At least three area school districts -- Bixby, Glenpool and Sapulpa -- planned to be in session Thursday, but most districts will remain closed at least another day, and several announced closure through the week.

The number of TPS school sites without power rose from 60 on Tuesday afternoon to 70 on Tuesday evening, and then dropped back to 66 on Wednesday, said Tami Marler, TPS spokeswoman.

Administrators met Wednesday afternoon and decided it was best to call off school for the rest of the week because of outages at nearly three-fourths of TPS sites.

TPS maintenance crews, meanwhile, were continuing their efforts to clear school parking lots, driveways and sidewalks of fallen limbs and other debris.

According to a press statement, preliminary assessments indicate that damage in TPS was limited to some windows broken by falling trees, said Chief Operations Officer Jim Spear.

As for making up the five school days that will be lost this week, Marler said the district will use the three snow days it had built into its 2007-08 calendar and either add a couple days at the end of the year or hold school on days that it previously was scheduled off.

"We will try to resume classes on Monday. If it's not possible, we'll have to come up with a plan B," Marler said.

Most districts used the last

Bixby Public Schools Superintendent Kyle Wood said Wednesday afternoon the district was ready to welcome back students.

"All our sites are powered up, and we've surveyed the bus routes and feel that we can run them safely, so we're having school," he said. "We feel fortunate; I know the other school districts would certainly like to have school."

Wood said he is not sure what percentage of the student population remains without power.

"But for those that can come to school, the schools will certainly be a warmer place," he said.

Sapulpa Superintendent Joe Crowder said all the district's sites have electricity, with Liberty Elementary School having partial power.

Fourth- and fifth-graders who attend Liberty will be bused to Freedom Elementary, and the employee day care will move from Garfield Elementary to Woodlawn Elementary, he said.

Union, Sperry, Skiatook and Collinsville school district officials announced Wednesday they were canceling classes for the rest of the week.

Jarod Mendenhall, assistant superintendent for support services at Union, said Wednesday afternoon that five buildings still are without power.

"It's just the right decision to make at this point. We have families and employees that are displaced right now trying to find shelter, so we feel it's important to let them know where we're at," he said.

Mendenhall estimated that approximately 25 percent of the district's student population remained in homes without power, based on the neighborhoods surrounding the five school sites that still are in the dark.

Keith Isbell, spokesman for Broken Arrow Public Schools, said 11 of the district's 24 sites remain without power.

Sand Springs Superintendent Lloyd Snow said Wednesday only one of the district's school sites has power.

"Certainly, we've called school for tomorrow and likely Friday, but we'll make the Friday call tomorrow," Snow said. "We're just caught in this zone of challenge of no electricity and some water, and all of those things that lots of folks are dealing with."

Sperry Superintendent Jerry Burd said none of the district's sites had power Wednesday afternoon.

"We're trying for Monday. PSO thinks we will have power at the main campus," he said.

Jenks Public Schools spokeswoman Tara Thompson said there was power at Jenks Middle School, but Southeast Elementary and East Intermediate and Elementary were without power Wednesday.

Collinsville Public Schools officials hope to be in session on Monday, Superintendent Pat Herald said.

"We have power in three of our five sites currently, but some of our major problems are our bus routes that have lines and terrible debris," he said.

School district closings

Tulsa-area school districts that have canceled classes for Thursday:

Tulsa (out rest of week)
Berryhill
Broken Arrow
Catoosa
Collinsville (out rest of week)
Jenks
Keystone
Liberty
Owasso
Sand Springs
Skiatook (out rest of week)
Sperry (out rest of week)
Union (out rest of week)

Nora Froeschle 581-8310
nora.froeschle@tulsaworld.com

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com