Epic's Texas plan halted
Epic Charter Schools' expansion into Texas has been halted just a few weeks before the start of the new school year.
On June 5, Epic announced it had a deal with iSchool Virtual Academy of Texas, a public charter school, to offer students there in grades 3-12 its blended learning model. iSchool Virtual Academy's governing board approved the contract with Epic on June 14.
The charter school's operator tells the Tulsa World it needed approval from the Texas Education Agency and it has decided to withdraw the contract for consideration amid new revelations about a criminal investigation into Epic.
Billy Rudolph, a spokesman for Responsive Education Solutions, said: “Any potential future agreements will not be discussed until the release of a public statement from the state of Oklahoma deeming all allegations erroneous.”
Responsive Education Solutions is a nonprofit based in Lewisville, Texas, that serves more than 20,000 students on more than 70 campuses across Texas and Arkansas.
The website and social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram that Epic had rolled out in early June for Epic Charter Schools Texas have all been taken down.
In a prepared statement, co-founder David Chaney said Epic remains hopeful its Texas expansion efforts will proceed.
“The contract between EPIC and Responsive Education remains in place, though the partnership will not be operational during the fall semester as originally planned,” Chaney said. “We hope to move forward once our program is cleared by investigators, as we believe it will be.”
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is looking into allegations of embezzlement, obtaining money by false pretenses and racketeering at Epic, the state's largest online school system.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education's law enforcement arm have also been probing Epic Charter Schools' student enrollment practices and finances for the past several years.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Kevin Stitt requested an investigative audit of Epic Charter Schools and its related entities by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector.