PATHS TO INDEPENDENCE: School completes move to larger building

Aug. 07--Students enrolled in Bartlesville's Paths to Independence will have a fresh start to school, starting off the fall semester in a new setting.

Clair Bartley, co-founder of the private school for students on the autism spectrum, said the big move from the school's former location near the eastside tag office on 4041 SE Sheridan Road to its new home at the Will Rogers Complex is now finished.

An open house will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.Aug. 15, and then the doors will open for the first day school on Aug. 17.

Bartley expressed her gratitude to the dozens of individuals and several volunteer groups, including at the Walmart Distribution Center, Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips, who helped transfer items from the cramped building to the much more spacious facility on Frank Phillips Boulevard.

"Tables, chairs, refrigerators, all school supplies, books, the whole library got moved. We had a print shop at the old building, so we moved all of that," said Bartley. "We had a room with a big trampoline and they moved all of our playground equipment that needed to be moved, and we had some sandboxes that Siemens built for us last year, so it was a lot."

As she wraps up some school housekeeping, Bartley is excited about starting the academic year under a new roof.

"There's a lot more room, which means we'll be able to have space for everyone," said Bartley, who added that the new set-up will be more efficient.

Beforehand, students received instruction at the original building, which was formerly a daycare facility, and at the nearby former Life Church facility. Attendance at the school has grown from one pupil in 2011 to nearly 50 students today.

"We weren't thinking it would grow this fast. We've had to adapt. We started out renting just a little bit of the daycare building the first year. And then we rented more of the daycare building and then we were able to get a Lyon Foundation grant to purchase the building," she said.

Earlier this year, Bartley and Bartlesville Public Schools Superintendent Chuck McCauley discussed leasing options at the Will Rogers Complex for the growing PTI school.

"They had Will Rogers available for rent and one of the things we talked about was just the difficulty of raising funds to purchase a new building. Our building was too small and we had outgrown it," Bartley said.

The Will Rogers Complex, a former elementary school which has housed many different services for the Bartlesville Public Schools, is still home to technology services and a server room and technology department is still at the facility.

PTI is an accredited school and is eligible to receive the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship through the state of Oklahoma.

"We start at age 3 and they can stay through their 22nd birthday. We also serve a few adults with autism or employ them part time," said Bartley.

She added the teaching style often allows students to get up and move around, which helps make productive days in classroom.

"We have a lot more physical activity than maybe another school might have. It's really important for these students to have lots of movement and get out of their seats and run around," she said. " We also use structured teaching, so we have everything laid out very visually for them, so they know what to do and when to do it and what's expected.

"We work really hard to altar their environment, staff their schedule and whatever it takes to let them to be successful students. "

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