For the safety of their faculty and students. The Oklahoma State Board of Education believes this is what is best during the coronavirus pandemic.

During a virtual meeting this afternoon, the board voted to end the rest of the remaining school year in the classroom. Faculty and students will instead use distance learning to finish off the school year. What does that mean? The board is currently working on several options so that students can get their curriculum.

This will include digital options that many students are currently using. State Superintendent of Education Joy Hofmeister said the board is working with the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority to prepare grade level programming that will be broadcast statewide. Some districts may provide instruction by telephone; others by written materials delivered to the homes of students.

Basically whatever is easiest for the student to obtain since many options will be available. They plan to have this type of distance learning run somewhere between May 8th through the 15th. Many parents have also been wondering about the graduating class of 2020 and what happens with them.  "We need to celebrate this in a new way," Hofmeister said. "The CDC guideline would not make a traditional graduation ceremony possible."

As of this post, the state of Oklahoma currently has confirmed 164 coronavirus cases with five fatalities. 59 of those cases are currently hospitalized. We will see if Texas plans to do something similar in the next few weeks.

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