The multi-county grand jury publishes a 25-page report criticizing the activities of the Epic Charter Schools.

OKALHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma State Grand Jury released a 25-page interim report Thursday criticizing the activities of the Epic Charter School, which has now become the largest public school district in the state of Oklahoma.

The documents claim that the Epic organization has benefited from the backs of the children in Oklahoma as school districts across the state continue to collapse due to the pandemic. The main priority concerns included “lack of control”, “lack of transparency” and “lack of accountability”.

“Ripe for Fraud”: Multicounty Grand Jury Releases Interim Report on Epic Charter Schools Investigation

However, the investigation is far from over. According to the report, not only did the jury not have enough time to conduct a full investigation, but it also identified a willful lack of cooperation and deliberate avoidance of information disclosure.

Millions of taxpayers and millions of dollars went into the descriptive details that were dropped by the grand jury. A former senator who opposed the school said he saw this years ago.

Epic charter schools

“It is spot on for what I said,” said former Senator Ron Sharp. “It was obvious that what they were doing wasn’t a good thing.”

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According to the 25-page report, Sharp is sticking to its longstanding stance towards the activities of the Epic Charter School. They cite a number of concerns, most notably when they claim that Epic’s system is “ripe for fraud”.

“They just violated every law, every single administrative code and every contractual agreement that they made,” said Sharp. “They made millions with it.”

Former Senator Ron Sharp

The outspoken opponent of the school operation is still facing libel suits because he spoke out against Epic from summer 2019. Sharp claimed his struggle against the organization ultimately cost not only his bid for re-election, but a role in forming the Oklahoma Senate Budget Committee.

“They did everything they could to destroy me politically,” he said.

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Thursday’s report showed that between 2015 and 2020, state and federally funded schools received $ 458 million. The documents state that in the absence of proper oversight, the authorities “have allowed significant public funds to be diverted to private accounts without transparency”.

“They used this system at every opportunity to make money,” Sharp said.

The school made its own statement, which can be read in full below:

“The Epic Board of Education has taken significant corrective action since October 2020, including the Epic Youth Services that no longer operationally or financially manage or control the school. The school itself has fully cooperated in providing public records. We will continue to work together fully to bring any information we have to the Grand Jury. “

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Epic Youth Services, or EYS for short, is a non-profit company affiliated with the organization. The documents say they filed a series of lawsuits to deny access to public funds deposited in personal accounts. According to the report, EYS received an administration fee of 10 percent to help run the schools. That fee has generated nearly $ 46 million since 2015. Allegedly it all goes into the pockets of the two founders of Epic.

“We had to raise taxes in 2018 to allow teachers to raise wages,” said Sharp. “We talk about more than what goes into these two people’s pockets.”

The State Board of Education is discussing possible action against Epic Charter Schools

The grand jury described the relationship between the entities in the operation as “incestuous”. The documents state that the system was unaccountable and “enabled a company to take advantage of the Oklahoma students and make significant personal gains.” Before determining that “this is especially offensive when students and parents in Oklahoma are grappling with the weight of the pandemic and its impact on the education and wellbeing of our students.”

“Would you say Oklahoma taxpayers were scammed?” Asked KFOR.

“Absolutely,” said Sharp. “Your state authorities have allowed this to happen.”

The examiner explains additional findings on EPIC Charter Schools

No charges have been brought as the investigation into the school is still ongoing. The grand jury report concludes by stating that “Oklahoma citizens are asking for more. Oklahoma students deserve better. ”

The grand jury states that they are planning a break until the next meeting on June 1-3, 2021. At this point, they say they are collecting additional witnesses and evidence to continue their investigation.

Senator Ron Sharp responds to the Epic Charter Schools 120-page exam. Epic has a long answer to audit

The full 25-page report can be read below:

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