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The Arvest Foundation recently announced a $15,000 contribution to Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation (BPSF).

Arvest local bank president Kim Adams and Arvest community and business relations advisor Chris Batchelder presented the check to Blair Ellis, executive director of BPSF and to Chuck McCauley, superintendent of Bartlesville Public Schools.

In a statement, Adams said: “We are happy to present this donation on behalf of the Arvest Foundation to support Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation’s mission to advance quality education in Bartlesville public schools."

Ellis said the BPS Foundation is grateful to receive the funds from the Arvest Foundation.

The funds will support current BPS needs for the upcoming school year. The first priority is personal protective equipment and related supplies for a safe reopening of schools in the midst of COVID-19. These provisions include face coverings, plastic partitions and social distancing signage as needed. These crucial supplies will provide safety measures for students, teachers and staff for them to return to school safely.

An additional priority as the school year approaches is a focus on the district’s agriculture education. As this program expands, the necessity for curriculum material and equipment is needed for students to be competitive across the state.

Ellis said Bartlesville Public Schools wants the Ag program to be one of the best in the region, and in order to do that, the District needs innovative equipment to train their students with. She said the donation from Arvest will go a long way of help them accomplish this goal.

A new plasma cutter would allow all Ag-Ed students to apply their hands-on skills and STEM knowledge to make precise cuts in steel plates. Used across many industries, the plasma cutter will help students to develop skills essential to many agriculture and STEM-related careers.