What makes us unique
- We are the official fundraising arm of Bartlesville Public Schools
- We are the only endowment exclusively providing annual supplemental funding to Bartlesville Public Schools
- We are strategically aligned with Bartlesville Public Schools leadership to support programs identified to accelerate student success
- We fund grants to local educators and celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding teachers
- We were created in 1985 to help Bartlesville public schools maximize and improve the quality of education for its students
- We are a 501(c)(3) organization
Our Mission
We provide financial resources, cultivate community partnerships, and celebrate achievements to engage students, empower teachers, and enrich learning within Bartlesville Public Schools.
Executive Director Blair Ellis
Blair Ellis earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. She has ten years of experience as an attorney. Blair and her family moved to Bartlesville from Ithaca, New York, in 2013. Blair’s four children all attend Bartlesville Public Schools.
Blair has been involved with the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation since 2016. During that time, she served in various roles, including secretary, vice chairman, and chairman of the governance committee. She has been the Foundation’s first executive director since 2017. In 2018 was certified as a Education Foundation Leader by the National School Foundation Association and has presented at several state and national conferences regarding school foundations. She is a graduate of Leadership Bartlesville, Class of 27.
When Blair is not working, she is spending time outdoors with her husband and their four children. She currently serves as Past President for Bartlesville Rotary Club, and Secretary for the Splash Club. She is the past Vice Chairman of the Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority.
2024-2025 Board of Directors
The Foundation has 19 civic-minded community leaders who oversee its activities and investments. The Foundation is an excellent vehicle for individuals who value education and choose to invest their charitable dollars to fund creative and innovative instructional practices to build a brighter future for our students and our community.
The Board meets at the Education Service Center on the second Wednesday of each month.
Officers
- Chris Batchelder, Chairman
- Donna Keffer, Vice Chairman
- Cindy Wray, Treasurer
- Nicole McKinney, Secretary
Voting members
- Nikki Benson
- Keri Bostwick
- Brian Coordsen
- Kourtney Craig
- Michael Dennis
- Bob Fraser
- Tracy Hammon
- Taylor Potter
- Tawny Saddoris
- Lori Silver
- Aaron Tesavis
Non-voting member
- Chuck McCauley, Superintendent, Bartlesville Public Schools
- Kinder Shamhart, Bartlesville Public Schools board member
- Kelsey Carmichael, Bartlesville Public Schools 2024 Teacher of the Year
- Earl Sears, Emeritus Board Member
Site Ambassadors
Each school campus has a BPS Foundation teacher ambassador.
Ambassadors are teachers who have been successful at writing grants to the Foundation and have a good understanding of what the Foundation does.
Our ambassadors are available to answer questions from teachers and administrators at their schools and assist them with the grant application process as well as provide an overview of our programs.