OKCPS superintendent recommends students mask up on first day of school
Masks are not required this school year due to a new law prohibiting school districts from requiring them, unless the governor declares a state of emergency.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)– The superintendent for Oklahoma City Public Schools once again recommended students wear masks as the district welcomed their students back to school on Monday morning.
On Monday morning, OKCPS teachers and staff welcomed their students back to the classroom.
"We've got an incredible set of safety protocols," Dr. Sean McDaniel, Superintendent for OKCPS, said.
Those COVID-19 safety protocols stretch from inside all of their schools, with their new advanced air filtration system that was installed last year inside every school building in the district, to the school buses.
Officials say all buses are wiped down and cleaned daily.
"We also purchased a product where we spray our buses once every 30 days. There's a 90-day life span on that chemical, on that treatment," Cody Stull, Director of Transportation, said.
Masks are not required this school year due to a new law prohibiting school districts from requiring them, unless the governor declares a state of emergency. Gov. Stitt has said he’s not going to do that because “one is not needed.”
KFOR checked in with Gov. Stitt’s office on Monday and officials said his position has not changed.
Just last week, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson called on the Arkansas Legislature to amend a similar law that he signed in April, saying he regretted signing it.
"The governor has way more information than I do. I don't know who his advisors are. I know he's got some good ones, so we'll leave those decisions to him. We would prefer as a school system to make that decision, whether or not to mask up or mandate masks," McDaniel said.
OKCPS is doing what they can and highly recommending their students come to school masked up.
As the Delta variant continues to spread and cases rise, the district also has a plan to return to virtual learning ready to go if they need it, just in case things don’t improve.
"We're hoping that that doesn't happen and that we can stay in school with our kids all year long," McDaniel said.