Thursday was the first day of classes for students at Tulsa Public Schools.

For families returning to the classroom in the middle of the pandemic, the mood is a mix of excitement and concern. TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist says school starting is like New Years for educators. She says it's a fresh start, and while they're taking precautions against COVID-19, there's also a lot to look forward to.

"My kids are ready to get back to school,” said parent JJ Burnam.

Burnam has three kids at Tulsa Public Schools in 1st, 7th, and 9th grade.

"Distance learning was tough. I don't think many parents enjoyed distance learning, so we're really excited to have our kids back in the classroom,” Burnam said.

After a year spent mostly in online learning, Gist says today went smoothly. She says the safety practices the district has in place are important to follow.

"Not only because we want to take good care of and keep our staff and our students and all of their families safe and healthy and well, but also because we want to keep our students in school,” Gist said.

State law bans the district from requiring masks at school, so Gist says the district is setting an expectation for everyone to wear a mask inside the buildings. She says from what she saw, most students had them on today.

"If we didn't have state law right now that said that we were not allowed to require masks for everyone, we would absolutely do that. Because it's what we did last year, and it worked,” Gist said.

The new year also brings new opportunities for students. Gist says new this year, the district is expanding career tech education with added manufacturing classes and a construction program.

The high school's also expanding AP and college prep classes. Plus, there's a second Montessori school at Grissom Elementary.

"We have wonderful things happening in Tulsa. And so that makes for even more enthusiasm on these first days,” Gist said.

Gist says TPS will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases throughout the schools in the district, and they'll take any action needed to keep people safe.

For the full list of safety measures and the district's case count, click HERE