What Bartlesville voters should know about the $40.5 million school bond
Tim Hudson and Andy Dossett | The Wiley Post
Aug 20, 2026
Early voting begins Thursday, Aug. 20, on a $40.5 million Bartlesville Public Schools bond package that would fund school renovations, technology, curriculum, athletics, maintenance and transportation while keeping the district's sinking fund tax rate at about its current level.
Voters will decide two propositions Tuesday, Aug. 25, at their regular polling places. Early voting runs Thursday through Saturday at the Washington County Election Board office in Bartlesville.
Rendering shows the proposed $3.12 million renovation of the Madison Middle School entrance, which would create a single, secure point of entry and expand lobby and office space.
Provided by Bartlesville Public Schools
Proposition No. 1 asks voters to authorize $38.25 million in building and equipment bonds. Proposition No. 2 seeks another $2.25 million for buses and other transportation equipment.
"We want everyone to know the details of the bond," Bartlesville Public Schools Superintendent LaDonna Chancellor told the Wiley Post.
If approved, the bonds would replace debt that is being retired, allowing the district to keep its sinking fund levy at about 30 mills rather than increasing the rate, according to the district. That means approval is not expected to increase the district's tax rate, but it would maintain a rate that would otherwise decline as existing debt is paid off.
"We have to determine what are the facility needs of the district," Chancellor said.
She said bonding allows the district to pay for capital expenses without shifting money away from salaries and classroom staffing.
"A big part of the strategy of bonding is to fund capital expenses like curriculum, technology, safety, etc.," Chancellor said. "This has funding for those for three years."
Chancellor said 91.5% of district funding went to salaries last year and that using bond proceeds for capital expenses helps the district maintain class sizes.
Where the $38.25 million would go
While the district's main Bruin Bond materials group spending into broad categories, a more detailed breakdown is contained in the district's Bond Transparency Act notice.
The largest single allocation is $8.535 million for technology and communications equipment across the district. That includes Chromebooks, cellular hotspots, iPads, Smart Boards and other hardware, along with software, network switches, servers and wiring.
Another $8.24 million is allocated for infrastructure maintenance and renovations to existing facilities districtwide.
According to the district's Bond Transparency Act notice, proposed spending under Proposition No. 1 includes:
$8.535 million for computers, technology, communications equipment, software and network infrastructure.
$8.24 million for districtwide infrastructure maintenance and renovations.
$6.49 million for a new extracurricular annex at Bartlesville High School.
$4.455 million for textbooks, curriculum materials, STEM labs and modules, science lab equipment, broadcasting equipment and software.
$3.12 million for improvements at Madison Middle School, including its front entrance.
$2.685 million for districtwide athletic facility improvements, including wrestling locker room renovations and weight room construction, renovations and equipment.
$935,000 for furniture, fixtures and equipment, including cafeteria tables at Hoover, Jane Phillips and Wilson elementary schools and classroom furniture districtwide.
$750,000 for athletics, health and physical education equipment and uniforms.
$550,000 for musical instruments, equipment and instructional materials for band, orchestra and vocal music.
$475,000 for safety equipment, including fire alarm systems, automated external defibrillators, security cameras and software, radios and crosswalk lights.
$190,000 for copiers, scanners and duplicators.
$1.825 million for other building, equipment and school-site projects allowed under the bond proposition.
A district-provided chart shows how Bartlesville Public Schools groups proposed spending under the $38.25 million building and equipment bond.
Provided by Bartlesville Public Schools
Madison entrance would get $3.12 million
One of the bond's most visible projects would be a $3.12 million renovation at Madison Middle School.
Madison's entrance, designed in the 1960s, currently has separate access points for students and visitors, creating multiple lines of sight for staff monitoring who enters the building. The project would reconfigure the area into a single, secure entrance and expand the school's lobby and office space.
"When it was built, the school had different security needs," Chancellor said. "We need to have one main entrance for students and visitors."
Athletics and activities
The bond would put $6.49 million toward construction of a new extracurricular annex at Bartlesville High School.
The project supports changes the district wants to make for its growing wrestling and band programs. The district plans to convert an adjacent band room into additional wrestling practice space and repurpose a band and orchestra uniform storage room into a girls' wrestling locker room.
"We have had a lot of growth in the wrestling program and we now have a girls' team, so wrestling needs some more practice space," Chancellor said.
"We want to renovate space for a girls' locker room."
The new extracurricular annex would replace band space converted for wrestling while providing additional rehearsal and storage space. The district says the building could also accommodate STEM and TSA competitions and student leadership events.
"The band also needs to expand as it has almost doubled in the last four years ... and is projected to grow even more," Chancellor said.
Chancellor said 225 students participated in middle school band last year, while 250 sixth graders alone are enrolled in band this year.
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An additional $2.685 million is designated for athletic facilities districtwide, including wrestling locker room renovations and weight room construction, renovation and equipment.
That includes plans for a dedicated strength and conditioning facility at Central Middle School. Students currently travel to the high school for strength and conditioning classes.
"Central is busing to and from the high school and doing this almost every hour," Chancellor said.
The district also plans to expand the strength and conditioning facility at Bartlesville High School, where it says participation has increased since adding a dedicated strength and conditioning coach in 2017.
"We want to renovate and expand a weight room," Chancellor said.
Another $750,000 is designated for athletics, health and physical education equipment and uniforms.
Technology, curriculum and maintenance
Technology represents one of the largest pieces of the proposal, with $8.535 million designated for hardware, software and communications infrastructure.
The money could fund Chromebooks, iPads, Smart Boards and other hardware, as well as software licenses, servers, network switches and wiring throughout the district.
Another $4.455 million is designated for textbooks and curriculum materials, including physical and electronic textbooks, STEM labs, science lab equipment, broadcasting equipment and software.
The district also proposes spending $8.24 million on infrastructure maintenance and renovations at existing facilities throughout the school system.
Additional districtwide spending includes $935,000 for furniture and equipment, $550,000 for music programs, $475,000 for safety equipment and $190,000 for copiers, scanners and duplicators.
The bond notice also sets aside $1.825 million for other eligible building, equipment and school-site projects. The notice does not identify specific projects for that allocation.
$2.25 million transportation proposition
Proposition No. 2 asks voters to authorize $2.25 million in transportation bonds.
According to the district's bond documents, the money could be used to purchase route buses, special education buses and smaller passenger vehicles for student and staff travel.
The transportation bonds would mature within five years.
District still has bonds authorized in 2023
The district's Bond Transparency Act notice also provides information about previous bond elections and outstanding debt.
Bartlesville voters approved $37.4 million in building and equipment bonds and $600,000 in transportation bonds in 2023. According to the district's July 15 disclosure, the district had not yet issued $29.06 million of the building and equipment authorization. All $600,000 in transportation bonds from that election had been issued.
The district does not issue the full amount of a voter-approved bond authorization at once. Instead, it issues bonds in a series over time, with debt from earlier elections remaining on the books as it is paid off.
For example, according to the district's Bond Transparency Act notice, the district has issued all $16.065 million in building and equipment bonds and $1.85 million in transportation bonds approved by voters in 2019. However, $4.055 million from a 2022 building bond series remains outstanding, with payments scheduled through 2031.
The district has so far used portions of the 2023 authorization for technology, textbooks and curriculum, athletics and arts, maintenance, safety equipment and other projects.
The proposed 2026 bond would continue that cycle as the district retires older debt. District officials say that structure would allow the sinking fund tax rate to remain at about 30 mills rather than increase.
Voting begins Aug. 20
Early voting begins Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Washington County Election Board office in Bartlesville and continues through Saturday.
Early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Washington County Election Board is located at 401 S. Johnstone Ave., Suite 4, on the fourth floor of Bartlesville City Hall.
Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 25. Voters can cast ballots at their regular polling places. Use the OK Voter Portal to locate your polling place and see sample ballots.
"Please check out bruinbond.com, be informed and please get out to vote," Chancellor said.
View the sample ballot for the Aug. 25 Bartlesville Public Schools bond election below.
Read the full Bartlesville Public Schools Bond Transparency Act Notice below.
