Stillwater Public Schools To Switch To Distance Learning

Stillwater Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Moore announced Sunday that the district will switch to distance learning beginning Tuesday and run through Friday, August 28.

Dr. Moore's reasoning for the switch was the Oklahoma State Department of Health's designation Thursday of Payne County as a county experiencing a moderate risk for the spread of COVID-19.

The county has seen at least 20 new cases of the virus pop up daily countywide, according to Dr. Moore.

SPS will not have distance learning on Monday, August 24. Instead, Monday will be used for schools to distribute learning devices. Individual schools, Dr. Moore said, will communicate with parents on how to pick up the devices.

Virtual Learning students will not be affected by the changes.

"SPS values traditional, in-person learning and does not take this decision lightly, but keeping student and staff health and safety at the forefront of our decisions, we believe COVID-19 conditions necessitate a change to Distance Learning at this time," Dr. Moore said in a Sunday Facebook post.