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Bend but don’t break

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Oklahoma’s COVID rates are now the worst the state has seen since the pandemic sunk its dirty fangs into us.

Officials report 33 percent of adolescents age 12-17 are fully vaccinated and only 7.5 percent of children 5-11 are fully vaccinated.

With the surge largely due to the Omicron variant it’s no secret schools across the state are having a difficult time staying open.

It’s no different here in the Heart of Oklahoma.

Purcell Superintendent Dr. Sheli McAdoo said her elementary building has been hit the hardest.

On Tuesday there were seven teachers and support personnel out but three were expected back by Thursday.

  She said there are 37 students out district-wide which is less than one percent of the student body.

“Of course that fluctuates,” she said.

McAdoo said Purcell would stay in class as long as there are adequate numbers of faculty and staff to appropriately take care of the students.

“It’s a lot easier having to quarantine for five days. It’s a lot more manageable then, seven, 10 or 14 days.

McAdoo and assistant superintendent Jerry Swayze are administering drive-through testing.

“It’s taking a lot of our time but it’s a lot better. When there is a positive test the people don’t go back to school to infect others.”

At Lexington, Superintendent Chad Hall said the numbers for both students and faculty change on a daily basis.

“Our staffing and substitute situation is really the one we have to watch close daily and make decisions accordingly.”

Wayne Superintendent Toby Ringwald reported earlier this week there were four staff members and 10 students that were positive.

“And, we’re waiting on results for a couple more staff members,” he said.

Washington Superintendent Chris Reynolds said on Tuesday he had five teachers out and 14 percent of the student body.

All five administrators sounded like defensive coordinators on a football team playing the bend-but-don’t-break type of defense.

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