OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The audit results for Epic Charter Schools reveal a chaotic, financial mess.
At the center are the former superintendent and chief financial officer, both of whom have since resigned.
Background
In the summer of 2025, hundreds of Epic Charter School teachers cleared out their classrooms. The district eliminated all in-person instruction, calling it a “restructuring.”
Throughout the 2024-45 school year, roughly 500 employees were terminated.
Superintendent Bart Banfield resigned.
In July 2025, the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board voted to hire a team of auditors to investigate Epic’s finances.
Audit Findings
At the January 2026 regular monthly meeting, the OSCSB heard the audit findings for the first time.
The findings outline massive failures, including profound over-hiring. Ben Kincaid, a partner and auditor at CRI Advisors, said it appeared no one questioned how the district projected 6,000 additional students, which did not materialize.
WATCH: “Winging it”: Epic schools audit reveals financial chaos
Despite projecting thousands of additional students, the budget decreased for staffing.
The reports said former Chief Financial Officer Jeanise Wynn had full budget control, even a separate “department budget” that she kept hidden from the board.
“And other employees were either unfamiliar or not involved in any substantive way,” said Kincaid.
Kincaid said they could not find financial policies and often could not explain how Wynn came up with the figures she did, often in the millions of dollars.
“Fair statement to say she was winging it?” asked Brian Shellem, Chairman of the Board.
“I think that could be a fair characterization based on the lack of documentation we have and how she arrived at those numbers,” Kincaid replied.
The report also indicates Banfield stayed, perhaps, too hands-off.
“I wouldn’t say disengaged,” said Kincaid. “He left it up to department leadership. Certainly did not exercise full management oversight of the former CFO.”
Overall, the auditor said Epic has since taken corrective action, but the district still needs stronger internal controls and better budget oversight.
“We will look at every policy. We will make sure systems are in place. We will make sure there are great things for our 31,000 students and their families,” assured new superintendent, Dr. Shaun Ross, who spoke at the meeting.
Auditors note there is no indication of embezzlement.
During the audit, CRI Advisors interviewed 20 current and former employees, including Wynn.
Banfield declined to be interviewed for the audit.
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