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The Bartlesville School Board approved the purchase of 14 new school buses Thursday evening when they passed their consent agenda unanimously minus absent members Boswell and Vaclaw.

The purchase comes after voters approved two school bond issues this past August in a record turnout that provided a total of $17.9 million through the end of the 2023 fiscal year. One, of which, was a separate transportation bond question that approved $1.8 million for buses and other vehicles.

Superintendent Chuck McCauley says,”They’ll be thirteen regular route buses and one is being ‘spected out’ for special education students so, we’ll have a total of 14 buses. And what that’ll do is replace all of our buses over 10 years old.”

As for what will become of the older buses, McCauley says, “Once the new buses are in, which we antici[pate will be the end of the school year, we’ll declare those older buses as surplus and we’ll have an auction and give an opportunity for them to be sold.”

Earlier in the meeting, the Bartlesville Education Promise presented the board with their latest award. They were recently recognized by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence for their elementary reading program.

Lastly, the board begins the task of searching for a new Athletics and Activities Director after the untimely passing of Spence Rigdon. Superintendent McCauley says,”We are continuing to fill in with our existing staff. In December, we’ll be opening up that position and take applications and start the interview process after the beginning of the year.”