Barnsdall superintendent vows to finish school district, will let families choose their own pace

BARNSDALL, Okla. — The superintendent of Barnsdall Public Schools said the district will finish the school year as best as it can, but they want families in the path of Monday's tornado to be able to choose how they finish things out.

Barnsdall's school complex was not in the path of the tornado and the only damage it took was wind damage to a football field sign.

"We still want to do the 4-H conference. We're still doing the senior trip. We still want to have graduation," Dr. Sayra Bryant, superintendent of Barnsdall Public Schools.

Bryant took State Superintendent Ryan Walters on a tour of the damage Wednesday. Walters said the Oklahoma State Department of Education will put in waivers and clear red tape so BPS can finish the year how it wants and feels is appropriate for families.

"We want them to focus on their families first," said Walters. "They don't need to worry about certain regulations. We're going to clear the red tape."

Walters said he needed to see the damage for himself in Barnsdall to give a formal damage assessment. State education regulations have strict requirements for in-person classroom instructions and how much time must be spent on learning. Walters said Barnsdall is going to get similar waivers just like Sulphur Public Schools in south central Oklahoma where the district had property that took a direct hit.

"We don't need them worrying about us right now," Walters said.

One of the concerns for BPS is that they have not completed state testing. Bryant said students who can complete testing will have to take them in Pawhuska next week, but exceptions can be made to students still dealing with the trauma of the storm and losing everything they have.

Bryant said after the pandemic, the district moved most of its learning back to in-person classroom instruction, and so concerns about Chromebooks being lost in the storm if a student brought them home were not a problem.

"We were one to one," she said about the ratio of computers going home daily with students, but that is not the way they currently teach.

"Had this been a few years ago, we'd have a bigger problem," Bryant said.

Bryant said three seniors who are currently in Florida on their senior trip lost everything in the storm, but it was believed after speaking with their families that the best thing for them was to remain in Florida and finish the trip instead of coming home early.

"These are very special moments for them," she said. "You may not see some of these people for ten or even 15 years after you graduate and move on. We want them to still make those memories and have those good times. We didn't want to cut that short."

The district will be very flexible with families in the tornado's path and will work with them on what is and is not doable to finish the school year and end of the year activities.