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Tulsa Honor Academy highlights funding and attendance challenges as board hears Horizon, budget and report updates
Summary
At the April 13 board meeting Tulsa Honor Academy leaders described growth and facility funding challenges; staff reported the Legislature passed an appropriation including supplemental Horizon funds and showcased an interactive Annual Charter School Report funded by a three-year grant.
At the board's April 13 meeting in Oklahoma City, Shelly Hickman, Communications Director for the Statewide Charter School Board, introduced Elsie Pollock, Founder and CEO of Tulsa Honor Academy. Pollock presented the school's history and outcomes and emphasized the importance of funding for charter schools and difficulties in securing facilities financing for expansion. Madison Dominguez, Chief of Staff for Tulsa Honor Academy, outlined the school's current priorities including student growth, improving attendance and addressing chronic absenteeism.
The board heard several working-group updates. Jared Buswell, chair of the Budget Working Group, said the appropriations bill that included requested operating funds and supplemental funds for the board's Horizon program had passed both the Oklahoma House and Senate and was awaiting the Governor's signature. Damon Gardenhire, chair of Communications, reported that the monthly "Lunch and Learns" are well attended and reminded board members of the annual conference scheduled for Nov. 4–5, 2026. Chair Shellem said a facilities funding bill is gaining momentum, and staff reported that proposed Administrative Rules had passed committee.
Shelly Hickman also presented the second Annual Charter School Report for the 2024–25 school year and noted that a three-year grant in partnership with the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center and the Walton Foundation funded the interactive data platform. Ben Sayeski, co-founder of ESC, demonstrated new visualization features and pointed to data on charter proficiency and funding disparities between traditional public schools and charter schools. Board members and staff discussed Horizon programming; Horizon's recent conference had more than 260 registrants from 101 districts and received an average attendee rating of 4.87 out of 5.
Board members did not take formal policy action on the funding or program items during the meeting. The legislative appropriation was reported as pending the Governor's signature.
