OKLAHOMA CITY, OK —Epic Charter Schools has announced a sweeping round of layoffs affecting 357 employees, including 83 teachers and 274 administrative staff, as the school undergoes a major shift in its educational model for the upcoming 2025–2026 academic year.
Former employees say they were blindsided by the news, learning of their termination through email with no prior warning or explanation.
“I just received an email stating that my contract was not going to be renewed for the upcoming school year. They gave no reason whatsoever, no warning, and then literally within minutes my computer was deactivated,” one former staff member told News 4.
Affected employees will not receive severance pay but will continue to be paid through the end of June. Some believe the layoffs stem from prior financial mismanagement.
“To my understanding, it was a lot of us that were let go due to mismanaging funds,” said another former employee. “I was just mad, because these are people’s lives at stake — a warning would have been just courteous.”
In a statement issued to local media, Epic Charter Schools confirmed the layoffs and cited financial sustainability as the driving factor behind the decision. Starting in the fall of 2025, the school will phase out its Learning Center model, which had offered full-day, in-person instruction and on-site meal services. These programs will be discontinued in favor of emphasizing two other formats: the Epic One-on-One and Comet Academy models.
“Epic Charter Schools remains committed to our mission of serving 30,000 students and families across Oklahoma,” the statement read. “In order to continue delivering a high-quality educational experience and ensure long-term financial sustainability, our leadership team…has undertaken a thorough review of all areas of our organization.”
The restructuring comes as Epic continues to grapple with the aftermath of a post-COVID enrollment decline. At the peak of the pandemic, the school served approximately 60,000 students. Enrollment has since dropped to just over 30,000.
The school has faced scrutiny in recent years, including audits and investigations related to its funding and reporting practices. In 2021, changes to Oklahoma’s public school funding formula placed additional pressure on schools like Epic, which had previously relied on inflated enrollment numbers from the COVID-19 surge.
State Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Del City) was not surprised by the latest developments.
“It’s just a tragic reality and sadly, it’s something that I predicted four years ago now when we changed the school funding formula,” Fugate said. “The model itself — charter schools in general here in Oklahoma — can be fly-by-night school learning environments. There’s nothing that says they have to remain in business.”
Despite the layoffs and program cuts, Epic is still accepting student enrollment for the next academic year. The school says it is prioritizing displaced Learning Center families for enrollment in the Comet Academy program, which offers a face-to-face structure similar to the one being discontinued.
“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.”
As the school moves forward, many former employees are left uncertain about their futures — and questioning the leadership decisions that brought the state’s largest virtual charter school to this moment.
