Bartlesville Schools Say No Snow Day On Tuesday

Bartlesville was one of the few major Green Country school districts that did not close on Tuesday, even though the area saw heavy snow and ice.

There's plenty of snow to stomp through, but the roads are mostly clear. Officials from the school system say that's why they're in session Tuesday.

School was out Monday. The district has had seven snow days this year, much fewer than the more than dozen snow days at other districts like Tulsa. But five inches of snow couldn't separate Bartlesville students from their studies on Tuesday. School was back after just one day off.

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"It's all about can our buses and our students and parents get to school," said Chris Tanea with Bartlesville Public Schools.

And as roads cleared, they did get to school, many taking different means of transportation. Some high schoolers, like Dalton Smith, rode the bus.

"My mother wasn't going to allow me to take the car just because she thinks it's more safe just to take the bus," Smith said.

Student Samantha Hayley knows the danger of icy roads. She got into an accident Sunday.

"Going probably like, 15, and I had a flat tire and we didn't know it, so I had no control over the car," Hayley said.

She said school should have had a delayed start Tuesday.

"I think maybe this morning it shouldn't have been because of how bad the side roads are," Hayley said.

Some parents said their kids are glad to be back.

"They don't want to stay at home because their mother, 'Do something, do something. Clean the house,'" said parent Blais Rodriguez.

Tanea said, "This year, unfortunately, snow's been a regular occurrence, so we've had to do that a lot this year and it's been a case by case situation."

Tanea said Tuesday's absences were up by 7 percent, but adds that snow days are fun, until you have to make them up.

"There's some snow on the roads, but I think towards the end of the year when we've got some of these nicer days, everyone will sure appreciate the chance to be out," Tanea said.

Smith agrees, "I'd rather go to school to get it over with. I like my summer time."

District leaders said Tuesday morning's bus routes did have some delays due to slick spots on the roads, but that was the only issue they ran into.