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Dear parents and families,

This evening, I shared information with our Board of Education about potential modifications to our COVID-19 safety practices. These changes are contingent on our continued monitoring of the COVID-19 case rates in our county, the state, and around the world. We are also working with health professionals and the Tulsa Health Department. It is important for each of us as Tulsans to keep doing our part to keep our community safe: wear your mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. Please know that we will also keep doing our part to maintain practices such as good air quality in our buildings.

It is also tremendously important for all of us to receive our vaccinations for COVID-19 including a booster as soon as we are eligible. We are so grateful that our younger students are now eligible, and we strongly encourage you to talk with your child’s pediatrician about the vaccine. We are hosting clinics for free vaccinations, and you can stay in touch with us on those opportunities via our website and through our regular emails to families.

Here is a summary of our adjustments:

Masking

• We will continue to recommend that adults and children - particularly those who are unvaccinated - wear masks indoors and when in the presence of others.
  • Starting on Monday, Nov. 29, we will no longer expect masking in buildings where individuals have been eligible for vaccination for several months - this includes our stand-alone high schools and district office sites.
  • We are also hopeful that starting on Tuesday, Jan. 4, we will no longer expect masking in any of our buildings - this includes elementary schools, middle and junior high schools, and 6-12 school sites. Confirmation of that change will come before winter break.
• We will continue to follow the federal mandate for masking on public conveyances, so bus riders (and drivers) will wear masks traveling to and from school.

Layered safety practices

• When possible, we will maintain safe distancing.
• Adults entering buildings will continue check-in at welcome stations and complete a temperature check; staff will continue using our screen-and-go application.

School volunteers

• We will lift our visitor restrictions to allow volunteers - including parents and guardians who are volunteering - to enter our buildings. Volunteers must follow our safety protocols, and all parents and volunteers should understand the school practices.

Exposure tracking and quarantine

• We will continue to share counts of confirmed positive cases on a weekly basis.
• Quarantines for exposed individuals will no longer be required. Individuals may choose to self-quarantine, if they have been exposed. Isolations for individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 will continue to be required.
• Symptomatic or positive students or team members should stay home. Click here for our at-home health screening questions.

Over the next few weeks, we will work with the Tulsa Health Department as they monitor conditions in our city. We are hopeful that the trends we are seeing in case rates and vaccination rates will continue so that we can make these changes to our safety practices. You can always find our most current practices at www.tulsaschools.org/safety.

Thank you for doing your part to protect our community! If your child is age 5 or older and you have not done so already, please click here to make a vaccination appointment for your child today!

Best,

Deborah A. Gist

Superintendent