ACHI Map Shows Record Increase of Covid-19 in Arkansas School Districts

The ACHI reported on Wednesday that the number of Arkansas public school districts with COVID-19 infection rates of 50 or more new known infections per 10,000 district residents over a 14-day period has seen a nearly five-fold increase, going from 28 last week to 138 this week. The new report is based ACHI’s analysis of Arkansas Department of Health data current as of Monday, Jan. 3.

The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (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.

“Arkansas is experiencing uncontrolled spread of the omicron variant,” explained ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. “Arkansans need to take immediate precautions, and local school leaders need to take actions to protect our children.”

Thompson urged all school districts to require masks for students and staff, encourage vaccination and redouble efforts at social distancing, hand washing and increased ventilation. School leaders should also be prepared to transition to virtual learning, he said.

As of Monday, the following 138 school districts had infection rates of at least 50 new known infections per 10,000 district residents over the previous 14 days. An asterisk indicates that a district is new to the list this week.

Arkadelphia* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Armorel*

Ashdown*

Atkins

Bald Knob*

Barton-Lexa* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Bauxite*

Bay* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Beebe*

Benton*

Bentonville*

Blytheville* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Bradford*

Brinkley*

Brookland – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Bryant* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Buffalo Island Central*

Cabot*

Camden Fairview* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Carlisle*

Cedar Ridge*

Clarendon*

Cleveland County*

Clinton*

Conway* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Corning*

Dardanelle*

Decatur*

DeWitt*

Earle* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

East End* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

East Poinsett County – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

El Dorado* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Elkins*

England*

Eureka Springs*

Farmington*

Fayetteville*

Forrest City* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Fountain Lake*

Gentry*

Glen Rose*

Gosnell*

Greenbrier – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Greene County Tech* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Greenwood*

Gurdon – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Guy-Perkins* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Hamburg*

Harmony Grove (Clark, Dallas, and Ouachita Counties)*

Harmony Grove (Saline County)*

Harrisburg – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Hazen*

Heber Springs*

Hector*

Helena-West Helena* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Highland*

Hillcrest*

Hope*

Horatio*

Hoxie*

Izard County Consolidated*

Jackson County*

Jacksonville* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Jasper*

Jonesboro – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Junction City*

Lakeside (Ashley and Chicot Counties)*

Lawrence County

Lee County*

Little Rock* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Lonoke*

Magnet Cove

Magnolia*

Malvern* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Mammoth Spring

Manila* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Marion – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Marked Tree* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Marmaduke*

Marvell*

Mayflower

Maynard

Melbourne

Mineral Springs*

Monticello*

Mountain Home*

Mt. Vernon-Enola

Nashville*

Nettleton – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Nevada*

North Little Rock* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Omaha*

Osceola – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Ouachita*

Palestine-Wheatley*

Paragould* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Parkers Chapel*

Pea Ridge*

Perryville*

Pine Bluff*

Pocahontas*

Poyen*

Prairie Grove*

Prescott*

Pulaski County Special* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Rivercrest – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Riverside – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Riverview*

Rogers*

Rose Bud*

Russellville*

Searcy County

Searcy*

Sheridan*

Smackover*

South Conway County*

South Pike County*

South Side*

Southside*

Spring Hill*

Springdale*

Star City

Strong-Huttig*

Stuttgart*

Trumann* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Valley View – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Van Buren*

Vilonia* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Watson Chapel*

West Fork*

West Memphis – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

West Side*

Western Yell County

Westside Consolidated – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

White Hall* – rate of 100 or more new known infections per 10K residents

Wonderview*

Wynne*

ACHI’s map showing COVID-19 infection rates in school districts uses the following color key: 0 to 9 new known infections per 10,000 residents over 14 days, dark green; 10 to 19 infections per 10K residents, light green; 20 to 29 infections per 10K residents, yellow; 30 to 49 infections per 10K residents, orange; 50 to 99 infections per 10K residents, red; and 100 or more infections per 10K residents, purple.

The color-shading of a district is based on infections among community residents living within the geographical boundaries of each school district and not on cases among school employees and students.

Known infections reported by ACHI include confirmed and probable cases. Probable cases are based on verbal reporting and antigen test results, as identified by the Department of Health.

Infection rates and counts are not shown 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-one school districts have achieved vaccination rates of at least 50 percent of district residents, with Bentonville at 61 percent.