Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Schools And School Choice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Statewide Charter School Board begins oversight; Horizon online program expands AP and consortium access
Summary
The newly created Statewide Charter School Board briefed committees on early operations after the SB 516 transition, describing institutional rule updates, an incoming slate of charter applications and expansion of Horizon — a statewide consortium that negotiates online course vendors and offers AP courses and teachers of record to districts.
Rebecca Wilkinson, executive director of the newly established Statewide Charter School Board, and division directors presented the board’s early work after it was formed by Senate Bill 516 and began July 1. Wilkinson said the agency now oversees both authorized charter schools and the Horizon digitally enhanced campus program (the state’s online course platform for supplemental instruction).
Skyler Lesnia, director of the Charter School Performance Division, told the committee the board currently sponsors 11 schools and that statewide there are 33 charter schools serving roughly 50,000 students, about 8% of the state’s K‑12 population. Lesnia said 33,500 students attend virtual charter schools and about 16,500 attend brick‑and‑mortar charters. Among the schools the board now sponsors are several large virtual operators and four brick‑and‑mortar schools that transferred oversight from the State Department of Education.
The agency reported it is finalizing updated administrative rules (Title 777) and an improved annual performance framework that incorporates multiple academic measures. Lesnia described training and authorizer duties the statute requires, including an authorizer workshop and a new charter‑applicant training; the agency said 14 individuals were registered for an upcoming applicant workshop and the board expects additional applications in the near term.
On Horizon, Dr. Lisa Daniels described the online curriculum and consortium services: Horizon negotiates vendor contracts, certifies courses to Oklahoma academic standards, provides a library of digital courses within a learning management system and offers teachers of record for districts that lack local staffing. The program reported 93 certified courses available through the platform and 23 AP courses (up from 11 the prior year). The board said Horizon’s AP students averaged a 3.34 AP score last year (above the statewide and global reported means cited by the program).
Daniels said Horizon’s consortium model lets districts buy vendor services at bulk discounted prices and that the program has grown rapidly: consortium membership rose from 35 in the pilot year to 195 members this academic year and students served by third‑party vendors totaled 21,346 this academic year. She said Horizon offers support for rural districts and an explicit 30% scholarship for rural members to reduce cost barriers.
Committee members asked about the board’s approach to religious‑affiliated charter applications; Wilkinson said the status of a previously‑approved religious‑affiliated charter (the transcript referenced litigation) was under higher‑court review and that the board would follow any controlling court rulings. Officials emphasized the board’s immediate tasks: oversight of current sponsors, finalizing rules, standing up an online application portal and increasing staff to perform compliance and oversight functions.
Ending: The Statewide Charter School Board asked lawmakers to note upcoming training and a March charter conference; the board said it will return with regular reports on authorizer oversight and that staffing increases would be requested to match increased statutory responsibilities.
