COVID-19 Guidance and Resources for Schools

Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Secretary José Romero reported there are 735 new cases of COVID-19 since Wednesday, of these, 44 are from correctional facilities. The cumulative number of positive cases in the state is at 47,028, of these, 6,958 are active cases. COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas are at 515, and 39,555 have recovered. Five hundred fourteen (514) persons are hospitalized with COVID-19. The counties with the highest number of new cases were:

• 73 in Pulaski County
• 69 in Craighead County
• 62 in Sebastian County
• 27 in Poinsett County
• 24 in Benton County
• 24 in Garland County
• 23 in Crittenden County
• 23 in Mississippi County
• 22 in Greene County
• 21 in Saline County

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) map of all cases can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c2ef4a4fcbe5458fbf2e48a21e4fece9

Today’s COVID-19 briefing was hosted by ADH Secretary Dr. José Romero. Governor Asa Hutchinson is out of town today chairing the Council of Governors meeting.

Dr. Romero announced 4,514 test reports were received in the past 24 hours, and 27,998 tests have been completed since August 1.

ADH Medical Director of Immunizations Dr. Jennifer Dillaha highlighted how important it will be for Arkansans to get their flu shot when the flu vaccine becomes available.

“You don’t want to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. The flu vaccination can go a long way to keeping people out of the hospital, and we want to decrease the number of people hospitalized as much as possible during this pandemic,” Dr. Dillaha said.

Dr. Dillaha said the flu vaccine is encouraged for anyone who does not have a contraindication and is 6 months or older. The vaccine should be available next month and ADH plans to host drive through vaccination clinics the week of September 1. The vaccine will be made available at schools the following week. She also encouraged Arkansans to check with their local clinic or pharmacy who may receive the vaccine earlier so they can get the shot even earlier.

Dr. Romero was asked what the rationale is for requiring schools to have an outbreak before shifting to remote instruction.

“I think we’re fine to push forward with the plan to have onsite classes. We are monitoring this daily and weekly, and we will make a decision if the numbers rise significantly. We are hopeful that our use of the mask mandate that the Governor has put in place will drive this downward. It was originally stated we thought it would take about two weeks to do that, now the projections are that it will take another two weeks. So, in about two more weeks we should have a better idea. The idea of starting school and waiting for an outbreak really is that we want students in the classroom. We want to try to start school in a safe environment with the ability to test appropriately, and that’s why we’re deploying these rapid antigen tests across the state. I think at this time, we are not going to change that. We’re going to see whether there are significant outbreaks in schools. There will be cases sporadically in classes, because in some cases one of these children are going to acquire the disease from the community. So we have to watch this very carefully,” Dr. Romero said.

When asked if ADH has a protocol for testing students when they return to school, DR. Romero said, “We are not planning to test children as they go to school. Testing will be based on symptoms and exposure if appropriate. There is no set program to test all students entering into the class.”

DESE Updates

District Point of Contact Training Sessions

Every district must have a District Point of Contact who will be responsible for communicating with ADH. District Points of Contact should plan to attend the following training session dates. Note: Most sessions will be virtual, but some will be held at Coops.

• August 10
• August 13
• August 14
• August 17
• August 18

Registration for these sessions is available at https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=422181

For more information, please contact Gina Babbitt at regina.babbitt@arkansas.gov.

Choir and Music Guidelines for Elementary

The guidelines issued by ADH for school-sponsored music, band and choir also apply to elementary students. Schools should think about plans on how to restructure or reorganize their classes to comply with these guidelines.

• Directive for Community and School Sponsored Music Return to Play

Metrics for Closing School

There are no hard and clear data points on closing schools at this time. The District Point of Contact is to keep track of local data and maintain communication with ADH. Superintendents and the District Point of Contact should be sure to review and follow the Response Levels for On-Site Learning for guidance.

Resources for Significantly Cognitively Challenged Students

DESE is going to make digital resources and content available for students who are significantly cognitively challenged. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

New Code to Identify Students as Virtual, Onsite or Blended

DESE has created a new code within eSchool on a SIS screen that will allow students to be identified as either the student participating in instruction virtually, onsite or blended. The first data pull for this will occur in the Cycle 2 report.

Governor Asa Hutchinson reported there are 912 new cases of COVID-19 since Tuesday, of these, 158 are from correctional facilities. The cumulative number of positive cases in the state is at 46,293, of these, 6,937 are active cases. COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas are at 508, and 38,848 have recovered. Five hundred sixteen (516) persons are hospitalized with COVID-19. The counties with the highest number of new cases were:

• 149 in Chicot County (most were from a correctional facility)
• 79 in Pulaski County
• 51 in Sebastian County
• 42 in Washington County
• 35 in Mississippi County
• 29 in Garland County
• 28 in Craighead County
• 26 in Saline County
• 24 in Pope County
• 21 in Ashley County
• 21 in Crittenden County
• 20 in Benton County

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) map of all cases can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c2ef4a4fcbe5458fbf2e48a21e4fece9

The Governor announced he has named Dr. Jose Romero to the cabinet level position of Arkansas Department of Health Secretary.

Governor Hutchinson shared a few highlights from the most recent UAMS modeling. UAMS models project 55,000 cumulative cases by August 10, as well as 3,686 cumulative hospitalizations and 543 deaths by August 15.

“This shows what could happen and what we want to make sure doesn’t happen,” Governor Hutchinson said.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has posted new directives and guidelines for school-sponsored music, band and choir.

• Directive for Community and School Sponsored Music Return to Play

“This gives them an opportunity to mitigate and work through this, and to also share the music they enjoy and love,” Governor Hutchinson said.

Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Johnny Key announced the opening of the Ready for School Call Center on Monday. The purpose of this call center is to provide a readily accessible resource for parents and teachers to call if they have questions. Call center operators will either get callers the resources they need or direct them to the right place.

“This is something very important as we get closer to the start of school. We are going to have more questions. Obviously, many of those questions will be dependent upon the work that is happening in their local school districts, but we will work to make sure that we get those answers for them,” Secretary Key said.

The Arkansas Department of Education is partnering with UAMS, ADH, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Consulate, the Arkansas Bilingual Bicultural Education Support Network and the Office of Coordinated Support and Service. The call center will be open from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. The number is 1-833-353-6050.

Secretary Key was asked about the onsite instruction requirement that schools be available five days a week.

“This is not a change in our stance at all since March when the Governor made the announcement to close schools for onsite instruction. We have said since day one that the plan for the fall is to come back and have school onsite. So, we had been made aware that some districts were making plans that were fewer than five days, and we felt like that clarification was needed today to make sure that districts understood we do have a state responsibility. We have given flexibility for districts to provide virtual options, blended options and onsite options, and parents need that and students need that. We just clarified the stance that we believe has been our stance all along,” Secretary Key said.

Governor Asa Hutchinson reported there are 784 new cases of COVID-19 since Monday, of these, 10 are from correctional facilities. The cumulative number of positive cases in the state is at 44,597, of these, 6,891 are active cases. COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas are at 490, and 38,000 have recovered. Five hundred twenty-six (526) persons are hospitalized with COVID-19. The counties with the highest number of new cases were:

• 149 in Pulaski County
• 56 in Sebastian County
• 55 in Mississippi County
• 45 in Washington County
• 35 in Benton County
• 25 in Saline County
• 24 in Crittenden County
• 23 in Jefferson County

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) map of all cases can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c2ef4a4fcbe5458fbf2e48a21e4fece9

“Reflecting on where we are with our schools opening, I want everybody to know we are working hard on this every day from discussions with the Department of Health and our preparations, but also with the Department of Education. This morning I got to speak with school administrators, but also hearing from literally hundreds and hundreds of teachers out there both supporting and excited about going back to the classroom, others are nervous about that. I look back and I am pleased that we did postpone school for two weeks, and the reason is it gives us an opportunity to study what’s happening in other states that have started earlier. It gives us an opportunity to learn from the experiences that we see in the sports world as well. It gives us an opportunity to better prepare in every respect. So we are going to utilize this time effectively over the next three weeks because we want everybody to be able to go back to in-classroom instruction in a safe way that best protects the students and gives them an opportunity to learn, as well as the teachers and the staff,” Governor Hutchinson said.

The state received reports for 5,840 tests over the last 24 hours. Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Interim Secretary Jose Romero reminded Arkansans that they should enter quarantine when they undergo testing, not wait until their test results come back.

The Governor announced that there are a number of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Unemployment Insurance claims on hold due to potential fraud. Governor Hutchinson shared how over the weekend, he personally received a letter notifying him that he is eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Mike Preston said fraud could happen to anyone.

“We’ve learned this is part of a national, and even an international ring, trying to defraud the system, and unfortunately we are having to flag more claims than we normally would,” Secretary Preston said.

There are currently 27,000 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and 10,000 Unemployment Insurance claims on hold. The Division of Workforce Services (DWS) is working to get through the backlog, but they must do their due diligence in order to not only prevent providing payment to fraudsters, but also prevent having to reimburse the federal government for any fraudulent payments.

If you receive a fraudulent letter citing that you are eligible or have filed a claim, notify DWS immediately so a hold can be placed on the account. Report the fraud via email to adws.internaaudit@arkansas.gov, call 501-682-1058, or submit a secure form online at www.dws.arkansas.gov. Individuals should also file a police report, get a copy of the report and provide it to DWS.

DWS continues to see continued claims go down with them down to around 90,000. They continue to see a high level of initial claims, but part of that is due to the fraudulent claims.

The Governor was asked whether he should keep schools closed until next year or open school districts on a case by case basis due to the fear of spikes of COVID.

“No, we should not cancel school for this school year. Kids need school. Everyone needs to have that opportunity for education, for the interaction even with the extracurricular activities that are so important to our students. We need to have school this year, absolutely. I am firm on that. The educators are firm on that. Public Health is firm on that. We need to have school,” Governor Hutchinson said.

When asked if there are plans to ramp up incentives for substitute teachers, the Governor said, “That is something left to the individual school districts, to line up substitutes, and that comes out of their budget.”

The Governor was asked about the fact that the public keeps hearing from public health experts that the opening of schools should be tied to a level of virus in a particular community.

“I hear three different messages from three different doctors in reference to standards for schools. So these are guidelines they suggest. You look at the CDC guidelines. They look at 10 percent positivity rate as a good thing. Everybody has a different opinion on schools. What they are united about is that these are local decisions that have to be made based upon the circumstances in your state, and that is what we are acting on,” Governor Hutchinson said.

ADH Interim Secretary Dr. Jose Romero was asked if students and teachers are to self-report, and what the role of contact tracers play in preventing the spread of the virus.

“The school will notify the health department of the case. The school is being asked to put together a list of individuals that are contacts, and the health department will do the contact tracing. So the contact tracing is not being done by the school. It’s still being done by the health department, but we are asking the school to give us a list of those individuals who could have been exposed,” Dr. Romero said. “If you are concerned enough to be tested, then that is a report in itself. If you’ve reported yourself to the health department, we will have that information, we will go forward. Within the school, if there is concern an individual could have COVID, then we would not want them to go to school at that time. Of course, it would be nice if they would let the school know about that so then we can go ahead and follow up if necessary. If there is concern about infection, testing is indicated and we will make that available through our local health units or other sites.”

The Governor announced Education Secretary Johnny Key will join him for tomorrow’s briefing to provide additional education updates.

To view the Governor’s briefing, please visit https://www.youtube.com/c/GovernorAsaHutchinson/.

DESE Update

Response Level Resource

DESE has updated the Response Levels for Onsite Learning Document and made a few changes to definitions and an updated link of restrictions for the critical response level (see page 5). The definitions were modified to provide additional clarifications:

• Probable Close Contact – District identified individuals that have likely been within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes or longer within a 24-hour period to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, during the infectious period. This person(s) will be expected to self-quarantine immediately for 14 days from the last date of contact with the positive case and await their Close Contact status to be confirmed by ADH Contact Tracing. A quick response to identify and quarantine will slow the possible transmission of the virus. The POC will notify probable close contacts initially.
• Secondary Contact – An individual who has had contact with someone identified as a Close Contact to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. In most instances, these individuals will not require quarantine, but are encouraged to monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19
• Contact Tracing – ADH Case Investigators and Contact Tracers reach out to COVID-19 patients after a positive test result is confirmed in order to identify the patient’s close contacts. The POC will not be responsible for contact tracing, but will work with other school personnel to identify Probable Close Contacts within the district and share that information with ADH for the purpose of Contact Tracing.
• Infectious Period – The two days prior to the onset of symptoms or the two days prior to the test date, if asymptomatic, until the individual is released from isolation by ADH.
• Asymptomatic – Testing positive, but not exhibiting any symptoms. COVID-19 transmission in the absence of symptoms reinforces the value of measures that may prevent the spread by infected persons who may not exhibit symptoms despite being infectious.

After school starts, if a Critical Response becomes necessary, this additional resource can help guide decisions about limited onsite instruction as allowed by ADH. These limitations are similar to what DESE has followed for the summer months. If necessary, minimal small group on-site instruction and special services may be provided following restrictions:

• Critical Response Level Restrictions for Onsite Instruction and Activities

Special Education Resources

The DESE Special Education Unit (SEU) has developed three resources to help guide districts as they plan for reentry this month.

• The Special Education Reentry Guidance document provides guiding questions for leadership teams to consider as they plan for providing services to students with disabilities.
• The Sample Remote Learning Plan is an optional example of a contingency plan for students with disabilities in case students return to remote learning.
• The Playbook Companions are aligned to the grade level Playbooks and were designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The SEU hopes that these documents extend upon the resources already provided by DESE to insure high levels of learning for all.

Ready for School Resource Call Center

Commisioner’s Memo LIC-21-005 was issued yesterday announcing the establishment of the Arkansas Department of Education’s (ADE) Ready for School Resource Call Center at 1-833-353-6050. Operating hours are 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.

The purpose of the call center is to provide educators and parents with information and resources regarding the reopening of schools. With the support of partners from UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and the Arkansas Bilingual Resource Network, the call center will be staffed by education and health professionals, as well as community partners.

The ADH Education Hotline (833-504-0155) will continue to field COVID calls for school-related cases and exposures. This hotline is for school administrators, school nurses, and district designated Points of Contact (POC). ADH is tasked with keeping track of community spread among the state. This includes local schools. In order to reduce the spread, it is necessary to identify positive cases and probable close contacts as quickly as possible. To do this, it is required that the POC call the Arkansas Department of Health Education Hotline (833-504-0155) to report all positive cases and close contacts as soon as possible. The POC trainings (this week and next week) will be important and helpful in ensuring this communication that will be a foundation for data needed to make school-level decisions.

PPE

In response to information provided in the recent survey, DESE will distribute 500 masks and 2 N-95 masks per school nurse to each of the school districts.

COVID-19 Priority Testing

DESE is working with ADH on a process for providing priority COVID-19 testing for school staff and students. An update on timing will be announced in the District Point of Contact meeting next week.

Governor Asa Hutchinson reported there are 787 new cases of COVID-19 since Sunday, of these, six are from correctional facilities. On Saturday, 662 new cases were reported. On Sunday, 637 new cases were reported. The cumulative number of positive cases in the state is at 44,597, of these, 6,882 are active cases. COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas are at 475, and 37,240 have recovered. Five hundred thirteen (513) persons are hospitalized with COVID-19. The counties with the highest number of new cases were:

• 87 in Sebastian County
• 66 in Washington County
• 54 Pulaski County
• 42 Benton County
• 37 Logan County
• 32 Independence County
• 29 in Garland County
• 28 in Crittenden County
• 25 Jefferson County
• 22 in Mississippi County

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) map of all cases can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c2ef4a4fcbe5458fbf2e48a21e4fece9

The Governor announced that the High School Sports Advisory Committee held its first meeting today, and he hopes they will provide their report later this week.

Governor Hutchinson also announced the acquisition of 100 new BD Veritor antigen test machines, with 100 more on order. The state has not yet received the testing kits for the machines, but anticipates having it by the middle of the month. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) plans to distribute this equipment to public health units over the next three weeks with the priority to use this equipment for quick turn-around tests for the K-12 educational system.

The testing goal for the month of August has been set for 190,000 PCR tests and 10,000 antigen tests. In July, 194,836 tests were completed.

ADH Interim Secretary Jose Romero reminded Arkansans of the importance of getting the influenza vaccine, especially this year, because it’s unknown what the combination of influenza and coronavirus might be. In year’s past, influenza season has added pressure to Arkansas emergency rooms which needs to be avoided if at all possible due to the demand COVID-19 is placing on medical facilities.

The Governor was asked if he was considering comments the CDC director made on Friday when he said states considered “hot spots”, especially those with positivity rates over 5%, should consider distance learning.

“The CDC recommendation is 10%. If they are moving it to 5% that is an issue. In terms of starting school, we have indicated that we are going to start with onsite classrooms. We hope we can make a great deal of progress in the next three weeks. We’ll see. That’s our goal, and that’s one of the reasons we’re having a blended learning environment, and we’re giving parents options. Parents have the option of going all virtual this year in the school districts. They have the option of starting in classroom and we hope we’ll be able to continue that, and if we have to go to a blended environment, we will. I think that’s the right plan for Arkansas. I understand that there are different messages coming out nationally, but our educators, they’re ready to start school and I think that’s the right way to do it,” Governor Hutchinson said.

When asked if the costs associated with antigen testing being made available to schools at the ADH Public Health Units would be covered by the state, the Governor responded, “The antigen test we provide will be free of cost. So if you get it through the public health unit, that will be covered. Of course if you go elsewhere, they can charge insurance or otherwise, but we don’t plan on having any charge to the participant that needs that test.”

Governor Hutchinson was as if there is a specific number or threshold that would give him pause with going forward with opening schools as planned.

“We’ve got a good plan that is very specific of what our expectations are in terms of giving flexibility to the local districts, supporting them in the acquisition of PPE. If there are needs out there we want to address those. We are trying to work through all of the issues in terms of ‘what ifs’, and there’s more work to be done there. In terms of the positivity rates, it’s not where I would like it to be and I hope when school starts it’s not there. If you look across the state, it varies county by county. I met with the Academy of Pediatrics, the Arkansas Chapter, this last week, we discussed that. They recognize there are areas with a lower positivity rate and there shouldn’t even be a question about. So it’s difficult for a state like Arkansas to say we’re going to open here and there and others it’s just going to be virtual and then you have a lot of issues that go along with that. So I want our state to be able to move, at least in the beginning, all together in classroom instruction.If we have to adapt and adjust from that down the road, we’ll adjust with the circumstances we find ourselves in. That’s the game plan. Everybody needs to understand that if things do not go as planned, you have to be able to make adjustments along the way, and I’m speaking of whether we put in additional restrictions or whether we have to take other steps to make sure that we are safe,” Governor Hutchinson said.

The Governor was asked about a group of educators in Northwest Arkansas, Arkansas for Safe Opening, who feel they have not been heard when it comes to school’s opening, and whether anyone had solicited input from classroom level teachers when devising plans.

“I get tons of admonitions when it comes to classroom teachers. I get every viewpoint imaginable, and I identify with concerns that they have. Everybody that goes to work in this environment has concerns. Everybody who has to deal with the public has concerns. That’s why we want to put in the safety precautions. We want to listen, and we want to adjust as needed. Yes, I do listen to teachers,” Governor Hutchinson said.

To view the Governor’s briefing, please visit https://www.youtube.com/c/GovernorAsaHutchinson/

Governor Asa Hutchinson reported there are 752 new cases of COVID-19 since Thursday, of these, 33 are from correctional facilities. The cumulative number of positive cases in the state is at 42,511, of these, 6,645 are active cases. COVID-19 deaths in Arkansas are at 453, and 35,413 have recovered. Five hundred seven (507) persons are hospitalized with COVID-19. The counties with the highest number of new cases were:

• 81 in Sebastian County
• 77 in Pulaski County
• 51 in Benton County
• 41 in Washington County
• 31 in Independence County
• 29 in Crittenden County
• 29 in Union County
• 25 in Mississippi County
• 23 in Jefferson County
• 21 in Saline County
• 20 in Craighead County

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) map of all cases can be viewed by clicking on the link below:

• https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c2ef4a4fcbe5458fbf2e48a21e4fece9

The Governor said the state had a strong showing of test reports for the last 24 hours with 7,027 tests received.

Governor Hutchinson announced the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) has presented a schedule for football to have no contact team drills with helmets throughout the week August 3 through August 7. The Governor has asked AAA to submit a plan to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) to allow for football, volleyball and cheerleading this fall. This will allow ADH to review and develop guidelines for mitigating the virus for contact sports.

“I’ve heard from parents, student athletes, coaches and many other educators, and sports, as they make the point, is a very important part of the development of our youth.

If we do not have sports, then many of the student athletes will be traveling out of state to participate in sports which adds another level of risk, and that increases the risk,” Governor Hutchinson said. “We have over three weeks before school starts with students in the classroom, and we’re going to learn from the next three weeks of training and practice in the fields of sports, cheerleading and other activities. We will learn what adjustments need to be made and we will improve our safety protocols. The Department of Health, led by Dr. Jose Romero, will continue its responsibility to provide and issue health guidelines. This group of experts I am convening will serve in an advisory capacity to look specifically at how we can have fall sports in the safest manner possible.”

The Governor announced he is establishing a high school sports advisory group to make recommendations and assist ADH in best practices for protecting student athletes and school personnel.

“My message for the football players for Monday is to grab your helmet and be ready for practice, and then after practice, I want you to grab your mask so you can protect others that you might be around,” Governor Hutchinson said.

The Arkansas Department of Education has partnered with the Arkansas Activities Association for a number of years analyzing the impact sports and activities have on the student. According to Education Secretary Johnny Key, these studies show that students who have participated in these activities have higher levels of academic achievement, higher self-esteem, lower incidences of discipline issues, and higher attendance rates.

“So this is something that is very important as we get prepared to go back to school that we have an expert group now , not just experts in medicine but experts in mental health of students, experts in counseling, experts in dealing with the needs of students on a  daily basis, to help guide and provide us and provide the Governor with their best advice and wisdom as we move forward. We look forward to working in conjunction with the Health Department and AAA to make this a successful school year and successful athletic and activities seasons,” Secretary Key said.

The Governor was asked if there was a plan to have contact practice starting after next week.

“That is the plan to have that. Now the advisory group that I have created will meet starting next Monday and there is an urgency as they look at this, they are going to look at the best practices across the country. They are going to work with the Department of Health, listening to them. They will have their [ADH] epidemiologist on the advisory group. We will make decisions as we go on. We’re also going to learn from experience. I hope next week there are zero positive cases among athletes in Arkansas. That might not be the case, and so we are going to learn from the experience as we go along but you have to have a purpose and an intent, and the intent is let’s move on for the season,” Governor Hutchinson said.

During follow up, a reporter asked if next week applied to cheerleading and band members?

Lance Taylor, AAA Executive Director, said cheerleading and volleyball should be able to move forward next week. ADH is working on tweaking the band guidelines and he hopes they will be issued early to middle of next week.

The Governor was asked if there are plans for schools in terms of attending games?

Governor Hutchinson said attending games will be subject to the ADH guidelines regarding large venues which include social distancing and wearing masks. Schools may have to submit additional plans on how they will manage meeting guidelines for larger venues.

The question was raised regarding whether basketball and volleyball would be able to scrimmage this fall, and if there are plans for practicing for spring sports this fall.

“What we are addressing right now with football and band, is what’s right before us at this moment. We needed to address that issue so coaches and other leaders will know how to carry on the activities next week. Also, we wanted the athletes to know that we are planning on and moving towards a season this year,” Governor Hutchinson said.

Governor Hutchinson was asked if he would encourage coaches to add something to helmets that resemble a shield to protect players even further.

“Yes, that is one of the suggestions made by a coach is that they have put in face shields and that provides a level of protection. There is a cost issue there. I’d like to know more about the smaller school districts particularly and the cost associated with that, but that will be one of the things our advisory group will look at to the extent that is effective and the practicality of it as well,” Governor Hutchinson said.

To view the Governor’s briefing, please visit https://www.youtube.com/c/GovernorAsaHutchinson/.

DESE Updates

COVID-19 Guidance Updates

DESE recently issued updates to Commissioner’s Memo LS-20-089: Guidance for Schools Regarding COVID-19.

Face Coverings

The Governor recently issued an Executive Order mandating the wearing of face coverings. Districts need to adopt policies to implement the Arkansas Department of Health’s (ADH) Face Coverings Directive issued on July 18. With some exceptions, the directive requires every person 10 years of age and older to wear a face covering completely over the mouth and nose in both indoor and outdoor settings when distancing of six feet or more cannot be assured.

The directive DOES NOT supersede and decision made by the school district any decision made by the school district to require masks for children younger than 10 years of age while attending school. ADH recommends a face covering for all students and staff including children under the age of 10 when appropriate. Under no circumstances should a mask be placed on a child under the age of 2. If your district will require documentation from a health care provider to support a claim of exemption due to a medical condition or disability that prevents the person from wearing a face covering, that requirement should be set forth in policy.

Secondary Centers and Concurrent Credit

Secondary Career Centers will be operating this fall, and it is expected that students should continue to have opportunities to enhance their career plans. Superintendents and career center directors should be in regular communication about scheduling, logistics, and any changes to plans that might affect students. The centers are planning to implement physical distancing requirements and provide PPE for students and faculty. Superintendents and center directors should work together as situations develop and as details are finalized.

With changes to the school calendar, there may be questions that arise related to concurrent credit courses and the impact on both students and teachers. School districts should be in communication with their partner college(s) to discuss any changes to the planned start date for courses. High school students who are taking courses on college campuses taught by college instructors should adhere to the college schedule, and districts should adhere to previously-planned arrangements for scheduling, transportation, and support. Courses taught on the high school campus by the high school teacher should follow the district’s schedule.

Variations from these scenarios should be worked out between the school district and higher education institution, keeping in mind that each entity may have developed unique schedules. Both institutions should work to provide flexibility for staff and students as the school year starts. The method of instructional delivery (onsite, virtual, hybrid) should be communicated through the MOU and updated if needed. All students should be notified of any changes to courses, schedules, or methods of delivery prior to the start of school.

PreK

DESE has received questions related to PreK operations when school starts and how the Response Levels for Onsite Learning apply to PreK.Below is a link to information you will want to review:

ABC Ready for Learning Template

All ABC Early Childhood programs, like K-12 schools, will be expected to provide onsite instruction at the beginning of the school year. Virtual learning will not be an option in lieu of onsite learning. If an entire school district or educational cooperative closes as a result of COVID-19 response (guided by ADH/ADE), ABC programs associated with those LEAs may be able to remain open but should also be prepared in case remote learning becomes necessary. ABC programs not affiliated with school districts or educational cooperatives will also remain open. ABC Early Childhood Centers should consult with DESE and ADH when determining the appropriate level of response related to COVID-19.

For more information about ABC Early Childhood, contact Lisa Tyler at lisa.tyler@arkansas.gov or Kiffany Pride at kiffany.pride@arkansas.gov.