By order of the State Department of Education all Public Schools will be closed statewide in response to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
The decision was made at Monday’s special board meeting of the state board.
In response, Superintendent Lori Simpson announced free breakfasts and lunches would be provided for children age 18 and under, beginning Monday, March 23.
Here’s how it will work:
Meals will be served in a drive-thru method from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vehicles should form a line at the high school cafeteria east doors. Personnel will take orders for meals and deliver them to vehicles. The grab and go bag will contain lunch for the day and breakfast for the following morning. Students are not to enter the building.
Keystone Foods and Tonkawa Schools will be providing the meals for as long as the school is closed.
Tonkawa Mayor Ken Smith Monday declared an emergency in Tonkawa. “While there currently is no evidence of community spread,” Mayor Smith said, “there is little known regarding the transmission of COVID-19 to those who are infected but not yet showing symptoms.”
He is recommending canceling mass gatherings, including the larger gatherings of more than 50 people.
The President of the United States and the Governor of the State of Oklahoma have delcared similar emergencies.
Mayor Smith has ordered that events of 50 people or more in city facilities are prohibited and special event permits issued for events of 50 or more are revoked.
The state of emergency will continue until the proclamation is terminated.
City Manager Kirk Henderson said Tuesday he was keeping city hall and the library open for regular hours at this time. Emergency services will continue to operate normally. “During this time of concern, we want the public to be safe and everybody needs to protect themselves and do what’s best for their own situation,” Henderson said, “Maybe this will help flatten out the curve.”
Superintendent Simpson said all teachers will continue to be paid. Support personnel will have to report for work next Monday. “There’s always something to do at the school,” she said.
All spring sports -- baseball and track -- are also cancelled until April 6. Head Baseball Coach Brady Holland and Head Track Coach Mike Kirtley both expressed sadness for senior athletes who could miss the rest of their spring seasons.
Holland said he is hoping the baseball season can resume after April 6. “We’re hoping for maybe a district tournament, followed ...
