TULSA, Okla. — Some Tulsa Public School elementary students logged onto their Chromebooks Wednesday for distanced learning. Staff at Hawthorne Elementary School put out a statement Tuesday saying they are suspending in-person learning for Wednesday.
Based on the announcement; the district does not explicitly say if the closure is COVID related, rather it says it's due to an absence of staff.
The school later ruled out in-person learning for Thursday and Friday, telling parents they can expect their next update by Monday.
This comes as several other Green Country schools have already had to shut down due to a spike in cases. Meanwhile, school districts are urging their students to mask up.
Carnegie Elementary, another TPS school, closed its doors last Thursday and Friday for the same reason. Hawthorne's closure comes just days after the district put out a statement saying it will strengthen its new masking policy.
READ MORE: TPS' Carnegie Elementary closed 'due to staff absences'
It says effective on Sept. 7, each student will wear a mask at all times inside school buildings, and effective as of August 30, it says all staff will wear a mask at all times inside school buildings.
Oklahoma schools are unable to mandate masks for students and staff according to a state law that took effect in July. It’s unclear if the district is going against the state law or the statement is another strong encouragement from the district.
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