Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Earlier in the week, Bartlesville Public Schools released a letter from Superintendent Chuck McCauley to parent that addressed how the district will share its initial safety plans for the new academic year and enrollment options for concerned parents.

In the letter, McCauley said: “Throughout the pandemic, our students, families, and district staff have remained vigilant, flexible, and patient. Our collaborative efforts have safeguarded each other’s health while fulfilling our district mission of educating and enriching lives.”

As we approach the 2020-2021 academic year, Bartlesville Public School’s recognizes the uncertainties regarding community health and the most appropriate and feasible precautions to ensure they meet all students’ educational needs. McCauley said there are multiple district committees working on safety measures and supplies as well as revised operational policies and procedures. They plan on sharing their initial plans on Monday, July 13th, realizing that those plans must continue to evolve as they learn more about COVID-19 and ways to reduce its impact.

Parents who are particularly concerned about on-site instruction should consider how the district offers three different options for any student's learning environment. Below is a description for each option with and accompanying chart from Bartlesville Public Schools:

Option 1 is a traditional classroom setting inside our schools.

Option 2 is a combination of online and on-site instruction to help students and families who may deal with intermittent health concerns.

Option 3 is an online virtual learning environment in Bruin Virtual School with instruction led by certified district teachers and which offers optional participation in school-sponsored athletics and fine arts programs.

All three options will provide continual access to submitted and/or graded online assignments as Bartlesville Public Schools expands their one-on-one Chromebook program across grades 3-12 in August and all grades by early autumn. BPS will continue to provide take-home devices for middle and high school students while providing classroom-based devices for elementary students which could be checked out during Distance Learning periods. Any students in Options 2 or 3 will be provided a take-home device. We also offer cellular hotspots when needed to ensure educational internet access for students learning at home.

Superintendent McCauley urges any parents interested in Option 2’s blending of online and on-site instruction to contact their school principal. Those interested in Option 3’s virtual instruction should visit BruinVirtual.com.