There are now 113 Arkansas school districts that have had 50 or more new known COVID-19 infections per 10,000 district residents over a 14-day period, up from 94 a week ago. This is only four fewer than the highest number tracked two weeks ago, according to data posted Dec. 10 on our COVID-19 in Arkansas page. Thirty-nine school districts were added to the list this week, and 74 remained on the list.
Fifteen school districts — more than twice as many the week prior — had exceeded 100 new known infections per 10,000 district residents over a 14-day period, or more than 1% of district residents: Buffalo Island Central, Corning, Dardanelle, Dermott, Drew Central, Green Forest, Harrisburg, Magazine, Marmaduke, McGehee, Monticello, Paragould, Riverside, Star City, and Warren. Most of those districts are in Northeast and Southeast Arkansas, with six in each region.
Our team identified school districts with high infection rates by analyzing data received Monday from the Arkansas Department of Health. The infections are among community residents living within the geographical boundaries of the school districts and are not specific to 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.
“We are observing uncontrolled spread of this virus in school districts across the state,” said ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. “While schools are working to do their part to protect students and staff, members of those communities need to do the same. Do your part and commit to do everything you can to break the transmission cycle.”
Rates of new known infections in school districts across the state, as well as counts of cumulative and new infections, are tracked on our COVID-19 in Arkansas page. Rates and counts are not shown for districts with fewer than five 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.
As of Monday, the following 113 school districts had a rate of at least 50 new known infections per 10,000 district residents, or more than 0.5% of the population, over the previous 14 days. An asterisk denotes a district that entered the list this week.
- Alma
- Alpena
- Armorel
- Atkins
- Barton-Lexa
- Batesville*
- Bauxite
- Bay*
- Bearden
- Benton
- Bergman
- Berryville
- Blytheville*
- Booneville
- Bradford
- Brookland
- Bryant*
- Buffalo Island Central – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Caddo Hills*
- Camden Fairview
- Carlisle*
- Cedar Ridge
- Centerpoint*
- Clarendon
- Clarksville*
- Cleveland County
- Concord*
- Conway*
- Corning – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- County Line*
- Danville*
- Dardanelle – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Dermott – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Dover*
- Drew Central – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- East Poinsett County*
- Elkins*
- Farmington*
- Fayetteville
- Fordyce
- Fort Smith
- Gentry*
- Glen Rose*
- Gosnell
- Green Forest – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Greene County Tech
- Gurdon
- Hampton
- Harmony Grove (Clark, Dallas, and Ouachita Counties)
- Harmony Grove (Saline County)*
- Harrisburg – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Harrison
- Hermitage
- Huntsville*
- Jackson County
- Jasper
- Jonesboro
- Kirby
- Lakeside #1*
- Lawrence County
- Lee County*
- Little Rock*
- Magazine* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Malvern
- Mammoth Spring*
- Manila
- Marion*
- Marmaduke – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Mayflower*
- McGehee – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Mena
- Midland
- Monticello – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Mount Ida
- Mountain View*
- Mulberry/Pleasant View*
- Nemo Vista
- Nettleton
- Newport
- Omaha
- Osceola*
- Ouachita River
- Ozark
- Paragould – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Piggott
- Pocahontas*
- Pottsville*
- Prairie Grove
- Prescott
- Rector
- Rivercrest*
- Riverside – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Rogers*
- Russellville
- Salem
- Searcy County*
- Sheridan
- Siloam Springs*
- Sloan-Hendrix
- Smackover*
- South Conway County
- Springdale
- Star City – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Trumann
- Valley Springs
- Valley View
- Van Buren*
- Waldron
- Warren – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents
- Westside Consolidated
- White Hall
- Woodlawn*
- Wynne
The following 20 districts were in the red or purple zone a week earlier but have dropped below that level this week:
- Crossett
- Cutter-Morning Star
- Earle
- Flippin
- Hamburg
- Hoxie
- Lakeside
- Magnolia
- Marvell
- Mountain Home
- Vernon/Enola
- Ozark Mountain
- Paris
- Poyen
- Riverview
- Searcy
- South Side
- Viola
- White County Central
- Yellville-Summit
