Pandemic forcing some Arkansas school districts to adjust

Arkansas – The coronavirus pandemic is forcing some school districts in Arkansas to adjust their operations and consider possibly switching to virtual instruction.

Bryant Public Schools is seeing an increase in the number of positive cases and close contacts at its junior high and high school, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Devin Sherrill, Bryant’s director of communications, said the district might consider moving to remote learning for the rest of the semester after the Thanksgiving holiday if the situation does not improve.

“We will continue to monitor the data to verify that decision,” she said.

There are 60 active positive cases in the district, which has about 9,400 students and 1,000 staff members.

The Arkansas Department of Health on Sunday reported 1,352 new coronavirus cases, 20 new deaths and 962 people hospitalized for the virus.

C.B. Partee Elementary School, part of the Brinkley School District, switched to virtual learning on Friday because of teacher absenteeism linked to sickness and a shortage of substitutes, the district said in a Facebook post. Students will return to on-site learning Nov. 30.

The Little Rock School District, which experienced an increase in cases last week, announced that basketball practice at Central High School is canceled through Dec. 1.