Epic Charter Schools cuts 357 staff members, phases out Learning Centers

Epic Charter Schools suddenly announced that over 300 staff members would not return for 2025-26, as part of implementing significant streamline measures to "continue delivering a high-quality educational experience and ensure long-term financial sustainability."

In a statement released on Tuesday, the school said it is not renewing 83 teachers and 274 administrative staff members for the upcoming school year, and phasing out the Learning Center model.

"These changes are not made lightly, but they are essential to align our resources with our educational priorities and to ensure Epic’s continued success in serving our students and families," the school said.

Beginning this fall, Epic will offer the two most popular models: One-on-one and Comet Academy.

"This will help to serve more students and eliminate the waiting list at Epic’s largest facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This change will open up additional space for Epic teachers to book in-person meetings for One-on-one, Comet Academy and clubs," the school shared.

Epic said that full-day in-person instruction Monday through Friday, and meal services for breakfast and lunch are no longer provided.

"We are grateful to every member of the Epic team for the passion and care they bring to our community,” said Superintendent Bart Banfield. “This transition is about preserving and strengthening our ability to serve students for years to come. We are committed to supporting those impacted with compassion and transparency.”

But according to Dulce Montoya, she's not seeing much transparency. "Now we're just kind of like in the air, like we don't know what's going to happen," she said.

Her kids have gone to Epic Charter Schools since 2020. She had just enrolled them in Epic for another year, but says she wouldn't have if she knew this was coming. "So now we're like, me and other parents, we're stranded," she said.

She says she feels bad for the teachers looking for jobs now. "For the teachers, I feel for them, the whole faculty, now that they have no employment, and they have to, instead of resting and recharging in the summer, they have to look for a new job," she said.

Enrollment is currently open for the 2025-26 school year. Epic is the state's largest public virtual charter school, serving approximately 30,000 students from PreK-12th grade.

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FULL STATEMENT FROM EPIC CHARTER SCHOOLS:

As we prepare for the 2025–2026 school year, Epic Charter Schools remains committed to our mission of serving 30,000 students and families across Oklahoma. In order to continue delivering a high-quality educational experience and ensure long-term financial sustainability, our leadership team, working closely with our new Chief Financial Officer, has undertaken a thorough review of all areas of our organization.

As a result of this evaluation, it has become necessary to implement significant streamlining measures. This process includes the difficult decision to adjust certain positions within the organization. These changes are not made lightly, but they are essential to align our resources with our educational priorities and to ensure Epic’s continued success in serving our students and families.

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, Epic Charter Schools will offer our two most popular models: the Epic One-on-one model and Comet Academy model. As we phase out the Learning Center model, we’re excited to give our Learning Center families priority in the Comet Academy model, which has a similar face-to-face structure.

This will help to serve more students and eliminate the waiting list at Epic’s largest facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. This change will open up additional space for Epic teachers to book in-person meetings for One-on-one, Comet Academy and clubs.

We will no longer offer full-day in-person instruction Monday through Friday. Meal services for breakfast and lunch will no longer be provided.

“We are grateful to every member of the Epic team for the passion and care they bring to our community,” said Superintendent Bart Banfield. “This transition is about preserving and strengthening our ability to serve students for years to come. We are committed to supporting those impacted with compassion and transparency.”

A total of 357 Epic employees were not renewed for the 2025-2026 school year:

83 Teachers of 1,401 (5.92%)

274 Administrative Staff of 732 (37.43%)