The Huntsville and Siloam Springs school districts, as well as two Springdale schools and one in Rogers, are starting this week in remote learning mode.
Huntsville announced in a social media post Friday its schools would transition to alternative methods of instruction today and Wednesday due to an increase in positive covid-19 cases, quarantines and staff shortages. All schools were closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Today represents Huntsville's first shift to remote learning this calendar year. Huntsville is a district of about 2,200 students.
The school districts of Rogers, Fayetteville, Siloam Springs, Elkins, Greenland, Prairie Grove, Alma and Lincoln all ended last week doing remote learning amid a sharp increase locally in covid-19 cases. All except for Siloam Springs are expected to reopen for on-site instruction today.
Arkansas Arts Academy, a K-12 charter school in Rogers, went to remote learning Wednesday and intends to continue in that mode through the end of this week.
Benton and Washington counties reported a combined 309 new covid-19 cases Monday, according to the Northwest Arkansas Council.
"We will continue to monitor the numbers of positive cases and quarantines to make future decisions based upon safety and feasibility of having students on campus," said Reba Holmes, Prairie Grove's superintendent, in a post Monday on that district's website.
Siloam Springs, a district of about 4,300 students, pivoted to remote learning Thursday with the expectation of resuming on-site learning today. On Monday, however, the district announced today would be another remote learning day. Many instructional staff members will be out due to covid-19-related issues, and "we do not have enough substitutes to provide adequate supervision and instruction," according to a district Facebook post.
The Springdale School District decides to shift to remote learning on a school-by-school basis. A few Springdale schools made that shift last week.
Sonora Middle School was one of those schools; it will continue in remote learning today, the district said in a news release Monday. In addition, Tyson Middle School is going remote today and Wednesday, according to the release.
"With a significant substitute shortage, classrooms are not able to be adequately covered," the release states.
Tyson Middle School serves 773 students and Sonora Middle School has 667 students, according to the release.
Springdale students are provided electronic devices to ensure they can continue to engage with their teachers at home, the release states.
Schools pivoting to remote instruction are using some of their 10 allotted alternative method of instruction days, which count as school days and don't have to be made up later.
Once the 10 AMI days are used, the districts and schools will have to make up the missed days later in the spring.