Class Begins For Tulsa Public Schools Amid Accreditation Vote

Summer break is officially over for students in the biggest district in the state.

On Thursday morning, students head back to class at Tulsa Public Schools.

TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist said there are a lot of new things happening in the district this year.

She said they will be unveiling some new school renovations, new playgrounds, and new libraries.

She says there are also some new safety measures in place this year. Gist says parents can expect to get weekly emails about their student's performance as well.

There are also some challenges the district is facing, including the accreditation status that's still in limbo.

The state board plans to vote on that on August 24.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters says there are severe issues in TPS that need to be addressed, including failing literacy and test scores and the district's financial problems.

Gist says she's confident everything will get worked out and says she's focused on making sure students start the year off right.

"We believe very strongly that our locally elected Board of Education should continue leading our district and that we don't accept or believe that a big government takeover of a local school district is appropriate," Dr. Gist said.

Another issue the district is facing is having enough teachers.

"Staffing is definitely a huge challenge, especially here in Oklahoma where we're not investing in our schools the way we need to, but we just keep doing all that we can and every one of these team members dives in and does more and more because we are pouring into our students, that's our responsibility," Gist said.

Dr. Gist and other school leaders spent the day visiting different schools to welcome students and staff back to the classroom.

School at Owen Elementary starts at 7:30, but it's different for other grades. You can check start times HERE.