LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A rise in COVID-19 cases combined with the start of school right around the corner has school districts making tough decisions.
After a judge temporarily blocked a mask mandate ban in Arkansas, several school districts have been announcing plans for masks in schools.
Below you will find a list of what districts are requiring for their students.
School districts that require masks:
- Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts
- Bentonville
- Bryant
- Cabot
- Camden
- Carlisle
- Conway
- El Dorado
- Eureka Springs
- Farmington
- Fayetteville
- Fort Smith
- Greenwood
- Fort Smith
- Hot Springs
- Jacksonville North Pulaski
- Lakeside
- Little Rock
- Marion
- Mountain Home
- North Little Rock
- Pine Bluff
- Prairie Grove
- Pulaski County Special School District
- Rogers
- Russellville
- South Conway County School District
- Wynne
School districts with optional/alternative mask rules:
- Benton will make masks optional for students and staff
- Sheridan Board of Education said masks are "optional, but highly encouraged"
- Springdale schools will require masks for grades K-7 and optional for grades 8-12
Marion School District, which has quarantined almost 1,200 students, has seen 96 COVID-19 cases among student and staff since starting the school year. The school district has sued the state over its mask mandate policy along with the Little Rock School District.
We will continue to update this article as more school districts make decisions on mask mandates.