PCSSD making move to virtual learning for remainder of week

(Charles Timtim via AP)

Posted: Jan 5, 2022 / 04:23 PM CST

Updated: Jan 5, 2022 / 04:32 PM CST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Pulaski County Special School District announced on Wednesday that they will be moving to virtual learning for Thursday and Friday due to the high rate of COVID-19 across the school district.

Due to a significant increase in positive COVID cases and close-contacts, PCSSD will issue AMI days for the rest of the week. Schools and district offices will follow AMI procedures on Thurs, & Fri. Students are required to log into Schoology to complete necessary assignments.
— Pulaski County Special School District (@pcssdschools) January 5, 2022

The news comes on the heels of Little Rock School District’s announcement that they will move toward virtual instruction for the remainder of the week only hours after returning to class after the holiday break.

PCSSD is instructing their students to do their work using the online portal Schoology and instructing teachers to also begin uploading work for next week.

Students in the district were directed to take home their Chromebooks to use for virtual learning.

School officials are asking that no students or teachers report to their designated buildings over that two-day period.

The current surge of cases fueled by the omicron variant of COVID-19 has shattered records for new and active cases of the virus in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, which has been tracking the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on school districts around the state, announced Wednesday that in the last week the number of school districts in areas of greatest concern had increased more than five-fold.

Officials with PCSSD said the district’s COVID-19 team will meet over the weekend to see if further days of virtual classes will be necessary next week.