Oklahoma County approves tentative and adjusted school budgets; board flags financial concerns at EPIC Charter Schools

The Scribe Board of Oklahoma County on June 30 approved filings and temporary appropriations for multiple school districts and charter schools for the 2025–26 fiscal year and made final adjustments for the 2024–25 year, while several board members expressed concern about the finances of EPIC Charter Schools.

Board members voted to file tentative or temporary budgets and to approve state and federal fund adjustments for the following districts and amounts listed in the county clerk/finance department requests: Middale School District No. 52 (general fund $119,700,734; building fund $7,580,667; child nutrition $7,099,965; tech center special building fund $3,000,000; debt service $18,000,000; co-op technology fund $10,017,773); Putnam City School District No. 1 (general fund $192,000,940; building fund $9,560,000; child nutrition $16,322,937); EPIC Charter Schools (temporary filing general fund $223,915,084; board later approved a third-amended FY2024–25 budget increase to $299,699,693 to reflect actual expenses); John W. Rex Charter School District (temporary general fund $7,051,369; building fund $636,963 and a related state/federal funds adjustment of $238,937.04 for the ending fiscal year); Oklahoma Virtual Academy District Z-002 (general fund $28,898,324); and Crutcher Public School District C-074 (FY2024–25 adjustments: general fund $21,062.80; child nutrition $32,908.88). Each item was presented by county finance staff and approved by the board.

The board recorded unanimous voice approvals for the filings and appropriations as presented by the county finance department, with members moving and seconding each item and voting "Aye." The motions were routine filings and temporary appropriations required to allow districts to begin the next fiscal year and to close out the current year as districts submit final counts and receipts.

Several board members singled out EPIC Charter Schools for further oversight. "I am highly concerned about this school district and their finances," a board member said during discussion of EPIC's filings, noting that EPIC's current budget is roughly $65 million lower than the prior year and that the district's reported carryover had fallen to 0.29 percent. The board member added that the district had recently seen the superintendent and chief financial officer resign, and that EPIC had issued interest-bearing warrants to cover July and August expenses while waiting for state aid. Another member noted the state charter school board is auditing EPIC and that changes to state law on enrollment averaging have reduced automatic carryover protections for districts with declining enrollment.

Board members emphasized that the filings before them reflect district estimates and that final budgets will be approved later in the fiscal year after districts report actual student counts and midterm adjustments. County finance staff told the board that some midyear adjustments, borrowing and debt service activity may appear in the next fiscal-year reporting, and that the county's role at this stage is to accept the tentative or temporary appropriations and the requested adjustments for the closing fiscal year.

The board approved all motions to file and accept the temporary appropriations and adjustments by voice vote. Members said they would monitor EPIC's upcoming budget submissions and follow up on two separate John W. Rex charter district identifiers that appeared in the paperwork to confirm whether they represent the same entity and to reconcile the district codes.

Board members did not adopt any new policies or require specific remedial action at the meeting; they directed staff to follow up on the charter district code discrepancy and to continue monitoring EPIC's filings as future requests arrive.