Next Round Of TPS Students Head To Class While Others Revert To Distance Learning

Some Tulsa Public School students in the first, second and third grades were back in the classroom Monday for the first time since March. 

The return for some students comes as TPS said some pre-K and kindergarten classes across the district had to switch back to distance learning after one week of in-person learning. 

Students in first, second and third grade are back at home for the night after a change of scenery and a sense of normalcy, learning in a classroom with their peers. 

"I was waiting for this day. I was like, "I want to go to school’” Violet Chang said.

Chang is in third grade and was happy with her first day back in class. 

"Today, it went very awesome,” she said. “It's because I got to do fun games, I even got to learn many stuff that I didn't know. I got to do art, and I got to do a project." 

The return comes one week after pre-K and kindergarten students went back. 

"We do feel confident in today's return of our first second and third graders to in person learning,” TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist said in a virtual meeting with reporters Monday morning. 

Gist said things went smoothly last week for pre-K and kindergartners, although the district said some classes did need to switch back to distance learning. 

The district said which schools are impacted and how many classes had to switch will be discussed at Monday’s board meeting. 

The Tulsa school board will also talk about the rise in COVID-19 cases, and how it could impact the transition of all TPS students coming back for in-person learning.

"We as a community have to follow these guidelines, get these numbers down, or I believe that the board will likely come together to discuss whether or not we're able to continue,” Gist said. 

TPS said the plan is for 4th, 5th, and some 6th graders to head back to in person learning after Thanksgiving, on November 30th. 

Monday’s board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.