Bartlesville schools sets $36.7 million bond vote Sept. 10
By LAURA SUMMER World Correspondent on Jun 27, 2013, at 1:38 PM Updated on 7/02/13 at 8:52 AM
Education
Peter Markes always knew he wanted to teach. But it wasn't until he started making money playing the guitar in high school that Oklahoma's 2014 Teacher of the Year figured out he could combine the two.
If Luis Delarosa didn't know that he was missed at Thoreau Demonstration Academy before, his classmates literally spelled it out for him Tuesday.
BARTLESVILLE – A $36.7 million school bond issue will go before voters Sept. 10 under a resolution approved Thursday by Bartlesville Board of Education.
The bond issue would pay for the construction of a new ninth-grade center, as well as additional classroom space and a new cafeteria at Bartlesville High School, infusing $20.5 million into the Senior High campus to accommodate a plan to move freshmen and sophomores to the facility. Ninth- and 10th-graders now attend classes in a separate Mid-High building.
The bond plan would also move students from Madison Middle School into the Mid-High. The east-side middle school, which has suffered from deterioration, would be demolished, and $1.2 million in improvements would be made to the new Madison location. Central Middle School in downtown would undergo $12.1 million in renovations.
“We think this is an excellent plan,” Superintendent Gary Quinn said. “We are going to get to work and try to inform the community about it.”
Additionally, the bond plan would provide $1.4 million to pay for safety and security measures districtwide, $294,826 for new furniture and more than $700,000 for technology upgrades.
The board held a lengthy discussion on whether to include $5 million for storm shelters in the school bond proposal with the majority of members deciding there is a need to study the issue further to make sure they have in place a construction plan that will provide the highest level of safety before asking voters for the money.
“I really wanted to have (storm shelters) in this vote, but I don’t feel like we have a good enough plan,” board member Vanessa Drummond said. “I am worried about going out and asking voters for $5 million when we don’t really know what we want.”
Education
Peter Markes always knew he wanted to teach. But it wasn't until he started making money playing the guitar in high school that Oklahoma's 2014 Teacher of the Year figured out he could combine the two.
If Luis Delarosa didn't know that he was missed at Thoreau Demonstration Academy before, his classmates literally spelled it out for him Tuesday.
