[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6639218,"mediaKeyId","3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1","parentId",3842183,"title","Horizons program to continue from reserves after budget denial; PRISMS VR pilot shows engagement gains","audioSeconds",532,"startMs",2153000,"endMs",2685000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1&start=2153&end=2685","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1/thumbnail_2153000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6639218/Oklahoma/Horizons-program-to-continue-from-reserves-after-budget-denial-PRISMS-VR-pilot-shows-engagement-gains","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6639218-acf3b28242c87c09b1296d1428fdc65f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771101683&Signature=dT8OP8qU~gxtZlt6Vby~xFnAo-rE5N-jlLkTUWI5YHHb~fv5HNKyngE8vYGHGFTM5IFtTgjvmpoluSJ8pFf8Yms3ETKbP4tc9hPxj40atxe4yI6YKQJfup5cp0103PZGOAK9KpTf20Vk4viGwfgVLnyfX0ALekiDocZC3tyU8895TYlSPcjzuhX8DY2wGaC-9ErSAnynFEPd2Scp6DRC83lqldEVSIn8GBhjk3ZOmve6kP1OosO0-7DZiYZAzs9tYzd4krdLrn2rKaoZyOZr4Khbed3Lo4RO~zgodDBvk~1OQfE2X10KYUA-CBbHBFU9AZk2TZNJe6d1W0fkmxZnjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board","date","2025-06-10T08:44:51Z","article","Board staff told the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board that the legislature approved the board’s $3.3 million state‑agency budget request but denied a separate $3.4 million request to fund Horizons (the board’s Horizon digitally enhanced campus program). Staff said the Horizons program will continue to operate from prior cash reserves and the agency’s rollover funds and that the board will reapply in next year’s budget cycle.

“While the Oklahoma legislature accepted our state agency request in full, the $3.4 million for Horizons was denied,” a budget presenter told the board. Staff said Horizon leaders will begin the next budget cycle in September and plan to submit a revised request during the next session.

Program leaders reported operational and impact metrics for the 2023–24 academic year. The Horizon consortium provides AP courses and a range of digitally delivered courses to districts statewide; presenters said approximately 192 students completed AP courses through Horizon last year and that third‑party vendor arrangements served more than 23,000 student enrollments (the packet figure was corrected during the presentation). Presenters said the program’s subsidies and negotiated vendor pricing saved Oklahoma districts an estimated $2,247,488 in costs for third‑party courses last year; speakers calculated a subsidy cost of about $900,000 and estimated the per‑student subsidy at roughly $40 for third‑party vendor courses while noting AP is free to member districts. Presenters said Horizon membership expanded to about 370 school districts (up from about 196 the prior month) after a bulk agreement with OPSRC.

The board heard a detailed PRISMS (VR) pilot evaluation conducted in partnership with several districts. PRISMS presenters said the pilot delivered 8,140 VR lessons in math and science across participating sites; 28 days of coaching and in‑class professional development were provided and 66 teachers used the PRISMS pedagogy with roughly 2,716 active student licenses (about 3,889 student licenses counted across math and science in the program year). Key findings included:

- Student surveys: about 83.7 percent of students agreed with the statement “What I learned in math class is useful and important.” About 84.7 percent agreed they were able to work with peers on important problems; 80.1 percent said they believed the VR activity could be of value to them.
- CFU (checks for understanding) formative scores varied by site. Examples given: Kingfisher Junior High averaged about 78 percent proficiency on CFUs; Tahlequah sites reported CFU averages in the low‑to‑mid 70s; Tulsa Street School reported about 63 percent; Union schools exceeded the 80 percent target in some grades.
- Implementation lesson: Prisms staff and teachers emphasized that fidelity to the lesson arc — a short VR session followed by teacher‑led synthesis and peer work — produced better outcomes.

Jill Bowman, introduced during the meeting as the Horizon assistant director now hired full time, described her role leading teachers and curriculum design. “Students learn best when they know their teacher and they feel valued and important,” Bowman told the board, and she described building a team of Oklahoma educators to design AP and higher‑level curriculum for Horizon.

Presenters emphasized the program’s structural efficiencies (an estimated baseline saving of about $160 per student when comparing the number of students served to baseline costs) and said Horizon will host a summit in March for members and vendors. Speakers said further efficacy research collected with outside partners (WestEd was mentioned as a research partner for PRISMS) is in progress but that the legislative funding cut may limit the scope of future research projects.

Board members thanked the presenters and asked staff to pursue renewed budget requests and to share updated 2024–25 assessment data when it becomes available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","OKVCSB Meeting 06/09/25","oneSentenceSummary","Staff told the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board the legislature approved the board’s $3.3 million state‑agency request but denied a separate $3.4 million request to fund Horizons; Horizon leaders said the program will operate from reserves for the coming year while staff prepare a renewed budget request.","taxTitle","Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, Executive, Oklahoma","taxId",72888,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6639222,"John Rex announces downtown high school purchase agreement, plans to open freshman class in 2027",999,1016000,2015000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1&start=1016&end=2015","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1/thumbnail_1016000.jpg","/articles/6639222/Oklahoma/John-Rex-announces-downtown-high-school-purchase-agreement-plans-to-open-freshman-class-in-2027","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6639222-c49ae16ca968f5f62a1072906f1bc25f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771101683&Signature=LuU40HWNH7Ji24b1vvTvh0TKqEzGXvDkdI5GJ8wAih4ulzb0urji0E3zmuR8ik7FmUMj2OGLPlhAFPKcOcIiqwfKSaG9JhWVLY71JBbOyotwqgjpMpxes27NZenIQ9iMC5rFBvi8vlrF9COq37nGYwA2I2BNCQ5MkyDhhV5rw~LmC78twCrQPzGKKrYnc9LvtL5guuReHTRkxgBwCfOtqbOb9lO8nuzcrogM-rdXCtXeDDnmlfD922isDRmQFgR8p5ST7f7pJ81-IIJLTXZLj9~jlNIIYtkr7r3mkNqiQAK-pGbeC1-ADvqlkyvxzdeQ1F6A9ssjZjFx8qQu1jJl3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Patrick Duffy told the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board that John Rex — a downtown Oklahoma City charter authorized by Oklahoma City Public Schools — has signed a purchase agreement this morning for a three‑story, roughly 31,000‑square‑foot building at 615 North Hudson that the school plans to convert into its high‑school campus.

Duffy said John Rex will take ownership after a major tenant’s lease ends in May 2026 and that, pending the authorizer’s approval, the school plans to open a freshman class in fall 2027. “This is the facility that, as of this morning, I signed a purchase agreement for for a high school,” Duffy said. He added the school has not yet requested money from the board or other entities to complete the purchase.

The buy is part of a multi‑year expansion John Rex leaders described to the board. The school currently serves pre‑K through eighth grade and will add an intermediate school, a separate junior high facility and then a high school in stages. Duffy said the intermediate school will be housed in the McAlpine Center downtown with 14 classrooms for grades five and six and that the junior high will operate in the historic Carnegie Library building. He said the high school purchase is intended to give the school space for a comprehensive pre‑K‑12 pathway focused on STEAM and career pathways that connect students to Downtown Oklahoma City employment opportunities.

John Rex leaders described steady enrollment growth and demand. Duffy said the school serves about 908 students now and expected to have roughly 930 seats filled after building additional capacity; the school’s retention rate is about 87 percent and it had roughly 600–700 applications this year, he said. He told the board John Rex serves a diverse student body and provided the following snapshot for fiscal year 2024 and current enrollment: roughly 51 percent economically disadvantaged, about 12 percent English learners and roughly 13 percent of students receiving special‑education services. Duffy said the school’s per‑pupil revenue in FY 2024 was about $8,500, below the statewide average cited in the presentation (about $13,000 as of 2022).

Duffy said John Rex has received outside support for expansion planning: the school learned this week it was accepted to the Charter School Growth Fund and earlier received a CSP (charter school program) grant through OPSRC to support expansion work. He told the board the school is coordinating with the Oklahoma City Chamber and Metro Tech to design career pathways in areas such as health sciences, aviation, cybersecurity, coding and energy/engineering so high‑school graduates can enter downtown job opportunities or continue into postsecondary training.

Board members asked about feeder patterns and where graduates were attending high school; Duffy said many John Rex students were attending Classen and the city’s larger traditional high schools, and that the new high‑school pathway is meant to retain students through graduation and into city jobs.

The presentation included a brief description of John Rex’s facilities history: the elementary campus was built with MAPS for Kids funds and private donations and the middle‑school space was refurbished with philanthropic support from the Inasmuch Foundation. The board applauded the purchase agreement and Duffy offered to answer follow‑up questions as staff and the governing board prepare the charter‑expansion and authorizer approval materials.

Looking ahead, Duffy asked the board to note that site acquisition is one step in a multiyear plan. He said the school will seek authorizer approval, complete renovations, secure operating funds and phase students into the new high‑school program beginning with a freshman class in fall 2027.","John Rex Elementary leaders told the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board they have signed a purchase agreement for a downtown Oklahoma City building they intend to convert to a high school, and outlined a phased expansion plan that will add intermediate, junior high and high school grades over coming years.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6639213,"Board reviews first set of performance frameworks, debates raising academic weighting and approves application to federal facilities grant",2866,4822000,7688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1&start=4822&end=7688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3842183-fcd2c2c2be69dcd2c69e377f5acc58d1/thumbnail_4822000.jpg","/articles/6639213/Oklahoma/Board-reviews-first-set-of-performance-frameworks-debates-raising-academic-weighting-and-approves-application-to-federal-facilities-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6639213-bd10fd7c9f70f4e88e79e1b64e93f2fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771101683&Signature=jFB9m4iL3yamx6xNwIikveLSQCE9andPQXcolTGPpsRkdOArJaLw4Jr-z4b-oArqK--XbuQ41NhQL4RZgyFKdbUxfhcE254nd~-~YoygetLg6UW3T3Mda7wVBrm3NSWgB3jDjz~4g6ZPeyhZIeMnlXMh-o3246VkCqBEPm3L9~TlT5OwSUflqGQyLGwFPimIGiuPT3bPql961s~xEGaDeqUoFQaB48jt1Ag13AJtcZdkZ65OFuuqgcSLqye39UnMY7sGKyulHaOAoAghQcd8nDuRm-xi05kVfzyStdeVIkUWivJa9n93vG-5cT62~Gy7AOBeZka7zxkbSag4hN0oCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board staff presented the first set of performance framework evaluations under the board’s new authorization role, covering five schools: Dove Virtual Academy, LeMans International School, Oklahoma Connections Academy, Academies of Oklahoma (formerly Academy of Seminole) and Virtual Preparatory Academy of Oklahoma (BPrep). The evaluations covered academic, financial and organizational domains for school year 2023–24 and will be sent to each school's governing board for review.

Key overall scores presented by staff were:
- Dove Virtual Academy: overall score 66.8 (academic portion constrained by available tested grade levels)
- LeMans International School: overall 85.7
- Oklahoma Connections Academy: overall 79.65
- Academies of Oklahoma: overall 91.55
- Virtual Preparatory Academy of Oklahoma (BPrep): overall 56.75

Staff and board members discussed several recurring themes. For virtual schools, staff noted that academic indicators rely heavily on state assessment results and that small enrollment spread across many grade levels can leave schools without the 10‑student subgroup counts required by the framework for some indicators. Staff also reminded the board that the framework will include internal assessment data beginning with the next cycle, which will give a fuller picture of academic performance.

Several board members expressed concern that academic results are too low across multiple schools and proposed revisiting the administrative rules that set the framework weights (currently 40 percent academic, 35 percent financial, 25 percent organizational). Board members asked staff to compile comparative information and benchmarks used by other authorizers and national organizations and to place a rule‑weight discussion on the July meeting agenda with a proposed timeline for any rule changes. Staff said the agency will prepare drafts in time for consideration in August if the board wishes to pursue changes this year.

On governance and finance, staff noted strong financial and organizational ratings for several schools. Dove and Connections each scored highly on financial and organizational measures, though some audits and corrective action plans produced minor point reductions in several brick‑and‑mortar schools. Staff flagged that some schools inherited from the State Department of Education were given interim credit where no evidence of noncompliance existed, and the division will follow up with documentation and oversight as those schools transition to the board’s authorization.

The board also discussed federal and state legislative developments. Staff described the recently enacted Senate Bill 674 (language consolidated from earlier legislation) that permits mid‑year funding for newly opened sites or added grade levels — a change charter leaders said reduces the strain of opening new facilities. Staff reported the board’s $3.3 million state‑agency budget request was funded but that $3.4 million requested for a specific program (Horizons) was not funded (see separate Horizons coverage). Staff recommended, and the board approved, staff moving forward with an application for the U.S. Department of Education “Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools” (State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants) program to support charter facilities needs; the board approved the motion by roll call.

Votes at a glance (recorded during the meeting):
- Motion to approve minutes of May 12, 2025 regular board meeting — motion carried (several board members recorded as \"Yes\"; Kitty Campbell, Don Thomas and David Mercakos were recorded as abstaining in the roll call provided in the minutes presentation).
- Motion to authorize staff to apply for the Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools (state facilities incentive grants program) — motion passed by roll call (multiple board members recorded as \"Yes\" on the roll call).

Board members asked staff to prepare detailed comparisons of other authorizers’ frameworks and the administrative rule language that sets weights so the board can review whether the academic share should be increased. Staff said it will place the rules discussion on the July agenda and, if the board decides to pursue revisions, work toward a proposed rule change in time for the fall rule cycle.","The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board reviewed performance frameworks for five schools, discussed concern over low academic scores and the weight given to academics in the framework, and voted to authorize staff to apply for the federal \"Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools\" facilities grant.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Horizons program to continue from reserves after budget denial; PRISMS VR pilot shows engagement gains

John Rex announces downtown high school purchase agreement, plans to open freshman class in 2027

Board reviews first set of performance frameworks, debates raising academic weighting and approves application to federal facilities grant