The Truity Education Foundation continues its loyal support of public education and the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation (the “BPS Foundation”) with a generous donation of $47,500. These funds will support the school resource officer (“SRO”) program within the Bartlesville Public Schools (the “District” or “BPS”), help sustain Bruins on the Run, the successful after school running and mentoring program for fifth graders, and fund student visits to Junior Achievement’s Biztown.
Over the past several years, BPS has invested heavily in school safety, adding seven SROs to the safety team over the past two years. Each BPS elementary school and middle school have one SRO assigned to each school and the high school has two officers stationed in its building. These ten SROs play an invaluable role within the schools. They are primarily expected to maintain safety, enforce the law, and keep the peace. However, they are also tasked with mentoring, serving as an informal counselor, and leading education discussions on topics like internet safety, stranger danger, safe driving, and due process. The District’s SROs take a proactive approach to policing – striving to cultivate positive relationships with students, maintain open communication, and focus on character development.
The SROs are trained and employed by the Bartlesville Police Department and assigned to serve within BPS. BPS is responsible for funding approximately seventy-five percent of the SROs’ salaries with the remaining twenty-five percent covered by the police department. Therefore, community support for the SRO program, like that provided by the Truity Education Foundation, is crucial for the District to maintain the positions.
With this donation, the Truity Education Foundation is also supporting Bruins on the Run, the District’s successful after-school running and mentoring program for fifth graders. Through this program, students run after school with their teacher mentors during the fall and spring semesters. The BPS Foundation covers all costs of the program from running shoes to race registrations. The students develop quality relationships with their teacher-mentors and learn the importance of commitment and perseverance – factors that play a positive role in graduation rates and students’ success in life after high school.
Remaining funds from the donation will support BPS fifth graders’ annual visit to Junior Achievement’s Biztown. Biztown is a hands-on initiative that gives students the opportunity to learn how a city operates and explore various careers. The visit is the culmination of a five-week study of basic economics, giving the students the chance to see their classroom lessons come to life in the simulated real world environment.
“The Truity Education Foundation is a valued community partner,” said BPS Foundation Executive Director Blair Ellis. “Each year, the Foundation’s contribution gives our schools the ability to expand and improve existing projects, and provide enrichment opportunities for our students. This year’s contribution is no different and we are grateful for this investment in the safety and well-being of our teachers and students as well as the opportunity to develop skills in our students that are crucial for their success after graduation.
Community members are encouraged to contact Blair Ellis, the executive director of the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation, for more information on how they can support BPS Foundation programs. She can be reached at ellisb@bps-ok.org and (918) 336-8600 ext. 3523. Supporters can also donate through the Foundation’s website: bpsfoundation.org.