Dozens of students from Oklahoma and at least four other states will be competing here later this week for spots in a national scholastic competition.

Kingfisher Middle School will be the host site of a regional final Saturday, March 26, for the International Academic Competitions.

The IAC organizes competitions in 40-plus countries, which includes the National Science Bee, National History Bee and the U.S. Division of the International Geography Bee.

Students advance through multiple rounds, which included an online qualifying exam in January.

Those who scored high enough on that exam advanced to the regional, which is being hosted here.

Students who place high enough this weekend advance to the national competition in Orlando, Fla., in June.

“I’m extremely happy to bring this event to Kingfisher,” said Melody Kuehn, a sixth grade science teacher at KMS who also is the sponsor for the school’s Robotics Club and Chess Club.”

After Kuehn learned of the competition, she worked with school ad ministrators to administer the free online qualifying test to all KMS students after the Christmas break.

Once she learned that nearly 300 of them reached the qualifying mark, she searched online for the regional site.

“There was nothing for Oklahoma,” she said. “In fact, there wasn’t one listed for Kansas or Texas or anywhere even remotely close.”

Kuehn noticed a link on the website to learn about being a potential regional final host.

She inquired and discovered KMS had all the necessary criteria to host.

Further inquiries led the IAC to quickly approve KMS.

“They (IAC) send us everything we need from the buzzers to the people who run the event,” said Kuehn, who is working as the local coordinator. “It’s mostly us putting up the building to host. There’s not a lot to it.”

Kuehn did seek - and find - “readers” for the competition and they’re compensated by the IAC. Other volunteers have offered to work concessions.

The event will begin at about 7:30 a.m. and will last until about 6 p.m.

There are three preliminary rounds for each bee, which includes elemen tary and middle school divisions. After scores are cumulated, the top scorers will compete in the finals.

Approximately 30 Kingfisher students will participate. Multiple other Oklahoma schools will send students to the competition. Students will also travel from Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.

While Kuehn may have “happened” across the opportunity to host this year, she said she hopes it becomes an annual event.

“I hope it goes off without a hitch so we can keep it coming back and grow it more and more each year,” she said.