Education: State of Schools

State of Schools

Superintendent Chuck McCauley Discusses District

by Chuck McCauley

The Bartlesville Public School District has again been recognized as a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished District for its outstanding STEM program at every district school. This meant all six of the district’s elementary schools, both of its middle schools, and its high school each earned Distinguished School status for 2020-21. Bartlesville is one of just 17 districts across the U.S. to receive this honor and the only district with that status in Oklahoma.

Many projects will be completed over this summer while the buildings are empty.

New Promethean ActivPanels are being installed at Hoover, Jane Phillips, and Richard Kane elementary schools to replace decade-old projector-based electronic whiteboards; the other three elementary schools had that upgrade last summer. Central Middle School is being outfitted with new porcelain steel whiteboards. Richard Kane, Ranch Heights, Plant Services, and Bartlesville High School will be receiving new carpet. The soccer fields at Bartlesville High School are being renovated, as well.

Crosswalk signals will be placed at Richard Kane, Wilson, and Ranch Heights elementary schools. New playground equipment is being installed at Central and Wilson, while Jane Phillips will be getting upgrades to its playground surface and drainage systems. Fire alarms will be upgraded at Richard Kane and Jane Phillips, plus the elevators at Bartlesville High School and Madison Middle School will be modernized.

Districtwide, elementary restrooms are receiving upgrades and refinishes, playgrounds will be receiving new mulch, there will be various improvements of concrete and asphalt areas, and some new HVAC systems will be installed.

Preparations are being made to issue new Chromebooks in always-on cases to 6th graders who register at Central on July 28-29, 6th graders who register at Madison on August 4, and incoming freshmen who register at BHS on August 5. Additional Chromebook carts have been outfitted for elementary classrooms as we staff up to reduce average elementary class sizes across kindergarten through fifth grade.

Behind-the-scenes work includes transferring district network connections from the former Will Rogers school in the Pennington Hills neighborhood to the expanded Education Service Center at 11th & Jennings. A network switch replacement project is also being scheduled for the high school.

Most of the above improvements were funded by past bond issues. Voters will go to the polls on August 10 to vote on two bond issue questions as part of our new normal of having school bond issues every two years which are designed to NOT increase the property tax rate. Details on the proposals are at BRUINBOND.COM. Patronapproved school bond issues are how we can control our own destiny versus being dependent on fluctuating state and federal funding, and bond issue funding was essential in providing technology and curricular support to help us expand virtual offerings to give families choices and support in weathering the pandemic. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is August 3, and there will be early voting at the county courthouse on August 5 and 6, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as regular voting at all district polling places from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 10.