PRAIRIE GROVE, Ark. — The Prairie Grove School District announced via Facebook Sunday (Nov. 8) that all Prairie Grove Schools will be temporarily closed and switch to virtual instruction.
This decision was taken due to the number of staff members who are quarantined due to COVID-19.
"The quarantine requirements have really affected our child nutrition staff, bus drivers, custodians, several teachers, and building-level administrators."
This will apply to all grade levels. Virtual instruction will be from November 9, through November 11.
Mandated approval was received from ADE and ADH Monday (Nov. 9) afternoon, schools will transition in the following manner:
- Pre-K, Elementary, Middle School and Junior High classes will continue virtual instruction through November 24th and return to on-site instruction on November 30th. Your child’s principal or teacher will be contacting them very soon with more specific information. Please have your child monitor their school email.
- High School classes will return to on-site instruction on November 12th.
- As when school started, students, faculty, and staff will be expected to socially distance themselves and wear masks when proper distance cannot be maintained.
- Please have your child stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 infection. These symptoms include fever, allergies, sore throat, stomach ache, etc. If your child is experiencing these symptoms we strongly recommend you have them tested.
- If your child experiences these symptoms, has tested positive for the virus or has been informed they need to quarantine due to possible exposure to the virus, please contact our school district’s Point-of-Contact, Nurse Danielle Randolph, (daniel.randolph@pgtigers.org or 479-846-4211) as soon as possible.
- Technology plans are being coordinated with each building administrator laying out a plan for students/families to have materials necessary to work from home virtually.
Prairie Grove Assistant, David Kellogg, says the school does not have many positive COVID-19 numbers, but the amount of staff members who are having to quarantine is the concern.
“Now we’ve had several of our food service workers have to quarantine, so that’s going to severely affect us as far as being able to serve food to our students,” Kellogg said.
Kellogg says many bus drivers, teachers, custodians and nutritional staff are home quarantining. The district is only running seven of the usual 17 bus routes.
“I’m sure principals and teachers will be flexible with our students because this is something unexpected and unpredicted”
Kellogg says administrators are having a special meeting tomorrow, and an update from the district will be posted on their website tomorrow afternoon.
Updates will be provided at pgtigers.org.
