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Four public school districts in Oklahoma have either switched to virtual learning or shut down completely due to COVID-19 cases.
Most public school systems in the state started their year last week or earlier in August. Now, superintendents and other school leaders are trying to find a balance in stopping the spread of the respiratory disease and closing, mandating masks, or other safety measures.
Two of the districts that are telling parents to keep their students at home are in McCurtain County in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma. Like much of the state, McCurtain is in the moderate risk phase, according to the state health department.
Eagletown Public Schools announced on Monday that its elementary, middle, and high schools would be closed for the rest of the week "due to lack of teachers and overwhelming number of staff/students who have tested positive," according to the district's website.
Battiest Public Schools decided last week that all its students will learn from home, and the decision will be reexamined at the end of the week.
Closer to Tulsa, Chelsea Public School in Rogers County is closed for the rest of the week so its buildings can be deep cleaned.
Also on the eastern side of the state, Hulbert Public Schools are moving to distance learning because more than 25% of the student body has been absent. In-person learning will resume on Friday.
FOX 25 noted that all of these shuttered school districts are relatively small and have less than 1,000 students enrolled.