Proposed school bond issue would aid entire district

(Published Sunday, April 29, 2007 in Examiner-Enterprise)

Oftentimes, when it comes to a school bond issue, some areas or institutions will take center stage.

That was the case in 2001 when the $30.5 million school bond issue – which was passed by voters – resulted in several new upgrades on the Bartlesville High School campus such as the BHS Fieldhouse, the Fine Arts Center and the Science Wing. But while BHS certainly received help with that bond issue, all of the schools within the Bartlesville Public School District ultimately benefited.

That would be the case this year with the proposed $29.95 million school bond issue, which will go before voters on Tuesday, May 8. There's much talk these days about the growth that Bartlesville is experiencing thanks to new jobs being brought into the community. Thus, whenever the Long-Range Facilities Planning Committee gathered for several months to discuss upgrades throughout the district, they targeted three elementary schools that seemed certain to see increases in their respective student populations – Ranch Heights , Wayside and Woodrow Wilson. All three schools have seen new housing editions pop up in their districts recently, and many of those homes are occupied by young families.

Under the current school bond issue proposal, all three schools would see the addition of new classrooms – eight for Ranch Heights and six apiece for Wayside and Wilson . Also, the parking and drop-off/pick-up areas for parents and buses would be reconfigured at both Ranch Heights and Wayside, curing some serious traffic congestion problems.

While Ranch Heights , Wayside and Wilson – as well as the Bartlesville Mid-High School , which would see the addition of seven new classrooms – would certainly benefit from the current proposal, ultimately all of our schools would gain.

Improvements would be seen in areas such as technology, curriculum, transportation and general repairs. The general repairs would result in upgrades to restrooms throughout the schools in the district as well as improvements to carpeting, roofs and heating/air-conditioning as is necessary. Some of our schools have been in existence for awhile – BHS dates back to 1939 while Ranch Heights and Wayside were both built in the 1950s – which means repairs and upgrades are often unavoidable. Some of the restroom facilities have long needed upgrades, but funding isn't always readily available.

In the area of technology, the district would see upgrades of teachers' computers as well as computer labs for students as part of the proposal. Also, aging software would be replaced. New technology – such as great learning tools like interactive white boards – would be installed in many classrooms. Library technology would be upgraded throughout the district to assist students as they do their research.

New curriculum items would be added to keep up with the changing times and educational climate. In recent years, leveled readers have been introduced, which cater to the exact needs of each student. Thus, instead of just offering a student a second-grade level book to read, the leveled-readers allow for upper, average or low-level materials within each grade. Under the school bond proposal, many of the maps and globes within the district would be upgraded as well. Many of those items haven't been updated in the last six or seven years. As the world changes, so do maps and globes.

In the area of transportation, the school bond issue proposal would allow us to continue phasing out older buses while upgrading to newer models. Currently, some of the older buses in the district date back nearly 20 years. And oftentimes, after 10 years, due to the constant stopping and starting of the vehicles, the buses begin to break down. On a fixed schedule within the district, unreliable buses are a big problem, resulting in students not getting to and from school on time.

Also, the newer buses can carry more students and often have more safety features than the older models.