With teacher recruitment and retention still a priority for Bartlesville Public Schools (BPS), and childcare still a crucial need for BPS staff, school administrators recently announced that the District will significantly increase the amount it provides to offset childcare costs for its certified staff during the 2024-2025 school year.
Thanks to a generous contribution from the Arvest Foundation and a growing partnership with Tri County Tech, BPS began offering this innovative childcare benefit for its teachers in August 2023. With this benefit, BPS certified staff receive reduced rates on childcare at Tri County Tech’s Early Learning Lab, a 5-Star NAEYC-accredited child development center. They also receive priority waitlist placement at the center. Currently, BPS teachers receive a 20% discount on the cost of this childcare. Tri County Tech provides a 10% discount and BPS, with support from the Arvest Foundation, provides the remaining 10% discount.
District administrators see the value that the benefit provides to BPS staff. One elementary school teacher stated, “[w]ithout this opportunity, we would have more strongly considered me staying at home, rather than returning to the classroom.” Another teacher acknowledged, “it was a huge plus when deciding to teach at Bartlesville, rather than my local area school.” One of our newest teachers claimed, “[w]hen I heard of the new priority placement and discounted rates for BPS employees, I started packing our things in Oklahoma City and looking for a new home in Bartlesville…[we] owe so much to BPS and Tri County Tech for this innovative approach to solving a need that so many in our state are facing.” Currently, sixteen teachers are taking advantage of this opportunity.
Recognizing the positive impact on teacher recruitment and retention, BPS will increase its support of this initiative to 40% for the 2024-2025 school year. The District and the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation are in the process of securing funding to cover this increased commitment. The additional funding will give BPS certified staff the option to place their children in high quality childcare at a 50% discount, compared to the general public. The reduced cost, combined with the priority waitlist treatment, will allow BPS to remain highly competitive in its efforts to hire and retain the best educators in the region.
Community members are encouraged to contact Blair Ellis, the executive director of the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation, for more information on how they can support this initiative or programs. She can be reached at ellisb@bps-ok.org and (918) 336-8600 ext. 3523. Supporters can also donate through the Foundation’s website: bpsfoundation.org