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Bartlesville Public Schools
Posted: May 27, 2026 12:47 PMUpdated: May 27, 2026 12:47 PM
Bartlesville Schools Planning Aug. 25 Bond Election
Nathan Thompson
Incoming Bartlesville Public Schools Superintendent LaDonna Chancellor says the district is preparing to place a bond issue before voters Aug. 25 that would continue funding technology, facility maintenance and several campus improvement projects over a three-year period.
Speaking during the Board of Education’s May 18 meeting, Chancellor said the proposed bond package would continue a funding approach the district has used since 2016, covering portions of operating expenses from 2027 through 2029.
Among the expenses included would be technology upgrades such as Chromebook replacements, desktop computers, interactive classroom panels and textbooks, she said.
“A big piece of it will be continuing to fund a chunk of operating expenses for those three years,” Chancellor told board members.
The proposal also would address building maintenance needs, including heating and air conditioning systems and roof repairs.
“Those don’t make good pictures on a flyer, but they’re really important when you’re sitting in the classroom to be comfortable,” Chancellor said.
The bond package also includes several facility projects aimed at improving student safety and accommodating growth in athletics and fine arts programs.
One proposed project would renovate the front entrance and office area at Madison Middle School. Chancellor said the current layout, designed in the 1960s, includes separate entrances for students and visitors and lacks adequate office space.
The redesign would create a larger lobby and more secure entrance similar to renovations previously completed at Kane and Wilson elementary schools.
At Central Middle School, the district plans to convert existing space near the new gym into a weight room. Chancellor said students currently are bused repeatedly between Central and Bartlesville High School for strength and conditioning classes because Central lacks its own facility.
“We’re busing students back and forth from Central to the high school for multiple classes a day,” she said.
The proposal also calls for expanding the high school athletic weight room at the indoor facility to address overcrowding. Chancellor said the facility was built before the district added a dedicated strength and conditioning coach in 2017 and no longer meets demand from daily classes and athletic programs.
Additional projects would support the district’s growing wrestling and band programs.
Chancellor said renovations are planned for an upstairs band room adjacent to the current wrestling practice area to create a second wrestling practice facility. Another nearby storage area would be converted into a dedicated girls wrestling locker room.
To offset the loss of rehearsal space, the district also proposes constructing a new band facility near the current indoor practice building along 18th Street.
Chancellor pointed to rapid enrollment growth in the high school band program, which increased from 89 students four years ago to 164 students projected for next year. Middle school band participation also has risen sharply, with about 250 sixth-grade students pre-enrolled for next year.
“The current facilities that we have just are not going to be able to accommodate the growth that we’re seeing in band,” Chancellor said.
The district is also preparing a separate transportation bond proposal to help maintain and update its vehicle fleet..
Chancellor said district officials are working with municipal finance representatives to finalize the bond resolution. Because the proposal must be filed with the county election board by June 10, the school board is expected to hold a special meeting in early June for approval.
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