For Immediate Release

Jan. 20, 2022

Contact

John Lyon
Strategic Communications Manager
501-526-2244
jlyon@achi.net

FOR FIRST TIME, EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN RED, PURPLE, OR PINK ON ACHI MAP FOR NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS

Nearly Three-Fourths of Districts in Pink Zone With at Least 2% of Local Population Infected

LITTLE ROCK ― For the first time, all of Arkansas’s 234 contiguous public school districts have COVID-19 infection rates of 50 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents over a 14-day period, up from 226 ― the previous record high from last week ― the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement reported Thursday, citing its analysis of Arkansas Department of Health data current as of Monday.

Beginning last week, ACHI added a new color, pink, to the maps on its COVID-19 dashboard, available at achi.net/covid19, to signify an infection rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents over the past 14 days, or at least 2% of the district’s population. A district with 100 to 199 new known infections per 10,000 residents is shaded purple, and a district with 50 to 99 new known infections per 10,000 residents is shaded red.

The map released Thursday includes seven districts in red, 57 in purple, and 170, or 73% of districts, in pink. Last week, ACHI reported that 48 districts were in red, 120 were in purple, and 58 were in pink.

“Every school district being in red, purple, or pink on our map means that COVID-19 is spreading uncontrolled in all our communities.” said ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. “In nearly three-fourths of the districts, at least 2% of the local population is infected. In four districts, more than 5% of the population, or one out of every 20 people, is newly infected.”

The districts with more than 5% of the local population newly infected are Brookland, Clarendon, Marmaduke, and Stuttgart.

Thompson urged school boards and school leaders to act to protect students and staff.

“Every available tool needs to be used to halt this hopefully short-term surge driven by the highly infectious omicron variant,” he said. “That means requiring masks indoors; it means employing social distancing, good hand hygiene, and optimal ventilation; it means being prepared to make a temporary shift to virtual learning; and it means encouraging vaccination and ensuring everyone eligible gets boosted. With omicron, full vaccination and a booster shot are necessary for maximum protection, but unfortunately, only about a third of Arkansans are both fully vaccinated and boosted.”

School districts are listed below. Those with 14-day infection rates of 100 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents are identified as such. An asterisk indicates that a district is new to the list this week.

o Alma – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Alpena – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Arkadelphia – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Armorel – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Ashdown – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Atkins – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Augusta – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bald Knob – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Barton-Lexa – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Batesville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bauxite – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bay – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bearden – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Beebe – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Benton – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bentonville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bergman – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Berryville – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Bismarck – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Blevins – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Blytheville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Booneville – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Bradford – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Brinkley – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Brookland – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Bryant – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Buffalo Island Central – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cabot – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Caddo Hills – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Calico Rock – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Camden Fairview – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Carlisle – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cave City – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Cedar Ridge – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cedarville – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Centerpoint – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Charleston – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Clarendon – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Clarksville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cleveland County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Clinton – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Concord – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Conway – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Corning – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cossatot River – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cotter – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o County Line – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cross County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Crossett – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Cutter-Morning Star – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Danville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Dardanelle – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Decatur – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Deer-Mt. Judea – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o De Queen – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Dermott – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Des Arc – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o DeWitt – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Dierks – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Dover – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Drew Central – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Dumas – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Earle – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o East End – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o East Poinsett County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o El Dorado – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Elkins – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Emerson-Taylor-Bradley – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o England – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Eureka Springs – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Farmington – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Fayetteville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Flippin – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Fordyce – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Foreman – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Forrest City – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Fort Smith – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Fouke – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Fountain Lake – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Genoa Central – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Gentry – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Glen Rose – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Gosnell – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Gravette – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Green Forest – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Greenbrier – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Greene County Tech – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Greenland – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Greenwood – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Gurdon – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Guy-Perkins – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hackett – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hamburg – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hampton – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Harmony Grove (Clark, Dallas, and Ouachita Counties) – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Harmony Grove (Saline County) – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Harrisburg – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Harrison – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hazen – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Heber Springs – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hector – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Helena-West Helena – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hermitage – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Highland – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Hillcrest
o Hope – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Horatio – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Hot Springs – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Hoxie – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Huntsville – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Izard County Consolidated – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Jackson County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Jacksonville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Jasper – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Jessieville – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Jonesboro – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Junction City – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Kirby – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lafayette County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lake Hamilton – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lakeside – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Lakeside (Ashley and Chicot Counties) – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lamar – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Lavaca – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lawrence County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lead Hill – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Lee County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lincoln – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Little Rock – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Lonoke – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Magazine* – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Magnet Cove – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Magnolia – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Malvern – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mammoth Spring – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Manila – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mansfield – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Marion – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Marked Tree – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Marmaduke – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Marvell – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mayflower – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Maynard
o McCrory – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o McGehee – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Melbourne – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mena – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Midland – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mineral Springs – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Monticello – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mount Ida*
o Mountain Home – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Mountain Pine – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mountain View – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Mountainburg – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Mt. Vernon-Enola – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Mulberry-Pleasant View – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Nashville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Nemo Vista – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Nettleton – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Nevada – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Newport – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Norfork – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o North Little Rock – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Omaha – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Osceola – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Ouachita – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Ouachita River*
o Ozark – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Ozark Mountain – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Palestine-Wheatley – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Pangburn – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Paragould – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Paris – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Parkers Chapel – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Pea Ridge – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Perryville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Piggott – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Pine Bluff – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Pocahontas – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Pottsville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Poyen – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Prairie Grove – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Prescott – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Pulaski County Special – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Quitman – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Rector – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Rivercrest – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Riverside – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Riverview – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Rogers – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Rose Bud – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Russellville – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Salem – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Scranton*
o Searcy – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Searcy County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Sheridan – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Shirley*
o Siloam Springs – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Sloan-Hendrix – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Smackover – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o South Conway County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o South Pike County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o South Side – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Southside – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Spring Hill – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Springdale – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Star City – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Strong-Huttig – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Stuttgart – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Texarkana – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Trumann – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Two Rivers – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Valley Springs – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Valley View – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Van Buren – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Vilonia – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Viola*
o Waldron* – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Warren – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Watson Chapel – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o West Fork – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o West Memphis – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o West Side – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o Western Yell County – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Westside Consolidated – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Westside* – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o White County Central – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents
o White Hall – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Wonderview – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Woodlawn – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Wynne – rate of 200 or more new known infections per 10K residents
o Yellville-Summit – rate of 100 to 199 new known infections per 10K residents

The infection rates reported by ACHI are based on infections among community residents living within the geographical boundaries of each school district and not only on cases among school employees and students.

Known infections include confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are based on verbal reporting and antigen test results, as identified by the Department of Health. Reported rates do not include complete results from at-home testing, thus the true level of infections is likely higher than that reported.

Infection rates and counts are not reported for districts with fewer than five reported infections to reduce the possibility of identifying individuals. School district counts do not include infections among incarcerated populations, in nursing homes, or in human development centers.

ACHI also updated the maps and tables on its website displaying vaccination rates by public school district, community, and ZIP code, using Department of Health data current as of Monday. Twenty-four school districts have achieved vaccination rates of at least 50% of district residents, one of them over 60%: Bentonville, at 61%.

ACHI is a nonpartisan, independent health policy center that serves as a catalyst for improving the health of all Arkansans through evidence-based research, public issue advocacy, and collaborative program development.

###