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Fayetteville Public Schools will transition to online learning for the rest of the week, and will return to in-person classes on Tuesday, Jan. 18 following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, superintendent John Colbert announced in an email to parents Wednesday.

The district will pivot to AMI (Alternative Method of Instruction) on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 13-14. Schools were already planning to close on Monday, Jan. 17 for the holiday.

“This transition to online learning is necessary due to the high number of COVID-19 related staff and student absences and the high rate of transmission in our community,” Colbert said.

The district will provide meals for pickup on Thursday, Jan. 13 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at each school in the district. Parents may pick up a meal pack containing two free breakfasts and two free lunches per student on Thursday. Students do not need to be present for pick up, officials said, and families with children at more than one campus can pick up meals at whatever site is most convenient for them.

COVID-19 cases have been surging across the state and nationally in recent weeks. Active cases in Arkansas have doubled in the last week to 71,134, which is the highest level since the pandemic began.

The Arkansas Department of Health announced over 10,000 new statewide cases in Wednesday’s report, which marks another single-day record.