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Bartlesville Public Schools
Posted: Aug 05, 2026 2:03 PMUpdated: Aug 05, 2026 2:03 PM
Chancellor Talks Bonds, Growth, Chromebooks at State of the Schools Luncheon
Nathan Thompson
Bartlesville Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $40.5 million bond package later this month while continuing to expand career and fine arts programs and making a significant change to classroom technology.
During her inaugural State of the Schools address Wednesday at Bartlesville High School, Superintendent LaDonna Chancellor says the Aug. 25 bond election would fund operational needs, facility improvements and transportation without increasing property taxes.
The proposal includes renovations at Madison Middle School, expanded strength and conditioning facilities, additional wrestling practice space, replacement school buses and construction of a new extracurricular annex to accommodate the district's rapidly growing band program.
Chancellor says high school band enrollment has nearly doubled in four years.
"Four years ago we had 89 students who were part of the high school band. This year we have 164 students who are participating in the high school band, projected in two years to be about 200," she said.
Middle school participation has also surged, with sixth-grade pre-enrollment alone reaching 250 students this year.
The planned annex would provide rehearsal and storage space for band while also serving robotics, drone competitions and student leadership events.
Chancellor also spoke on the continued growth of the district's FFA program. She says the district just learned it is the largest FFA chapter in Oklahoma.
Chancellor says that's a feat accomplished in a short amount of time.
"In 2019, we started this program with one teacher, Marty Jones, in a classroom here at the high school serving about 65 students that first year," she said. "And since that time we've grown to a program that has four full-time ag teachers. One at each middle school, two here at the high school serving 350 students."
The chapter has also earned National Three-Star Chapter recognition, the highest honor awarded by the National FFA Organization.
Another major change this school year will be the district's Chromebook policy for sixth graders.
After reviewing feedback from teachers and parents, the district will no longer issue take-home Chromebooks to all sixth-grade students.
Instead, Chancellor says the devices will remain in classroom carts for instructional use.
"We're making a change," she said. "We're not going to be issuing Chromebooks to our sixth graders this year. Instead, we're going to provide carts with Chromebooks in each teacher's classroom so that the teachers and students have access to the resources ... but when they're not using those resources they can be put away and they're not a distraction in the learning environment."
Chancellor says the district will continue evaluating technology use at other grade levels as it seeks a balance between digital learning and traditional classroom instruction.
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