Bartlesville teachers highest paid in Washington County

Bartlesville Public School teachers' salaries are 14% higher than other public teachers throughout Washington County school systems, Superintendent Chuck McCauley told the E-E recently.

"We have the highest paid teachers in this area. We're very fortunate in Bartlesville to have the resources we do," he said.

The higher pay is partly a result of bond funding, which allows the district to set aside more general funding for teachers' pay.

Last summer, Bartlesville voters approved a $28.5 million bond proposal that includes the construction of a new vocational agricultural center, the expansion of offices, lobbies and front facades at Kane and Wilson elementary schools; technology, safety, fine arts instruments and uniforms, building maintenance and school curriculum such as textbooks, library books and laboratory science equipment.

"Having bond funds for operational items and having a growing student enrollment allows us to invest more of our general fund dollars into teachers' salaries," McCauley said.

Since 2018, BPS has increased certified teacher salaries by 26%, which is a strong step toward retaining good teachers rather than losing them to other districts, he said.

"This year, we'll have the highest paid teachers in this half of the state," McCauley said.

Support for teachers is critical

An even larger issue is ensuring teachers have the support they need and BPS is committed to investing in teachers so that kids have a quality education system.

"The most important person is that teacher in the classroom who helps kids learn," McCauley said.

More:Teacher shortage won't end anytime soon, BPS superintendent says

In the last couple of years, BPS has added more school nurses, school counselors and an extra elementary school principal. The district's school board recently voted to hire six new school resource officers.

BPS is also adding more professional training opportunities for newer teachers, despite the absence of additional state funding for such initiatives.

"Ideally, I hope that we can have competitive per-pupil funding," McCauley said. "Our teachers now have a competitive salary and that's a piece of it. But I hope one day our state will raise our per-pupil funding."

Per-pupil funding refers to the amount of funding the state invests in its schools based on enrollment.

Oklahoma is dead last in the region in the amount of per-pupil expenditures and near the bottom nationally, according to the National Education Association's latest rankings

Several studies have shown that per-pupil funding from the state is positively associated with better student outcomes − translating to higher test scores, higher graduation rates and sometimes higher wages as adults.

"I'd really like to see Oklahoma make that investment in our students," McCauley said. "It's really a need, not just in Bartlesville but throughout the state of Oklahoma."

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville teachers highest paid in Washington County