Governor Stitt posted a message to Twitter on Friday in response to school districts like Tulsa who will continue doing virtual or distance learning until further notice.
"While more districts continue to find ways to put their students first and safety reopen, students in Tulsa are now denied that chance until at least March 22nd. I will continue to keep fighting to make sure all Oklahoma students have the option for in-person learning." In the post he also included a picture of a second statement that says "As governor, I join the thousands of parents, students and teachers in Tulsa who are heartbroken to learn that they will continue to be together in their classrooms for at least 374 days. Sadly this decision is based on politics instead of the data which clearly shows that schools can be reopened safely"
On January 13th the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics released an official statement after Stitt announced new COVID-19 guidelines for schools in Oklahoma.
The statement reads "the new guidance issued by the OSDH regarding school quarantine does not adhere with the recommendations of the AAP nor the CDC. The data referenced by Governor Stitt is based on a single study conducted in North Carolina in specific districts that strictly adhered to multiple mitigation strategies. This is not consistent with the current COVID-19 surge in Oklahoma. In order to improve our current sitation in Oklahoma, similar community measures that were used in North Carolina are needed, such as a statewide mask mandate, continued social distancing, limitations on indoor gatherings, and required mitigation strategies in schools."
Piedmont Public Schools also released their own statement with their decision saying
"Dear Piedmont School Community -
Tuesday, Governor Kevin Stitt, Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye, and Secretary of Education Ryan Walters held a press conference announcing new COVID-19 quarantine guidelines for Oklahoma schools. While we have not received any written guidance regarding this announcement, we do know the health and safety of our school community is our number one priority. We will continue to follow science-based protocols vetted by the Center for Disease Control, state and local health department officials, and health professionals to keep our students, teachers, and staff well during this time.
As you know, Piedmont Schools has developed several COVID-19 safety procedures and protocols (https://www.piedmontschools.org/c_o_v_i_d-19). At this time, we do not anticipate any changes to our plans, including our quarantine practices. We will continue to follow public health guidance while monitoring staff and student absenteeism rates to ensure safe daily operations at our school sites."
You can see all three statements below: