Skiatook Public Schools close campuses to parents and visitors

SKIATOOK, Okla. — The Centers for Disease Control listed Osage County at the high risk level based on the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s (OSDH) reporting of its latest COVID-19 cases – just 41 across Osage County, the largest county in the state by land mass.

A spokesperson for the Skiatook Public Schools said the superintendent was not available for an interview but she released a statement that said, in part:

“The percentage of students positive for COVID was .08%. The percentage of staff positive for COVID was 0%.”

In the Return to Learn school plan posted on the school’s website, during Orange risk level, campus visitors during the school day are restricted.

“Part of the criteria is numbers going down,” spokesperson for the Osage County Health Department Scott Haywood said. “But, also the load on our hospitals also plays a big role. And right now, we’re not necessarily seeing COVID cases. What we’re seeing now more is flu and RSV on the pediatric side so we kind of got that perfect trifecta with COVID, RSV and flu right now. We’ve got a load on our hospitals.”

Sheree Hettich thinks the school’s policy is too restrictive.

“There’s so many sicknesses here,” Hettich said. “I don’t feel any sickness should stop us from interacting with our kids and being traditional with them, especially around the holidays.”

She said parents could not attend the Thanksgiving party at school and if campuses are closed next week, then they will miss the Christmas parties as well. She said her children do not want to go to their Christmas parties without her.

“My daughter -- she’s 8 years old and she [says], ‘I guess I’ll go. But can you walk me in?,’” Hettich said. “And I’m like, ‘I can’t.’ I don’t know what to tell her. I can’t. And my son just [says], ‘You can’t walk us anymore?’ And [he] just looks at me with a sad little look. And it just breaks my heart.”

Haywood says the OSDH makes recommendations to school districts but they are not required to follow them.