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The district’s next Distance Learning Monday of the 2022-23 school year is Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, and all students will complete coursework at home. All employees are expected to report to work as normal.

WHY DISTANCE LEARNING?

1. Eight Distance Learning Mondays replaced Late Start Wednesdays and shortened the school day for the 2020-21 school year.
    
2. Distance Learning Mondays allow students and teachers to continue practicing distance learning days throughout the year in the event of having to stay home for an extended period of time.
    
3. Independent learning allows students to access previously learned concepts at their own pace and to review virtual materials until they grasp key concepts.
    
4. Nearly 67% of the day provides time for professional development, collaboration, instructional planning and mandated training. The remaining 33% allows for distance learning student/parent support and lunch.
    
5. Distance learning days may also be used as an option for school closures as to not extend the last day of school.

For more information, please contact your child’s principal or teacher.  

(Note: According to the State Department of Education, grab-and-go meals are no longer able to be provided on distance learning days.)

Broken Arrow Public Schools is committed to the safety and wellbeing of its students and staff. In the event that school sites are closed due to unforeseen circumstances, distance learning will be utilized, according to the instructional calendar approved by the Board of Education. The following information explains how closure decisions are made and how families/staff can get the most current information possible:

How are decisions made to cancel school?

When deciding whether to close schools, a number of factors are taken into consideration, including the amount of snow fall, condition of residential and thoroughfare roads, temperature, and the ability to clear parking lots and sidewalks. District administrators closely monitor local forecasts at the first announcement of severe weather, while also personally traveling the roads in various areas of the district. If school is closed, all after-school activities, including sports and evening events, will also be canceled.

How are parents notified when school is canceled?

Closure information will be sent to parents/guardians and employees by telephone and email using our automated messenger system, SchoolMessenger. It will also be posted to the district’s website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and shared with local television stations.

To receive important messages, we strongly encourage:

1. Families to make sure their contact information is up to date by logging into Home Access Center. If you are a district employee, please contact the human resources department at 918-259-5700.
2. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram (@baschools)

What options will the district consider when weather conditions are severe?

Severe Weather (Thunderstorms/Tornadic Storms/Heavy Snow/Ice)

• If strong storms are indicated on radar, the following actions may be taken:
  • Release students normally
  • Hold students in the school sites and delay bus dismissal
  • Canceling bus dismissal and holding students for parents to retrieve
• Families and staff will be notified via SchoolMessenger of any changes to normal release procedures.

Flooding

• The transportation department has maps of flood prone areas within the district and will monitor those areas during times of heavy rain or flooding.
• Communication will be generated to sites where flooding may affect a student’s ability to attend school in person so that arrangements can be made and absences excused.
• A communication via SchoolMessenger will be generated by transportation to alert parents of delays or if we are unable to access their student’s bus stops. 

Winter Weather (Snow/Ice)

• When winter weather is forecasted, the transportation department will begin checking bus routes at 3 a.m.
• In most cases, the district makes the final decision to cancel school no later than 5:30 a.m. on the school day under consideration. The decision is made on a day-to-day basis after weather and road conditions have been assessed. If school is closed, all after-school activities, including sports and evening events, will also be canceled.
• The decision to close due to snow/ice will be reported first on local news stations and the district’s social media outlets. A communication via SchoolMessenger will be sent no earlier than 6 a.m.

Why are distance learning days utilized in the event of closures?

The 2022-23 instructional calendar was developed using survey responses provided by parents/guardians and employees at the end of January 2021. The survey was sent through all communications channels, including email, the district website and social media. The district received 4,892 total responses, and 81.95% of people prefer using distance learning days in the event of unforeseen district closures. This means that the last day of school is set and not altered regardless of closures due to weather.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school site.

As employees, students and families continued to navigate the global pandemic, the 2021-22 school year was one in which provided lessons of togetherness, courage, hope and COMMUNITY. Broken Arrow Public Schools focused on getting back to the basics, while continuing to excel in teaching and learning. State-of-the-art classrooms, equipment, curriculum and technology continued to unify Broken Arrow students and staff under a common bond of academic excellence.

To highlight the district’s progress both inside and outside of the classroom, the district’s communications team partnered with financial services to create Broken Arrow Public Schools’ Popular Annual Financial Report.

This report combines district highlights and accomplishments from the previous year as well as financial information that is designed to be readily accessible and easily understandable to the general public without a background in public finance.

Questions, comments and feedback regarding this report are encouraged, so please do not hesitate to contact the district at 918-259-5700.