Bartlesville Public Schools

An elementary school at 3000 Wayside Drive was built in 1959 in the Limestone Dependent School District for $125,080. Like Ranch Heights, it began with four classrooms, an all-purpose room, lunchroom, kitchen, teacher's lounge, and principal's office.

In 1962, the Limestone District was annexed into Bartlesville Public Schools. That same year, Wayside grew just as Ranch Heights had the previous year: a $240,620 addition added six classrooms, an auditorium, music room, and altered kitchen and lunchroom.

A 1983 bond issue provided $1 million for an addition, and five more classrooms were added to Wayside in a 1993 bond issue. A 1998 bond issue provided air conditioning in the gymnasium, and a 2000 bond replaced a major retaining wall behind the school and removed fabric and vinyl wall covering from interior walls, which were then textured and repainted.

In May 2007 a bond issue was approved that included seven new classrooms for the building and would improve parking and traffic flow for the site. In September 2007 the Bartlesville School Board approved a contract with Ambler Architects to provide architectural services to the District for the future addition. In December 2007 Boldt Construction, Inc. was contracted to provide construction management services for the project. During the summer of 2008, a new entrance canopy was installed as well as new heating and air systems, new ceiling tiles, made-over restrooms, and revitalized corridors. Classrooms were painted, cabinet work done, and the gymnasium received upgrades. Hallways had large signage for their grade level, and each room was equipped with an electronic whiteboard and projector.

In November 2009 the Board approved additional contracts with Ambler ($156,960) and Boldt ($170,722) for design and construction management of a new office area and new early childhood classrooms, forming two four-classroom pods clustered around an open commons area, which opened in August 2011.

In 2020 the electronic whiteboards and projectors in the classrooms were replaced with large touchscreen displays.

In 2023-2024, a $12,538,637 addition and renovation were completed, with a primary goal of expanding the school to where it could host up to five classes of each grade level from Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade.

The Early Childhood pods of 2011 were renovated into a new library and expanded offices. The original library became two classrooms, and a music room was eliminated from the cafeteria to restore its dining space.

Ten new early childhood classrooms were constructed in a new wing to the northwest, built to serve as an all-school storm refuge. The addition also included a new music room, art room, and restrooms. An additional special education classroom, restrooms, and corridors were added to the southwest ends of the earlier wings to improve traffic flow.

Three houses along Loris Lane were purchased and razed for a construction lay-down area that then became a new early childhood playground. Property was also purchased southeast of the school on the east side of Jefferson Place that was transformed into a parking lot.

There were also interior and exterior finish improvements, including rebricking the northeast side of the gym and refinishing corridors.

The school has grown to serve over 1/4 of the district's elementary students. Wayside now serves more students across Pre-Kindergarten through Fifth Grade than Central Middle School serves across grades 6-8 from the Wayside, Richard Kane, and Jane Phillips elementary schools.