Several Green Country Schools Transition To Distance Learning Due To Staff Absences

Breaking News Update: 1/10/2022 11:35 a.m.

Berryhill Public Schools will transition to distance learning beginning Tuesday, January, 11 through Friday, January 14. Students will return to in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 18.

This is a breaking news update, the original story is below.

---

As COVID-19 cases rise in Tulsa County, several Green Country schools are switching to distance learning because there aren't enough teachers to staff the classrooms.

Currently, most zip codes in Tulsa County are in the severe to extreme risk category, citing more than 1,400 new cases in the first week of January. 

Some schools have even had to return to virtual learning due to staff absences. 

Tulsa Public Schools has at least 12 sites on the distance learning list on Monday. 

You can see the updated-daily list of TPS schools switching to distance learning by Clicking Here.

Union students in 9th through 12th grades will be in distance learning On Monday.

Sequoyah Middle School in Broken Arrow is also virtual Monday.

Berryhill Public Schools will transition to distance learning begining Tuesday January, 11 through Friday, January 14. Students will return to in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 18.

Madison Thomas with Tulsa Health Department says they did expect a surge after the holidays, but the omicron variant made it higher than they expected. 

 “I think at this point this week almost everybody knows somebody at least one person who has tested positive this week for covid so it definitely gives that feeling we are going to see some very extreme case counts,” Thomas said. 

She said they expect the peak of the current covid case surge to happen at the end of the month.

“It takes everybody collectively trying to prevent the spread of covid to really make a difference and slow the spread,” Thomas said. “Especially right now with what we are seeing with omicron and the effects of holiday gatherings and that increase in cases so it really takes all of us to make a difference.”