Superintendent reports steady academic progress; EPIC receives accreditation with no deficiencies and honors late staffer Jennifer Lake

Superintendent Bart Banfield told the EPIC Blended Learning Charter board on Jan. 23 that academic measures show steady month-to-month progress in English language arts and math and that the district’s accreditation for the 2024–25 school year was approved with no deficiencies by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

"This is important. This is our accreditation letter from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. And basically, what it says is for the 24–25 school year, our accreditation status has been approved, and it is accreditation with no deficiencies," Banfield said.

Banfield walked trustees through recent formative mastery results and three-year snapshots for ELA and math, saying the district is tracking near its goal for the fiscal year and noting a multi-month delta that he characterized as "holding serve." He identified math as EPIC’s lowest-performing subject but said the district is seeing a steady monthly improvement and credited teachers and leaders.

Banfield also recognized several operational and community items: EPIC partnered with the HUGS Project to send 60 boxes of care packages to troops overseas; Tulsa Mid High students participated in holiday arts and a cookie-decorating event; and Heritage Academy first-graders worked on Spanish-language literacy aligned to state interpretive communication standards.

The board watched a remembrance video for Jennifer (Jen) Lake, a long-serving EPIC employee who died after a battle with cancer. Speakers at the meeting recalled Lake’s longtime service, her signature email sign-off — "To the world, you may be 1 person, but to 1 person, you may be the world" — and the impact she had on students and families. One attendee said, "Miss Lake is the reason I'm still here. She's the reason I'm alive." The superintendent called her legacy "unforgettable."

Banfield also reported on staff recognition: the district presented more than 342 employee awards in December, including division and departmental awards, and noted that some EPIC teachers earn performance pay that allows certain high-performing teachers to expand rosters and receive bonuses.

The superintendent closed by noting National School Board Recognition Month and thanking elected board members for their service to the district.

No formal board action was required on the accreditation letter or the memorial; both items were presented for board information.