Bartlesville school board hears pre-K, staffing and construction updates; approves consent agenda

At a Bartlesville Board of Education meeting, district officials announced upcoming parent and enrollment events, reviewed recent staff training and staffing shifts, reported progress on the Ranch Heights construction project, and delivered a financial update before the board approved the consent agenda.

The teaching-and-learning presenter, LaDonna, told the board the district will host a parent panel on “the anxious generation” and that the event "is gonna be next Tuesday at the high school from 7 to 8," adding the panel will be limited to an hour and include time for questions. She said the district will tie that meeting to incoming-student enrollment nights and encouraged parents to attend other nights if they cannot make that date.

LaDonna also described recent staff training and the district’s next steps for classroom implementation. "Today, we had our 7 Habits training for all of our staff," she said, and said follow-up training for teachers that focuses on how to teach the program to students is scheduled for February 17.

On early childhood enrollment, LaDonna said the district’s annual pre-K roundup is scheduled for Feb. 25, and she said enrollment appointments open March 2. "This is an opportunity for [parents] to come and learn about why pre k is important and what their student's gonna be doing while they're in pre k," she said.

District staff described recent staffing shifts tied to enrollment patterns. Dr. Fussell said Wayside has added three teachers and that the district currently has capacity for five pre-K sections at Wayside and five at Ranch Heights "right now we're over at Wilson, we're under at Wayside," and staffing changes have been made to reflect those enrollment differences. He noted that, historically, cohorts grow between grades and that pre-K remains the most unpredictable factor for future class sizes.

Superintendent McAuley provided a construction update for the Ranch Heights project, saying the work is on schedule and "within the GMP." He said interior framing and mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in are underway, the north connector foundation began last week and a slab pour was scheduled for the week after the update. "The total project will be complete, end of July," McAuley said, and he added that the elevator pit has been dug and walls are framed to get the new portion above grade.

A finance staff member reviewed December revenue and district funds. The presenter said ad valorem receipts vary with county collection timing and reported that, "As of last Tuesday when I ran, we are up ahead of our GMP or our net assessed valuation collections versus last year at this time." The presenter said the building fund is "now officially a fund again," noted expected redbud payments arriving in February and June, and said Sarah Vermeer is "busy trying to invest as much as we can." The presenter also said Child Nutrition had been delayed and that the district only recently received its October claim.

On routine business, a board member moved approval of consent agenda items a through j; another board member seconded. The board approved the consent agenda by voice vote; members recorded “aye.”

The board scheduled its next regular meeting for Monday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. (date and time as stated at the meeting.)

Notes: The meeting transcript included several other ceremonial remarks and a proposed executive session on the superintendent’s employment and contract; those items are not covered here because they were not substantive policy discussion in open session.