(The Center Square) – The Oklahoma County district attorney will decide whether criminal charges should be filed against the owners of Epic Charter Schools, according to a news release from Attorney General John O’Connor.
The investigation centered on how much money the schools were using for administration. The state caps the amount for administration at 5%, but the owners of a management company overseeing the schools were receiving a 10% fee. A 2020 audit showed Epic owed the state millions for exceeding the administrative cap, according to an audit by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector (OSAI).
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is withholding $9.1 million from the nonprofit school for exceeding the cap, according to previous reports. That money is being redistributed to other state schools, OSDE officials said in December.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) released a report on a criminal investigation Jan. 28 to the attorney general. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, who led the investigation for several years, asked to lead the investigation again and decide whether charges should be filed, according to the news release.
O'Connor has been criticized by lawmakers and Cindy Byrd, state auditor and inspector, for not taking action against Epic.
Oklahoma House Democrats released a statement earlier this week encouraging O'Connor to act.
“It has become clear, after hearing from Auditor Byrd on multiple occasions, that millions of taxpayer dollars flowed through Epic and into the pockets of the school’s founders," they said in a statement. “At a time when Oklahoma students were denied resources, the auditor’s findings show the individuals in charge of Epic Youth Services sought to enrich themselves with the very dollars intended for those students."
O'Connor said Friday he was waiting on the OSBI report.
"I appreciate the years of hard work on this investigation by the OSBI and have full confidence in the leadership of District Attorney Prater to take it back and conclude this investigation," O'Connor said in the news release.
The investigation was detailed and costly, said Ricky Adams, director or the OSBI.
"Yet it was always focused on determining if taxpayer dollars were being properly spent for the benefit of Oklahoma students,” Adams said “The investigation was a marathon, not a sprint, always focused on finding the truth and never a referendum on charter schools."
via Oklahoma's Center Square News