West Tulsa Students Start Year At Newly Consolidated Schools

Tulsa Public Schools students went back to school today.

Some are starting the new school year in newly consolidated schools.

Long before the first day started for students, bus drivers were out well before daylight getting ready.

8/21/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Superintendent Teaches Third Grade Amid Teacher Shortage

Hours later, those buses finished their routes and dropped off students who lined up for classes at Marshall Elementary.

There were plenty of students, but Marshall is one of a handful of schools still short on teachers.

District staff stepped into the classroom to teach, including Superintendent Deborah Gist.

"Every first day of school for people in education is exciting, very busy, very hectic and very exhausting, and that's how I feel today," Gist said.

After a summer of consolidation for students in west Tulsa, it was the first day of classes for students at the brand new Daniel Webster Middle School.

The new school has 385 students, all on the high school campus, in a separate building from the older students.

The consolidation has breathed new life into the Daniel Webster campus, where the student body wasn't nearly as big as the building.

"We're ready to embrace the middle school kids and offer them some new curriculum choices," said Shelly Holman, Webster Middle School principal.

The normal frenzy of a first day was only magnified by the eclipse, which had teachers making sure everyone wore their safety glasses and got a good look.