Building something special for Bruin family

(Published Sunday, June 22, 2008 in Examiner-Enterprise)

Summer is a season of building within the Bartlesville Public School District.

Though students are on break, work is being done at sites throughout the district. The field at Custer Stadium is in the midst of a major upgrade involving high quality artificial turf which is being installed. Wayside and Ranch Heights elementary schools are receiving new heating and air systems, new ceiling tiles, made-over restrooms and revitalized corridors, all courtesy of the $29.95 million bond issue which passed last year. In addition, classrooms are being painted, cabinet work is being done and the gymnasiums are receiving some repair work.

A seven-room addition – another product of the bond issue – is being made at the Bartlesville Mid-High School . The addition will turn the horseshoe shape of the facility into a full oval, allowing for more classroom space while also clearing up some areas of congestion in the hallways. The new first-floor classrooms will be mainly utilized for freshman studies.

Though much rain has fallen in the area of late, work continues on the new softball field which is located between the Mid-High and Hoover Elementary School campuses. Soon to be home to the Lady Bruins varsity and junior varsity squads, it will be a fresh facility in which the entire community can take a great deal of pride.

Though we're just a few weeks into it, this summer has already been very productive.

Wayside and Ranch Heights can both be found in growing areas of Bartlesville , thanks to new housing additions which lie close to both schools. As mandated by the 2007 school bond issue, the next few years will see eight new classrooms added at Ranch Heights while Wayside will receive six. The work currently being done at Ranch Heights and Wayside will give both buildings a nice, new look. The heating and air work will give the schools new, energy-efficient systems which will add comfort while saving money as well.

Once the work is done at Ranch Heights and Wayside – in time for the start of the 2008-09 academic year in August – the buildings will have a warm welcoming feel while being brightly lit. A new canopy above the front entrance at Wayside will make the school more inviting as well.

The new turf at Custer Stadium comes courtesy of a $650,000 donation made by the Bartlesville-based Lyon Foundation. Once the work on the field is completed, it will be dedicated as E.H. “Ted” Lyon Field at Custer Stadium, a salute to the founder of the Lyon Foundation. While the turf will look and feel like grass, we won't have a problem with mud and it will be able to stand up better under regular use. In addition, maintenance fees for chores such as mowing, watering, lining and fertilizing will no longer be an issue.

Though weather has been an issue as far as the work being done on the field, it is still expected to be finished by early August, well in time for the beginning of the 2008 football season. There is no doubt in my mind that the community will be quite proud of E.H. “Ted” Lyon Field, which will come complete with a large Bruin logo at mid-field.

Work is being done on the interior of Custer Stadium – where classes are held – as well. Many of the rooms are being repainted while ceiling tiles in the corridor are being replaced to give the space a clean and up-to-date look.

Though Mother Nature has offered little in the way of cooperation, the new Lady Bruin Softball Field is still on schedule for its late summer debut. The Lady Bruins' first regular-season home game is slated for Aug. 12 against Stillwater . The building which houses the concession stand, restrooms and press box is close to completion as is the canopy which will provide comfort from the elements for those in the stands. The scoreboard is expected to be installed next month.

The district's maintenance and custodial staffs have been very busy this summer, cleaning every building in anticipation of the 2008-09 academic year. We are painting as many classrooms as we can, which is always a challenge. The Bartlesville Public School District features more than a million square feet of building space, not to mention acres of lawns which need to be regularly mowed and maintained.