OKMULGEE, Okla. — Okmulgee Public Schools started the new school year on Aug. 22, making it one of the last Green Country districts to do so.
2 News sat down with the superintendent and discussed what’s new this year in the district and how they’re navigating certain state and national issues.
FULL INTERVIEW:
Dress code changes
Superintendent Clay Vinyard told us there are two major changes this year: cell phones and the dress code.
The new district leader told us conservative, “restrictive” clothing rules previously gave students little leeway. Now, Okmulgee Public Schools loosened those guidelines.
Vineyard said attendance is the driving reason behind the new dress code.
“Some of our kids have mentioned that they don’t like the uniforms. … And our attendance is really waning. We want our kids to be in school,” he said. “The most important thing is they are present so they can get the information, [so] that they can practice their skills. They can practice on the content and get the education they deserve.”
Among the numerous changes, students have more freedom with the range of colors they show off. They can now wear leggings and jeggings. The length of shorts, dresses, and skirts is also more flexible. (Click here to view the entire new dress code)
Cell phones in school
Then, there’s cell phones in class. Okmulgee Public Schools joined a wave of districts across Oklahoma that recently altered their phone policies.
Students in pre-k through eighth grade can no longer have phones out or on during the school day. On the other hand, high schoolers must stow them away during class.
“The last several years, we’ve seen a big increase in cyberbullying, inappropriate content shared, unauthorized recordings happening in the classroom, and really just a loss of academic focus,” said Vinyard. “All those things combined lead to factors that take away from what we’re trying to do, which is really teach and learn.”
Bullying
Like other districts across the nation, Okmulgee deals with issues like bullying, especially the cyber kind.
“It’s really complex,” said Vinyard. “Kids have learned to create fake accounts with no real way for us to track ‘em down.”
He added: “Our policy is: we have no bullying, and we are gonna hold anyone we find accountable.”
Worker shortage
Although OPS faces a shortage of job applications, its superintendent said this is nothing new.
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“But think it’s coming to a head,” he mentioned, “where you hear a lot of people talking about adjunct teachers and non-degreed adjunct teachers. I think that a lot of people are worried about compromising quality in the classroom.”
However, like every district, he said they’re looking for qualified people.
The Bible & PragerU in classrooms
It goes without saying that some major education news lately has come from the state level.
In September of 2023, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a partnership with conservative platform PragerU.
“I’m not familiar with PragerU,” Vinyard said. “I haven’t seen the course content, but I will say I trust our legislators.”
A few months ago, Walters ordered all public school classrooms to incorporate the Bible, something many districts have refused.
Vinyard told us OPS will stick with the state academic standards—as they always have.
“As someone who's been in education for 23 years, we’ve never had the Bible in the classroom,” he remarked. “I’ve been in schools that have done a good job educating kids and holding good schools without having to use that resource.”
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