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Enid News & Eagle
tional films to their own category. up again for best director, Bong which had echoes of the surprise lined with the
Feb EPIC ‘H
10 Continued from Page A1 Co
2020 an open records request. lease office space at 50 Penn report directly to the board. aggressive in protecting its gr
“Epic is going to be Place in Oklahoma City for “That is something that interest at the state Capitol dr
wonderful to work with,” $19,470 a month and an is very unique to schools as its founders, lobby- es
Page Kent Lashley, Rose State office on 122nd Street for and we hope that action ist and more than a dozen Fi
A003 College vice president of $4,641 a month. Both leas- shows policy members and other individuals with ties
administrative services, told es are paid by Epic One on the public how committed to the school have donated Fi
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resized the campus newspaper last One, according to the line we are to transparency,” nearly $200,000 to polit- su
50% year. “They are going to item register obtained by Hickman said. ical campaigns in recent
make the building look a lot The Frontier. While Hickman said years. Recipients included do
From better, cleaner and safer; it’s More than $2.5 million Epic would be happy to State Superintendent Joy the
A001 been a great partnership all also was spent on technol- respond to any recommen- Hofmeister and Attorney Hu
around.” ogy services out of the Epic dations from an audit in an General Mike Hunter. the
Lashley, who is listed as One on One account. effort to improve financial Epic’s lobbyist, Robert wi
the primary contact on the Epic One on One’s line practices, the allegations Stem, a former Epic board
university’s contract with item register also shows made by OSBI have not member who also represents he
Epic, is married to Amanda payments for staff salaries, resulted in any charges. other clients, spent nearly “b
Lashley, Epic’s special edu- numerous education consul- “We have been fully $1,300 last year on meals
cation principal. tants, tutoring programs and cooperating with any inves- for legislators. no
Hickman said the rela- leases for testing spaces. tigators and I think we Despite the ongoing mu
tionship between a Rose While Epic One on One have shown we can with- investigation, Epic has been m
State College and Epic appears to pay for the bulk stand this type of scruti- aggressive in responding to “W
administrators is not a con- of expenses typical of a vir- ny,” Hickman said. “Words criticism, which includes fil- gr
flict of interest because tual school, the school paid have been used (by the ing a lawsuit against Sharp, the
neither can approve school Epic Youth Services more OSBI and the media) like who has expressed his criti- an
contracts or have any over- than $21 million in 2018. ‘fraud,’ ‘pyramid scheme,’ cism of Epic and filed bills so
sight of school contracts. “A charter manage- and ‘racketeering,’ but there to alter the way virtual char-
Kent Lashley also said ment organization is a pri- have been absolutely no ters are managed. wa
there is no conflict of inter- vate entity,” said Hickman, findings to support those In the lawsuit, Epic Fi
est. Epic’s spokeswoman accusations.” accuses Sharp of libel and Ok
“I am not the decision and the school’s assistant slander through various wi
making authority for the superintendent of commu- Growth and attention statements to the media.
college,” Lashley said in an nication. “Private entities But even amid the scru- do
email to The Frontier. “Our contract with whom they Epic’s rapid growth and tiny Epic has received in
Board of Regents voted and believe is going to pro- aggressive advertising cam- recent years, student enroll- &
approved the charter and vide the best services and paign on television, radio ment continues to grow. de
provides oversight. The they are allowed to do that and in newspapers has Epic leaders said their the
relationship has no bear- because they are private drawn attention in recent growth is proof its model is
ing on the board’s deci- companies.” years, including criticism desired by many Oklahoma un
sions regarding Rose State Emails to Harris and from some who question the parents, especially those ac
College or it’s charter with Chaney seeking comment school’s spending practices with students who are at
Epic Charter Schools.” were not returned. at a time when education risk of dropping out of a Fi
“Of course there’s con- While Hickman said she funding is tight for most traditional school because an
flict of interests every- couldn’t speak to the financ- public schools. of problems with academ- ap
where,” said Sen. Ron es of Epic Youth Services, Nearly a dozen bills have ics, mental health or bul- an
Sharp, R-Shawnee, who has she said the virtual charter been filed this year related lying.
been a vocal critic of Epic. school itself has taken steps to virtual charter schools, “These families came
Sharp said his review of to be as transparent as pos- including proposals to ban to us because something
Epic One on One’s expens- sible, especially after last spending on advertisements, wasn’t right in their previ-
es makes him wonder what year’s OSBI investigation changes in attendance pol- ous school,” Hickman said.
the for-profit company that was made public. icies and giving the state
The Frontier is a nonprofit focusing on
receives millions from the For example, Hickman Board of Education direct
school is doing with that said the school board for oversight over virtual char- investigative and watchdog journalism.
money. Epic recently hired an inde- ter schools. For more information or to donate, go
Epic charter schools pendent auditor who will But Epic has been to www.readfrontier.org.
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