Taloga Times-Advocate

January 12, 2017

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12
2017
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Taloga Times Advocate

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OKLAHOMA CITY EPIC
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largest school system in Oklahoma, according to official enrollment data collected by the
Oklahoma Department of Education. The data shows marked
growth for EPIC, which ranked
20th in enrollment for the previous school year.
Annually, the SDE collects ofFLDOHQUROOPHQWGDWDIURPHDFK
Oklahoma school district on or
around Oct. 1It adjusts and bases
each school districts state funding on that data. It also collects
various other data each fall in
such areas as school personnel
and class size.
EPIC Superintendent David
Chaney said the charter school
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per student based on its student
enrollment of 9,079 students. He
said since EPIC was founded in
2011, its funding has always been
adjusted upward in January during the midterm funding adjustment because, by law, the SDE
has to provide the charter schools
initial funding based on an Aug. 1
student count, However, on Aug.
1, enrollment is ongoing and is
more than a month before EPICs

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Educators have learned that
EPIC teachers are compensated
well, and we are receiving about
20 applications for every teaching
position, Chaney said. Performance pay may not be for every
school district, but the model has
worked well for our growing
charter school, especially amid a
teacher shortage crisis.
EPIC is a charter school with
a blended learning model that
pairs online learning with faceto-face and regular one-on-one
instruction. Other data regarding
the school based on information
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2017 year includes:
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ratio: 31:1
$YHUDJH SULQFLSDOWHDFKHU
ratio: 25:1
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RIVWXGHQWVHFRQRPLFDOO\
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RIVWXGHQWVSURYLGHGVSHcial education:13 percent
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EPIC below grade level/math:
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EPIC below grade level/reading:
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middle/high school students:

Room 205 of the Adminis1XPEHURI2NODKRPDFRXQtration Building. Advance
ties with EPIC students: 77
tickets are $5 for SWOSU stu7RSFRXQWLHVZLWK(3,&
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enrollment (in order): Oklahoma,
and $10 for the general pubTulsa, Cleveland, Creek, Canalic. All tickets at the door are
dian, Rogers, Pottawatomie, Kay,
$20.
Payne and Carter
Labeled an artistic phenomenon FLY crosses street
school year begins. The school
experiences significant growth
between Aug. 1 and the end of
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Historically the size of our
mid-term adjustment has given
the appearance that our funding
is being increased, and some have
even suggested at the expense of
other districts. That is not true. In
reality, the SDE is simply playing
catch-up, providing funding to
educate students who have been
enrolled and are being served, but
for whom we werent receiving
any funding. Moreover, EPICs
per pupil funding is nearly the
lowest in the state and in a state
that ranks almost dead last in the
nation in per pupil funding, said
Chaney.
Yet Chaney said EPIC optimizes its state funding, dedicating
more to the instruction of students
than the state average. Moreover,
RFLDOGDWDUHSRUWHGE\(3,&WR
the state for this school year sugJHVWVLWSD\VWHDFKHUVVLJQLFDQWO\
above the statewide average.
The charter school bases each
teachers pay on the academic
performance of his or her student
roster and student retention.
EPICs average teacher salary is
$51,131, compared to the state

The Gentlemen of HipHop Coming to SWOSU

The Gentlemen of HipHop, an all-male contemporary dance company from
Houston (TX), will perform
Thursday, February 2, at
Southwestern Oklahoma
State University as part of
the universitys Panorama
series

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The Oklahoman

KIPP seeks classroom space on south side

BY TIM WILLERT
Staff Writer
twillert@oklahoman.com

Two charter school

programs, including one
waiting for approval to
expand, are negotiating with a third charter to
lease space in south Oklahoma City, officials said
Monday.
The leaders of KIPP
Oklahoma City and Epic
Charter Schools are in
discussions with Chris
Brewster of Santa Fe
South Schools, a K-12
charter that is leasing a recently purchased
15 7 ,0 0 0 - s q u a r e - f o o t
building on the grounds of
the old Crossroads Mall.
We are very pleased to
be working in conjunction
with both of these school
choice options, especially
since both will be provid-

ing more high-quality

opportunities for southside kids, Brewster said.
Earlier this month,
Brewster confirmed the
$1.8 million purchase by
Charter Schools Development Corp., which provides capital financing for
charter schools in lowincome communities.
The
structure
will
cost $10 million to renovate and should be ready
in time for the 2017-18
school year. Thats when
Santa Fe South plans to
relocate 700 high school
students to the building
once occupied by Montgomery Ward.
KIPP, which operates a
successful middle school
on the citys northeast
side, is seeking to open a
new school in south Oklahoma City that would
serve about 470 students

in grades four through

eight.
This is going to be a
great partnership, said
Tracy McDaniel, who
oversees KIPP expansion
efforts. Not only for KIPP
but for Oklahoma City and
kids on the south side.
EPIC, a 9,000-student
charter that combines
online learning with faceto-face instruction, is
looking to expand existing
testing and special education centers in Oklahoma
City,
Superintendent
David Chaney said.
Weve
experienced
significant growth, which
means that we need more
seats, primarily for state
testing, he said. Its
a great location; its an
opportunity to be part of
a redevelopment and provide our families in that
part of the city and even

down into Moore and

Norman a better service
location.
KIPP is considering
35,000 square feet of
space on the buildings
second floor while EPIC
is looking at space on the
second floor between
10,000 and 20,000 square
feet, Brewster said.
KIPPs application to
expand, however, has
yet to be approved by the
Oklahoma City School
Board, which meets at
5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
McDaniel on Monday
said he was surprised the
item was not on Tuesdays
agenda.
I was led to believe
that about a month ago,
he said. There was every
indication that we would
be on the (Tuesday) board
agenda.
On Dec. 12, McDaniel

We just want a contract so we can offer

more seats to kids on the south side.
Were out of space and were out of room
and we need more quality seats.
Tracy McDaniel

said he was told by a district official overseeing

the process that it would
take a week to get feedback on the application.
McDaniel said he didnt
receive that feedback
until Jan. 12, which made
it too late to answer questions in time for the item
to be placed on Tuesdays
meeting agenda.
We just want a contract so we can offer more
seats to kids on the south
side, he said. Were out
of space and were out of
room and we need more
quality seats.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

McDaniel said the district, by law, has 90 days

to decide whether to
approve or deny a charter
application. That deadline
is Jan. 21, he said. After
Tuesday night, the boards
next regularly scheduled
meeting in Feb. 6.
In
the
meantime,
McDaniel said he has
reached out to the state
Education
Department
for an opinion on the matter.
If the district doesnt
put us up for approval,
Ive asked the state to do
so, he said.