BPS Families,
We’re all familiar with the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s one thing for me to share facts and figures related to this latest surge of COVID case with words, it’s quite another to visualize the difference between this surge and all the ones before it in a graph:
Notice that our total case counts for the entire 2020-2021 school year (ten months) - which we thought was going to be the worst period of the pandemic - were exceeded in the first semester of this school year alone (five months), which have now been surpassed in the first 21 days of January (three weeks). It's quite remarkable really, but certainly not in a good way!
Another graphic that catches your attention is the latest Tulsa County COVID map which shows ALL 42 county zip codes in the Dark Red or Extreme Severe Risk III. This has never happened before. It’s a little shocking to actually see just how quickly the Omicron variant has spread throughout the county. Again, we’ll get through this, yet maybe not as quickly as we all hope.
Regrettably, as evidenced by the chart above, we have yet to see any evidence of a downward trend in our district. We have been able to manage keeping most of our students in-person due largely to the herculean efforts of our teachers, administrators, and support staff. Each day, we are asking people to cover classrooms, help out in cafeterias, or assist in a variety of routine tasks to keep our doors open. I am very proud of our people, yet also know they are stretched to their limits, physically and emotionally.
As of this moment, the plan is to have all of our schools open again on Monday. However, as we keep saying, the numbers are unpredictable and can change quickly. We are monitoring our status every day and all families must remain prepared for possible pivots to remote learning to address staff shortages. If changes are necessary, we will update affected families as early as possible Sunday afternoon.
So, by using a few pictures, this week’s update clocks in just under 400 words. I know you’re grateful for that. Let’s end with a final image which I believe captures well the challenges we’re all facing as this pandemic continues to surge.
Thank you for your continued support. It helps more than you know.
Rob Miller
Superintendent