7 days ago
EPIC Charter Schools lays off more than 300 staffers as it cuts learning centers
EPIC Charter Schools is ending its learning center model, effectively terminating 357 employees, including teachers and administrative staff.
The online-based charter school is closing two learning centers in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa. The sites were staffed with teachers from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for students who wanted in-person education.
As a result of the closures, 83 teachers and 274 administrative staffers lost their jobs, according to a news release from the district. The district described the move as a way to "align its resources with its educational priorities."
'This transition is about preserving and strengthening our ability to serve students for years to come,' said EPIC Charter Schools Superintendent Bart Banfield.
Rob Crissinger, a spokesperson for the school, said employees who lost their jobs were told about the closures on Tuesday, June 3.
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EPIC Charter Schools served over 27,000 students in 2024. About 1,400 students attended learning centers, Crissinger said.
The district said teachers will be able to meet one-on-one with students in the spaces where the learning centers were located.
In a statement, Shelly Hickman, communications director for the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, said the board will be looking into the matter, as it would with any school in a similar situation.
The charter school's announcement comes about seven months after the district laid off 144 employees in October 2024, including 42 teachers and implemented pay cuts. Those cuts occurred after 4,000 fewer students enrolled in the 2024-25 school year than administrators anticipated, as reported by online news outlet Oklahoma Voice.
At the time, the district reduced its teacher corps by 2.9%. This time, that number is 5.9%.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: EPIC Charter Schools cuts more than 300 jobs, closes learning centers
