School Superintendent issues letter about school closings

March 16, 2020 6:00 P.M.

TO PCPS Families, Staff, and Community,

This afternoon, the Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to close all Oklahoma schools, effective immediately, until at least April 6, 2020, in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19. This includes Ponca City Public schools. Additionally, there will be no school activities during this time including practices, tryout, or events. However, essential clerical duties, maintenance, and child nutrition services will continue.
While state officials mandated schools to close for two weeks following Spring Break, they also encouraged administrators to prepare for the possibility of longer-term closures if it becomes necessary.
At this time, schools have been instructed by the State Department of Education not to provide online, home-based or distance learning for students.
This is an unprecedented situation, and it continues to evolve by the hour. We know this uncertainty can cause anxiety and worry, but we want to assure you that Ponca City Public Schools are doing everything possible to ensure the needs of students and employees will be met during this unique time. We will be closed for classes, but PCPS will continue to serve our community, while abiding by the healthy best practices that have been recommended by the CDC.
Communication will be key during the next two weeks. It is our hope that accurate and up-to-date correspondence will combat fear and panic, as well as help you make well-informed decisions for your family.
District leaders will be in direct contact with State Superintendent Hofmeister tomorrow at 2:00 PM, and she will provide guidance to Oklahoma public schools. As a district, we will be updating correspondence to you at www.pcps.us through the COVID-19 Updates Link. You will receive a PCPS Mobile App notification each time we update, and we will post it on the district’s Facebook page. We will be posting answers to frequently asked questions as soon as they are available, including those about child nutrition services, employee payroll, end-of-year activities and more.
For Ponca City Public Schools there is nothing more important than the safety and health of our students, staff, and community. We want you to be safe, and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding. Ponca City is strong, and we will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Shelley Arrott Superintendent, Ponca City Public Schools