The Davis News

Wells serves at Capitol

A local student recently spent a
Feb
12 week as a page at the state Capitol for
House of Representatives Speaker
Charles McCall.
2020 Cobi Jo Wells, a senior at Epic
Charter School, served as a page for
Page the week of Feb. 3-6, the first week
0001
of the 2020 legislative session. She
Clip is the daughter of Joe and Bobbie Jo
resized
60%
Wells of Davis.
The decades-old House Page Pro-
gram allows Oklahoma juniors and
seniors to experience the legislative
process firsthand. Pages are assigned
for one week, Monday through Thurs-
day, during the legislative session
from February to May. Pages run mes-
- m
d o
sages to state lawmakers on the House
floor during session hours and help
with office tasks when session is out.
Pages also participate in a mock
session during the week. Represent-
ing the state of Pageville, they elect a
governor and legislative leaders. The
_
B
governor presents a State-of-the-State
Address, while other pages present
and debate mock legislation.
Normal page duties begin at 8 a.m.
each day and end at 4:30 p.m. Monday
through Wednesday and at 2:30 p.m.
on Thursday during the legislative D
session.
“Cobi Jo did a fantastic job during m
(See Capitol - Page 2)
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COBI JO WELLS of Davis (seated) served as a page for House Speaker n
Charles McCall in the House of Representatives Page Program from Feb.
3 to 6 at the state Capitol. t

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 Clip
Feb 2020 Page resized From
12 0002 131% 0001

The Davis News

u ayCou y s s s e , o as . a we o Su p u ,d ed.

Capitol................................
(Continued from Page 1) R-Atoka. “I was very proud
her time here at the Capitol, of her effort and willingness
and I believe she learned a lot to learn. Her service at the
and developed a deeper appre- Capitol is appreciated, and
ciation for the legislative pro- she certainly has a very bright
cess,” said Speaker McCall, future ahead of her.”

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 Clip
Feb 2020 Page resized
12 A006 46%

McAlester News-Capital

Epic penalized $530K for excessive administrative costs

By BEN FELDER more than 5 percent of lars is 10 times more tween the two charters in Epic One on One is a $1.5 million on adminis-
THE FRONTIER expenditures on adminis- than any penalty issued annual School Personnel virtual school authorized trative costs, compared to
trative costs, which in- over the past three years, reporting. Amid this con- by the Statewide Virtual $1 million by Epic Blend-
Epic One on One virtu- cludes salaries for super- according to documents fusion, we are exploring Charter Schools Board,
al charter school has ed.
intendent, assistant su- obtained by The Frontier. options, which will likely while Epic Blended also Epic’s two schools now
been penalized more perintendent or any em- Epic claims the penalty include applying for a combines virtual and
than $530,000 for exceed- top 28,000 students and
ployee who has responsi- is a mistake. statutory waiver from in-person instruction and have drawn scrutiny in
ing the state limit on ad- bility for administrative “It is our understand- the State Board of Edu- is authorized by Rose
ministrative spending, a functions of a school dis- ing that EPIC is identi- cation.” State College in Midwest recent years following
limit imposed by state trict. fied as exceeding the ad- However, state superin- City. rapid growth. The school
statute meant to keep The amount will be de- ministrative cap because tendent Joy Hofmeister Both charter schools has also drawn the atten-
the bulk of state educa- ducted from Epic’s next of a coding error and the told The Frontier there is are managed by the com- tion of the Oklahoma
tion funding in the class- state aid payment, ac- State Department of Ed- no statutory waiver or pany Epic Youth Services, State Bureau of Investi-
room. cording to the email to ucation requiring us to appeal available to Epic. which receives millions gation, where investiga-
Epic’s superintendent, Banfield. list administration under “Even if there were, I in state funding from tors claim the school has
Bart Banfield, was noti- Thirteen school dis- one charter rather than wouldn’t recommend it,” both schools. falsified enrollment re-
fied of the penalty last tricts exceeded adminis- allocate it appropriately Hofmeister said in a text Epic One on One ex- cords and that Epic’s
month, according to an tration spending limits in between our two char- message statement. “Epic penditures in 2019 founders split at least
email obtained by The Fiscal Year 2019, accord- ters,” said Shelly Hick- waited until the 11th topped $90.2 million, $10 million in state fund-
Frontier through an open ing to a report from the man, a spokeswoman for hour to certify this data with $5 million spent on ing that was sent to Epic.
records request. State Department of Ed- Epic and an assistant su- as accurate under penal- administrative costs.
The total penalty of Epic has denied any
ucation. perintendent at the ty of law. (The State De- Epic Blended’s total ex- wrongdoing and no
$530,527.20 is based on The penalties for the 12 school. “EPIC adminis- partment of Education) penditures were $41.6
Epic exceeding the allow- other districts averaged tration serves both char- sent Epic a lengthy list of million with $164,950 in charges have been
able limits on adminis- $19,468, with penalties ters so we don’t under- questions on Dec. 20, administrative costs. brought against the
trative expenditures by on school districts rang- stand the agency’s direc- 2019. Despite multiple In 2018, Epic appeared school or its employees.
5.58 percent. ing from $27.39 to tion. It is also confusing inquiries, Epic has yet to to spread out some of its Editor’s note: This story
School districts with $39,514. to us because the agency respond. There is no con- administrative costs be- was updated with a state-
more than 1,500 students Epic’s penalty of more has us allocate adminis- fusion here. The penalty tween its two schools, as ment from state superin-
are not allowed to spend than half a million dol- tration appropriately be- will be enforced.” Epic One on One spent tendent Joy Hofmeister.

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 Clip
Feb 2020 Page resized
12 A008 46%
Stillwater NewsPress
Epic charter school penalized $530K for excessive costs
By Ben Felder
The Frontier
Epic One on One
virtual charter school
has been penalized
more than $530,000
for exceeding the state
limit on administrative
spending, a limit im-
posed by state statute
meant to keep the bulk
of state education fund-
ing in the classroom.
Epic’s superintendent,
Bart Banfield, was noti-
fied of the penalty last
month, according to an
email obtained by The
Frontier through an
open records request.
The total penalty of
$530,527.20 is based
on Epic exceeding the
allowable limits on
administrative expendi-
tures by 5.58 percent.
School districts with
more than 1,500 stu-
dents are not allowed
to spend more than 5
percent of expenditures
on administrative costs,
which includes salaries
for superintendent, as-
sistant superintendent
or any employee who
has responsibility for
administrative func-
tions of a school district.
The amount will be
deducted from Epic’s
next state aid payment,
orig.pdf 1
ters in annual School company Epic Youth
Personnel reporting. Services, which receives
Amid this confusion, we millions in state funding
are exploring options, from both schools.
which will likely include Epic One on One
applying for a statutory expenditures in 2019
waiver from the State topped $90.2 million,
Board of Education.” with $5 million spent
However, state super- on administrative costs.
intendent Joy Hofmeis- Epic Blended’s total ex-
ter told The Frontier penditures were $41.6
there is no statutory million with $164,950 in
waiver or appeal avail- administrative costs.
able to Epic. In 2018, Epic ap-
“Even if there were, peared to spread out
I wouldn’t recommend some of its administra-
it,” Hofmeister said in a tive costs between its
text message statement. two schools, as Epic One
“Epic waited until the on One spent $1.5 mil-
11th hour to certify this lion on administrative
data as accurate under costs, compared to $1
penalty of law. (The million by Epic Blended.
State Department of Epic’s two schools now
BEN FELDER/THE FRONTIER
Education) sent Epic a top 28,000 students and
lengthy list of questions have drawn scrutiny
An Epic blended site in Midwest City.
on Dec. 20, 2019. De- in recent years follow-
according to the email lars is 10 times more one charter rather than spite multiple inquiries, ing rapid growth. The
to Banfield. than any penalty issued allocate it appropri- Epic has yet to respond. school has also drawn
Thirteen school dis- over the past three ately between our two There is no confusion the attention of the
tricts exceeded adminis- years, according to doc- charters,” said Shelly here. The penalty will Oklahoma State Bureau
tration spending limits uments obtained by The Hickman, a spokes- be enforced.” of Investigation, where
in Fiscal Year 2019, ac- Frontier. woman for Epic and Epic One on One is investigators claim the
cording to a report from Epic claims the penal- an assistant superin- a virtual school autho- school has falsified en-
the State Department of ty is a mistake. tendent at the school. rized by the Statewide rollment records and
Education. “It is our under- “EPIC administration Virtual Charter Schools that Epic’s founders
The penalties for the standing that EPIC is serves both charters so Board, while Epic split at least $10 million
12 other districts aver- identified as exceeding we don’t understand Blended also combines in state funding that
aged $19,468, with pen- the administrative cap the agency’s direction. virtual and in-person was sent to Epic.
alties on school districts because of a coding It is also confusing to instruction and is autho- Epic has denied
ranging from $27.39 to error and the State us because the agency rized by Rose State Col- any wrongdoing and
$39,514. Department of Educa- has us allocate admin- lege in Midwest City. no charges have been
Epic’s penalty of more tion requiring us to list istration appropriately Both charter schools brought against the
than half a million dol- administration under between the two char- are managed by the school or its employees.
12-Feb-20 18:55:21
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 The Wynnewood Gazette

See School on page 6 ea by bu d gs o ve c es. [

Local Student Serves as Page

at State Capitol
Feb
12
A local student
2020

Page
recently spent a week
as a page at the state
Capitol for House
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of Representatives
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resized Speaker Charles
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Cobi Jo Wells, a
senior at Epic Charter
School, served as a
page for the week
of February 3-6, the
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“Cobi Jo did a the state of Pageville, during the legislative Ac
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 Kiowa County Democrat

Concurrent enrollment continues

Feb
13 to rise at Western
2020 Western Oklahoma State College ended the fall 2019 semester
with record breaking enrollment.
Page Thanks to the support of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma
0006
Clip
State Regents for Higher Education have been able to reimburse col-
resized leges the tuition waived for seniors enrolling in up to 18 credit hours.
76%
Western's administration decided to take the concurrent program a
step further, offering waivers to high school juniors, as well.
That caused a spike in concurrent enrollment last semester. Over
330 students in southwest Oklahoma enrolled concurrently at Western,
which is a 35 percent increase from last year. Those students came from
33 high schools, including Epic Charter Schools and local home school
chapters.
“Concurrent enrollment is a huge benefit to the students in our
service area,” said Chrystal Overton, Western vice president for aca-
demic affairs. “The ability of students to complete college courses while
in high school decreases the time to degree completion while also allow-
ing students to leave college with less debt.”
Overall, enrollment was up 1.14 percent for the fall 2019 semester.
This is the first increase in enrollment the college has experienced since
2016.
“Every day our institution focuses on enrollment growth,” said Dr.
Chad Wiginton, Western president. “As the population of southwest
Oklahoma continues to decline, this is an uphill battle for Western.
However, the creativity of our campus coupled with a customer service
mindset has us moving in the right direction. The majority of Okla-
homa colleges and universities saw a decrease in fall 2019 enrollment,
so we are extremely proud of a modest increase.”
For more information on concurrent courses, high school juniors
and seniors are encouraged to visit with their school counselors or prin-
cipals, or contact the Western Admissions office at 580-477-2000.
Western Oklahoma State College is the oldest original municipal
two-year college still in existence in the state of Oklahoma. Its mis-
sion is to provide high quality education, support student success, and
empower individuals to become productive members of local, regional
and global communities. Western offers high-quality associate degrees
and certificates to its five-county service area and beyond. For more
information, visit wosc.edu.

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 Sulphur Times-Democrat

Feb
13

2020 T
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a
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Cobi Jo Wells of Davis, seated, served as a page for House a
Speaker Charles McCall in the House of Representatives is
Page Program during the first week of the 2020 legislative
session from February 3-6 at the state Capitol.
6

Local Student Serves As is

is

Page At State Capitol a

F
OKLAHOMA CITY – A local student recently spent a week as
a page at the state Capitol for House of Representatives Speaker u
Charles McCall. S
Cobi Jo Wells, a senior at Epic Charter School, served as a page
for the week of February 3-6, the first week of the 2020 legislative
session. She is the daughter of Joe and Bobbie Jo Wells of Davis. m
The decades-old House Page Program allows Oklahoma juniors to
and seniors to experience the legislative process firsthand. Pages are 1
assigned for one week, Monday through Thursday, during the leg- it
islative session from February to May. Pages run messages to state
lawmakers on the House floor during session hours and help with
office tasks when session is out. m
Pages also participate in a mock session during the week. Repre- c
senting the state of Pageville, they elect a governor and legislative
leaders. The governor presents a State-of-the-State Address, while
other pages present and debate mock legislation. to
Normal page duties begin at 8 a.m. each day and end at 4:30 p.m. b
Monday through Wednesday and at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday during the a
legislative session. tr
“Cobi Jo did a fantastic job during her time here at the Capitol, and 6
I believe she learned a lot and developed a deeper appreciation for re
the legislative process,” said Speaker McCall, R-Atoka. “I was very
proud of her effort and willingness to learn. Her service at the Capitol
is appreciated, and she certainly has a very bright future ahead of her.” p
u

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.