that remote instruction districtwide would continue through Monday. On Monday, Superintendent Greg Pilewski extended that through today.
"Our administrators and nursing staff continue to monitor our covid-19 data districtwide to make the best decisions for the health and safety of our students and employees," Pilewski wrote to parents. "We know that our decisions directly impact our students, employees, families and community. We thank everyone for understanding the situation that we are in and realizing that COVID-19 is ever-changing."
Pilewski also noted that state guidelines for covid-19 and exposures have changed.
"In summary, the primary change for staff and students who test positive for covid-19 has decreased the number of days required for isolation, regardless of vaccination status," he wrote. "If a student or employee has no symptoms or their symptoms are improving after five days and are fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of medication, the student or employee can return to work or school on the sixth day."
The Little Rock, North Little Rock and the Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts in Pulaski County all currently require students and employees to wear masks in schools to reduce the spread of covid-19.
The Pulaski County Special school district has made the wearing of masks optional. However, the School Board will meet at 6 p.m. tonight for its regular monthly business meeting. On the agenda is a proposed resolution that would condition the wearing of face coverings based on the numbers of covid 19 cases in the community.
UNIVERSITIES
Arkansas State University Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said Monday that the Jonesboro campus "must return to a more rigorous compliance" with covid-19 protocols, as cases continued to increase at ASU, the state's second-largest university, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the state's largest, according to data published online by the schools Monday.
ASU enrolled about 12,800 students this past fall, not including students at its Mexico campus, a spokesman said in September.
The Jonesboro campus on its website Monday listed 84 active cases of covid-19 among students and staff, up from 53 active cases it listed as of Friday, Jan. 7.
Spring semester classes will begin today with in-person instruction, spokesman Bill Smith said.
ASU required indoor masking last fall. Damphousse, in a written message to campus, referred to an effort last year to limit the spread of covid-19 "through social distancing, masking, and vaccinations."
"Toward the close of the fall 2021 semester, we know that compliance waned along with our on-campus total COVID active cases. To begin our spring 2022, we must return to a more rigorous compliance," Damphousse said, also noting that the omicron covid-19 variant "is spread far easier than previous variants."
MASKS ARE NOT EQUAL
Damphousse also referred to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information about masks.
"Using a disposable surgical-style mask, a multi-layer cloth mask (frequently and appropriately cleaned), or medical-care styled '95' masks (N-95 or KN-95) are more effective than simple single-ply gaiters, bandanas or scarves," Damphousse said in his message to campus.
A CDC web page on covid-19 masking states that face coverings with "single-layer fabric or those made of thin fabric that don't block light" should not be worn.
ASU on Dec. 31 announced that as of Jan. 1 it would follow revised U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for isolation and quarantine, and the university's website now states that individuals testing positive for covid-19 are to stay home for five days. Then, if no fever is present, individuals are to wear a mask around others for five days.
Damphousse, in his message Monday, however, stated that each case is different.
"We are awaiting new guidelines that may be specifically for higher education soon," Damphousse said. "The need to isolate after a positive COVID test and for how long, and how long quarantine lasts for those exposed to positive cases, remains dependent on individual circumstances."
Bill Smith, a spokesman for ASU, stated in an email Monday that students who recently tested positive for covid-19 are to "follow the same procedures they used in the fall of isolating in place at their residence, and [to] contact their professors."
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
Not all colleges have revised their isolation guidelines.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville continues to tell students and workers who test positive for covid-19 to self-isolate for 10 days, with isolation ending only if no fever is present, UA spokesman Mark Rushing said Monday.
Active coronavirus cases among University of Arkansas, Fayetteville students reached a high not seen since September, according to campus data published Monday.
UA continues with in-person instruction in its ongoing intersession classes and a planned start of Jan. 18 for spring term classes, when a majority of students resume coursework.
Student cases considered active totalled 156, up from 21 a week earlier, according to UA's Monday update.
The Monday update listed the campus as having 215 active covid-19 cases among students, staff and others, with the total factoring in new cases during a weekly reporting period that ended Sunday.
In addition to the 156 students, the active case total included 49 infections among staff -- a new high for the 2021-22 academic year, three faculty members with covid-19 and one graduate assistant, as well as six additional infections from a group that includes vendors and contractors.
On Saturday, Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia announced that it would start its spring semester as planned on Wednesday, with in-person instruction. The campus will have a mask mandate in place "for classrooms, shared offices, and when in transit within buildings," according to the announcement.