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Arkansas schools to close for "on-site instruction" until April 17th Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WE’RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT MESSAGE. I ALSO WANT TO NOW DISCUSS THE ISSUE OF A SCHOOLS IN ARKANSAS. WE’VE HAD MANY COMMUNICATIONS FROM PARENTS FROM EDUCATORS AND WE CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO THE GUIDANCE OF OUR NATIONAL CDC HEADQUARTERS AND THE PROFESSIONAL HEALTH EXPERTS THERE AS WELL AS OUR OWN HEALTH TEAM HERE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND UAMS AND OTHER EXPERTS HERE IN ARKANSAS. BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC WHERE THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND THE BROAD CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO THE PARENTS AND EDUCATORS WHO DO NOT HA A LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN TERMS OF THEIR SAFETY, AND WE’RE WHAT THE SITUATION IS WITH COVET 19 IN THEIR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN BEEN ADEQUATE TESTING IN ARKANSAS. AND SO RESULT OF THIS LEGITIMATE CONCERN AND IN ORDER FOR OUR TESTING TO BE ABLE TO CATCH UP. I MEAN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS IN TERMS OF ANY POSITIVE CASES. I AM AUTHORIZING ON MONDAY EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CLOSE THEIR THEIR SCHOOL FOR ON-SITE INSTRUCTION. AND THEN BEGINNING ON TUESDAY THE CLOSURE STATEWIDE FOR ON-SITE INSTRUCTION WILL BE MANDATORY THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEK. AND OF COURSE THEN YOU WILL BE IN SPRING BREAK. AND AT THAT TIME WE’LL RETURN TO NORMAL CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, UNLESS THE CIRCUMSTANCES DICTATE. OTHERWISE, I’LL LET THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR COMMISSIONER ELABORATE ON THIS, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TODAY ONE OF THE REASONS SECRETARY KEY ADVISED THAT MONDAY SHOULD BE AN OPTIONAL DAY BECAUSE OF THIS BEING LATE ON SUNDAY PARENTS NEED TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHILD. AIR OR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHILDREN AND SO IT’S UP TO THE SUPERINTENDENT’S AS TO WHETHER THEY HAVE REGULAR INSTRUCTION ON MONDAY OR WHETHER THEY GO TO ONLINE INSTRUCTION, BUT BEYOND THAT ON TUESDAY STATEWIDE IN ARKANSAS, THE SCHOOL’S BE CLOSED FOR ON-SITE INSTRUCTION WITH THAT. LET ME RECOGNIZE SECRETARY KEY FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. THANK YOU GOVERNOR. I JUST TO REITERATE WITH THE ISSUE OF MONDAY VERSUS TUESDAY. THERE ARE DISTRICTS WHO ARE PREPARED AND COULD MAKE THAT CALL. SO THE SUPERINTENDENT’S AND THE BOARDS IN THOSE DISTRICTS ARE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THERE ARE DISTRICTS THAT NEED A DAY TO NOT JUST ALLOW THEIR PARENTS TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS BUT ALSO FOR THEIR STAFF TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO DISTRIBUTE AM I PACKING? IT’S OR TO DISTRIBUTE THE COMPUTERS OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES THAT THEIR STUDENTS WILL NEED TO TAKE HOME IN ORDER TO DO THE THEIR ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF INSTRUCTION WORK IN THAT CASE. SO ALSO DURING THIS TIME WE WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT’S TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A ROUTINE PROCESS OF SANITIZING CLEANING THEIR BUILDINGS AND PREPARING THOSE BUILDINGS FOR WHEN SCHOOL. WOULD RESUME AFTER SPRING BREAK. SO WE THINK THIS IS PRUDENT AT THIS TIME TO MAKE THIS CALL. I APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR’S LEADERSHIP ON THIS IS VERY TOUGH CALL TO MAKE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS DEPEND ON SO MANY THINGS FOR THEIR CARE AND EDUCATION IN THEIR LOCAL SCHOOLS. WE ALSO ARE HEARTENED TO KNOW THAT IN MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES. THEY ARE MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR MEAL PROGRAMS TO CONTINUE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE USDA TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY WAIVERS IN PLACE SO THAT EITHER THE DELIVERY OR THE GRAB-AND-GO MODELS WHICHEVER IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO USE WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE USDA