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Epic Charter Schools, Oklahoma's largest public virtual charter school, announced the layoff of 357 employees as part of a reorganization for the 2025-2026 school year. The layoffs include 83 teachers and 274 administrative staff, affecting approximately 5.92% of the school's teachers and 37.43% of its administrative workforce.
The district, which serves about 30,000 students across Oklahoma, is phasing out its learning center model and will no longer offer full-day, in-person instruction or meal services starting in the upcoming school year. Instead, Epic will focus on its popular Epic one-on-one and Comet Academy models. Superintendent Bart Banfield expressed gratitude to the affected employees, stating, "This transition is about preserving and strengthening our ability to serve students for years to come."
The restructuring aims to better serve students and eliminate the waitlist at Epic's largest facilities in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Some teachers had already faced salary cuts in late 2024 due to financial challenges stemming from lower-than-expected student enrollment.