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Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) is one of two organizations to receive state recognition from the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA).

The OSSBA has honored BPSF and Tilley Trucking for exhibiting a strong commitment to community and for furthering education. The two groups are the recipients of the 2021 Barbara Lynch Community Partner Award.

BPSF Executive Director Blair Ellis says their efforts to engage with the community and get them involved with Bartlesville Public Schools played a major factor in getting this recognition. Ellis says they want to foster the culture in Bartlesville where public education is something everyone can support and advocate for now and in the future. She says BPSF wants to keep in touch with everyone and inform them about all the great things that are going on within Bartlesville Public Schools.

Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) and Tilley Trucking have displayed an extraordinary passion for their school district through support, donations and building community trust. Partnering with their school districts, BPSF and Tilley Trucking stepped up as a collaborative member of their community to improve the lives of the students, teachers and staff in their schools.

“The partnership between Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation, Tilley Trucking and their respective districts is an extraordinary example of community leaders investing in schools and children,” OSSBA Executive Director Shawn Hime. “Both organizations help create a foundation not only for trust, but for opportunities that will benefit students, school staff and their communities for decades.”

The winners recently were recognized at the annual Oklahoma State School Boards Association/Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration joint conference in Oklahoma City.

The BPSF has been crucial part of the funding initiatives for the Bartlesville school district for 35 years. Staying connected to the school and its community, BPSF has been essential to the district’s success. As a liaison for the school, BPSF has been able to communicate, with detailed knowledge, the district’s needs and priorities.

Pictured left is BPSF Executive Director Blair Ellis holding the plaque from OSSBA.

“Our foundation’s consistent and loyal support allows us to give our teachers and students opportunities they would not otherwise have,” Bartlesville Superintendent Chuck McCauley stated. “It reminds our teachers that they are appreciated by our community.”

BPSF has been integral to identifying financial and volunteer resources, including raising $300,000 in seed money for the expansion of the Bartlesville STEM curriculum, implementing a no-cost after-school running and mentoring program for 5th graders and collecting over $65,000 and 11,000 in-kind contributions in 2020 for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also awards over $50,000 grants every year to teachers for projects and programs, allowing the district to empower teachers, engage students and enrich its curriculum.

Ellis says BPSF credits the receipt of this award to the efforts the district has made to engage them in a true partnership as well as the loyal support of their corporate and individual donors throughout Bartlesville. She says the community has a culture of prioritizing public education, and the Foundation is honored to be a part of that culture.

Bartlesville Public Schools nominated BPSF for the award.

Created in honor of Barbara Lynch, who served on the Tulsa Technology Center Board of Education from 1986 to 2003, the community partner award honors organizations and businesses that go above and beyond for their schools. A committee of school board members that serve on the OSSBA Board of Directors reviews nominees and selects award recipients.