Uncertainty abounds at Epic Charter School after cuts, resignations

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Epic Charter School is headquartered at the 50 Penn Place complex in Oklahoma City. The virtual charter school laid off 357 employees this month. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Families and educators at Epic Charter School now face a summer of uncertainty as the charter school system downsizes its staff, facilities and course offerings.
A leadership change and a state investigation have piled on top of the cuts. The virtual charter school's superintendent, Bart Banfield, resigned Monday, days after Epic laid off 357 teachers and administrators. Its deputy superintendent of finance, Jeanise Wynn, resigned April 11.
'There hasn't been much transparency about why and what are we doing,' Epic teacher and parent Sarah Kitterman said. 'What actions are we taking to make sure this changes and we don't do this again?'
Kitterman, of Edmond, said Epic lost programs that were difference-makers for students. Her own children benefited from a now-eliminated ELA+ program that offered bonus reading classes.
Students won't get that extra English language arts instruction without the program, she said, and it's unclear how Epic will repeat the 'incredible' learning gains that ELA+ produced. A similar Math+ program has been reduced to grades 6-12 only.
The closure of Epic's Blended Learning Centers is a loss, too, Kitterman said. The centers, which offered in-person instruction in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, often had waiting lists.
Students with disabilities especially sought a place at the learning centers, said Kitterman, a special education teacher.
'Does that mean that we're going to have an overload of students on our rosters now?' she said. 'We can't serve those students the same way that they were being served. So where do those students go?'
Epic announced it would give students from the learning centers priority in another face-to-face instructional option, Comet Academy.
Also gone are Epic's options for full-time in-person instruction five days a week, its school meal services, and all of its Chinese and Latin courses. Other services, like Advanced Placement courses, have been outsourced to other entities, some now costing a fee.
'These changes are part of our ongoing reorganization to better serve the 30,000 students statewide who choose Epic for their education, and to position the state's largest public virtual charter school for strength and success in the years to come,' the school told families in an email last week.
Members of Epic's school board spoke little of the school's financial situation Thursday in their first meeting since the layoffs and Banfield's departure. The board, which is scheduled to meet again Tuesday, approved a new treasurer, assistant treasurer and encumbrance clerk for Epic, who will join the new chief financial officer, Michael Flory.
The school board has yet to approve a budget for the 2025-26 school year, which must be done before the next fiscal year begins on July 1.
The Statewide Charter School Board, a state agency that oversees Epic, is now investigating the school's finances.
After its enrollment skyrocketed to over 60,000 children in 2020, Epic has steadily lost students and, as a result, state funding. An influx of federal pandemic aid funds also came to an end in September.
To make matters worse, Epic administrators significantly miscalculated when crafting their budget for the 2024-25 academic year. Enrollment came in 4,000 students short of what administrators expected, prompting a round of layoffs in October that cost 144 jobs.
The cuts continued this month when Epic slashed 83 teaching positions and 274 administrators.
Banfield soon followed out the door.
'At Epic, we often say, 'The only constant is change,'' Banfield wrote in his resignation letter, which Oklahoma Voice obtained. 'Over the course of this school year, it has become clear to me that it is time for a new chapter. With deep gratitude, I am formally submitting my resignation. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Board of Education, the Epic staff, and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of families who have chosen Epic as their school of choice since 2011. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you over the past 11 years. I wish you the very best. Go Comets!'
Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Justin Hunt will serve as interim superintendent while the board searches for a candidate to hire permanently.
'I appreciate the trust and respect, and (I'm) looking forward to moving into next school year for the 30,000 kids that need us and choose us as a school option,' Hunt said during Thursday's school board meeting.
As for Kitterman, she plans to return for her fourth school year teaching at Epic, and her three children will continue to attend, she said. Until this point, Kitterman has felt like a valued employee, she said, but the lack of transparency around the layoffs and cuts put that sense of value in doubt.
'I plan to stay as long as Epic is open,' Kitterman said. 'We've loved it, so that's my hope. It's just so scary.'
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