Epic Charter Schools Board Severs Ties With Founders, Epic Youth Services

Epic Charter Schools and its private management company have agreed to end their 10-year contract.

Wednesday, May 26th 2021, 10:55 pm

By: Kristin Wells

OKLAHOMA -

The newly-elected school board for Epic Charter Schools has voted unanimously to sever ties with its founders, Ben Harris and David Chaney.

Epic Charter Schools and Epic Youth Services, its management company, will end their contract, effective June 30.

The separation comes after months of scrutiny from a state audit and subsequent investigation into Epic Charter Schools’ finance management.

At one point, the state was planning to terminate part of its contract with Epic, but the state settled with the district if they made changes, including no longer allowing EYS to manage the finances.

Epic Youth Services is the management company for Epic Charter Schools and has served that role since the school's inception in 2011.

The Board also voted to expand their board to six members and elected new officers to serve in those positions. Betsy Brown, Doug Scott and J.P. Franklin all submitted their resignations from the Board. Newly-elected members include Oklahoma businessman and Academy of Seminole founder Paul Campbell, forensic accountant Jon Tatum, attorneys Danny Williams Sr. and Ginger Casper. The two remaining members are Dr. Kathryn Stehno and Wyjuana Montgomery.

Campbell was elected board chair for Epic Charter Schools.

“There is a deep bench of talent among the educators and public servants employed at EPIC and they outgrew the management of EYS some time ago,” Campbell said. “Severing ties with EYS will result in tens of millions of dollars in savings and the school will be taking a significant leap forward in technology during the next 18 months for students, parents and teachers. Moreover, this Board is not open to contracting with an education management organization ever again, much less a for-profit company. Every dollar lost to a company like that is a dollar not invested in students. This school’s bottom line is educating and empowering students. Not turning a profit.”

Epic Superintendent Bart Banfield issued a statement following the Board's actions.

“We are thankful this Board has freed us to be completely focused on what is best for children. Our decision-making will be grounded in the answer to this fundamental question: How does this educate and empower students? We look forward to working collaboratively with the Board as we move forward to create exciting educational opportunities for Oklahoma students.”

Co-founders Harris and Chaney released the following statement about the contract termination, calling it a mutually-exclusive decision.

“Starting this school, watching it grow and flourish, and seeing the profound and positive impact it has on students has been the honor of a lifetime. We could not be prouder of our student body, our talented and hardworking teachers, or our administrators and staff.

“Over the last ten years, virtual education has transitioned from a small niche to an essential option that now exists in all 77 Oklahoma counties. That growth is nothing short of a revolution in public education, and it is one that has benefitted tens of thousands of families seeking safe, high-quality educational experiences that can be customized to their unique needs and expectations. None of that would have been possible without Epic, EYS, and especially the tens of thousands of families that have trusted us with their children.”

“At this time, we feel it is best for EYS and Epic to pause our professional relationship and to give each entity a chance to determine how to best serve families moving forward in light of the recent settlement agreement. While this is a sad and difficult decision for us, we believe it is in the best interests of EYS and, most importantly, the 50,000 plus students Epic Charter Schools and EYS currently serve.”