Edmond school board approves consolidation of eSchool Virtual Charter Academy to two sites

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board convened on May 1, 2025, to discuss several key agenda items, including amendments to charter contracts and updates on legislative matters affecting charter schools in Oklahoma.

The meeting commenced with a discussion regarding an amendment to the eSchool Virtual Charter Academy's charter contract. Superintendent Tammy Shepherd had submitted a request to reorganize the school from three sites to two, with one site serving grades K-8 and the other for grades 9-12. The board noted that while the school board had not yet voted on this request, approval from the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board was necessary for the reorganization to proceed. Board members expressed support for the amendment, citing potential benefits to the school's operational efficiency and academic performance metrics. A motion was made and unanimously approved to change the charter from three sites to two.

Following this, the board reviewed the contract for the P3 Urban Montessori Charter School. The contract draft, prepared in collaboration with the general counsel's office, aimed to align with statutory requirements. The board noted that the previous organization had been dissolved and replaced with a nonprofit corporation. After a brief discussion, the board approved the contract, allowing P3 to move forward with its governing board.

The meeting then shifted focus to the budget for fiscal year 2026. The proposed budget remained consistent with the previous year at $6.7 million, with half allocated for the state agency budget and the other half for overseeing the Horizons program. However, the board was informed of a legislative request for state agencies to propose a budget reduction of 2%. The agency planned to meet this reduction by cutting research projects and pilot programs, ensuring that essential operations and salaries would remain unaffected.

In legislative updates, the board discussed several charter school bills currently progressing through the Oklahoma legislature. Notable among these was HB 2154, which would exempt charter schools from filing itemized statements of estimated needs and probable income, and HB 2153, which would allow charter schools to give enrollment preference to siblings of current students. Additionally, SB 705, which aimed to ensure state aid funding for growing charter schools, was highlighted as a significant bill that had stalled in the Senate education committee.

The meeting concluded with no further questions from board members, and the board expressed a commitment to monitor the legislative developments closely as they could impact charter school operations in the state.