TPS, Sand Springs Schools To Reopen Friday After Power Outages

Storms ripped through the area on Wednesday, uprooting trees, overturning cars and mobile homes, and killing one person.. Mass power outages caused schools to close.

Thursday, March 26th 2015, 3:59 pm

By: News On 6

TPS, Sand Springs Schools To Reopen Friday After Power Outages

Sand Springs and Tulsa Public Schools will be back in classrooms Friday, after both districts canceled classes Thursday.

Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard says TPS will be in session on Friday.

Storms ripped through Tulsa County on Wednesday night, uprooting trees, overturning cars and mobile homes, and killing one person in Sand Springs. Mass power outages caused schools and businesses to close.

On Wednesday night, the district said 10 schools were without power -- seven elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools -- so classes were canceled for Thursday.

He urged parents to check for updates on TPS's website.

Because school was canceled Thursday, the district decided not to close Monday for an education rally in Oklahoma City. Earlier the board voted to use the final snow day to close school.

3/23/2015 Related Story: Oklahoma Educators To Rally For 'Brighter Future'

In a release, Ballard said:

“In response to last night's severe storms and the closing of school today, we have decided to change course and not close school on Monday, March 30, as originally planned. Earlier this week, the TPS Board had voted to authorize me to close school on Monday to enable teachers to attend the Education Rally at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, we had not anticipated the severity of last night's storms and the unexpected impact on 12 of our properties that necessitated the need to close schools today. As a result, I have made the decision not to close schools on Monday for the rally.
“I strongly believe TPS students cannot afford to lose another day of instructional time, especially given today's unexpected closure. We've come up with a plan that will allow a delegation of TPS teachers from each school to attend Monday's rally, while keeping schools open on Monday. Principals will work diligently to minimize the impact.
”We remain committed to the goals of the Education Rally and the pressing need to get the attention of legislators. Teacher pay and the statewide teacher shortage remain a huge concern. I share parent and teacher anxiety about over-testing and the need to reduce state-mandated testing. In fact, I am taking the day off Monday to join our delegation of teachers, and will address attendees from the stage. I have talked with representatives of our local PTA, who called for the rally, and Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association, and they understand the need for us to keep school open on Monday. Thank you.”