EPIC board spotlights student success and introduces new director of public relations

During the Oct. 9 EPIC ONE ON ONE CHARTER SCHOOL board meeting, a family shared a personal account of how EPIC—s mix of in-person and virtual services has supported their son following a diagnosis, and the board welcomed a new director of public relations.

A family member identified in the meeting as a parent of a student named Brady described how their son—s early development stalled and that he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2. The parent recounted that Brady received the gene therapy Zolgensma and later began progressing; they said placing Brady at EPIC and using a combination of in-person visits and weekly Zoom sessions helped keep him healthy while preserving social interaction. The parent said, "Our world crashed. It just crashed," and later added, "being able to keep him healthy has just been a life saver for our family." The presentation emphasized that EPIC—s flexible model allowed the child to participate safely and interact with classmates remotely.

Superintendent Mister Hunt opened the meeting—s superintendent—s report and introduced Erin Hatfield, who said she is the district—s new director of public relations. Hatfield told the board she previously spent 22 years at the Department of Environmental Quality, where she served as director of communications, and said she plans a public-relations campaign to highlight EPIC—s work as "the state—s largest virtual charter school." Hatfield said she hopes to "restore a sense of pride" and to promote the district—s flexibility and choice as benefits to families.

Why it matters: The superintendent spotlight showcased a concrete example of how EPIC—s hybrid approach is being used to serve students with medical vulnerabilities. The communications hire signals an increased emphasis on outreach and public messaging from district leadership.

Additional superintendent items: Hunt reviewed enrollment (reported at 29,559 students), formative mastery progress for September (small gains year-over-year in math and ELA), and noted student engagement averaged 79.4% against a district goal of 80%. He also mentioned upcoming picture days in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, a fall coat drive accepting donations through Nov. 21, and student clubs and community service activities.

No formal board action was required for the superintendent—s personnel introduction; the board acknowledged Hatfield—s remarks.