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Bartlesville Public Schools

Posted: Mar 27, 2018 3:55 PMUpdated: Mar 27, 2018 3:55 PM

BPS Waiting To See Decisions Before Planned Walkout

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Ben Nicholas

Bartlesville Public Schools could be in session on April 2.

According to a press release, if the Senate acts to approve a package of education funding bills the House passed on Monday, classes would be as normally scheduled. However, if a grand bargain does not pass both chambers before Monday, Bartlesville will suspend classes to allow teachers to join in a statewide walkout. The House bills addressed what Bartlesville superintendent Chuck McCauley identified as the district’s key issues: a meaningful teacher raise for the 2018-19 school year, more operational funding for schools, and reportedly filling the state budget hole to prevent more cuts.

The bills would provide an average teacher pay raise of about $6,100 via increases in the minimum salary schedule ranging from $5,001 for a starting teacher with a bachelor’s degree to $8,395 for a teacher with a doctorate and 25 or more years of experience. They would also provide a $1,250 wage increase for school support employees. Reportedly an additional $50 million would be available to fund textbooks and school operations across the state. A final component of the House package would provide pay raises of $750 to $2,000 for state employees.

The Senate will consider the bills this week. If it amended one or more bills, they would then return to the House. That could delay final action from both chambers until late this week or, more likely, into next week. 

Superintendent Chuck McCauley conducted a survey that gleaned responses from 280 of the approximately 400 Bartlesville teachers. Three-fourths of the responding teachers indicated that Senate passage of a package like that which passed the House last night would be sufficient for them to remain in their classrooms on April 2 and not participate in a walkout.

McCauley noted that this sort of  “grand bargain” would only be a beginning in addressing school districts’ operational funding needs. In future fiscal years the legislature would also need to provide additional teacher raises to continue to address the statewide teacher shortage. 

Monday night was the first time since State Question 640 was enacted in 1992 that the House passed a tax increase with the required 75% super-majority.


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