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Arkansas schools with high COVID cases decide on virtual, in-person learning

Some districts have hundreds of active cases. School leaders are having to choose if they have enough staff or if they need to use more AMI days to stay home.

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Some parents have been asking whether their kids will have to go virtual again after COVID cases remain high. 

There are several central Arkansas school districts that are in the top 10 most active cases report, made by the Department of Health.

Little Rock School District has 375 active cases... a decline from last week.

On Sunday, LRSD Superintendent Michael Poore gave an update showing the impact Omicron cases have had on classes.

He said since school started in January, there have been 1,363 positive cases. That's the most the district has seen in such a short period of time.

All LRSD schools are back to in-person learning, and a handful of classes are still virtual.

Not every district is seeing a decline in cases. 

Pulaski County Special School District has 378 active cases. The district has already used several AMI days to go virtual, and they may have to use even more if cases are too high.

"Our COVID team meets everyday at 2 o'clock to make that decision, and we look at the number of cases at each individual school and the number of teachers who are out for that upcoming day," said PCSSD's Jessica Duff.

Bryant schools had the third highest number of active cases in the state -- 600, according to the Department of Health.

The district reports a lower count because it uses a stricter definition of 'active case.' They count an active case lasting 5 days, and the ADH counts 10 days. 

District officials tell us they are seeing a decline in cases.

Benton and Cabot school districts are also in the top 10 of active COVID-19 cases. They each have more than 300 school-wide.

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