More Than 3,500 Seniors Graduate This Year At Ceremonies In Tulsa and Oklahoma City

by Scott Carter

Story by M. Scott Carter. Photos by Bekah Disney

More than 3,500 seniors at Epic Charter Schools graduated this year during eight ceremonies at Tulsa and Oklahoma City, school officials said.

As of June 30th, 3,777 students had completed the requirements to graduate, record show.

Graduation ceremonies were held at ONEOK Field in Tulsa in May and the the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City last week.

Speaking at the Oklahoma City ceremony, Epic’s superintendent Bart Banfield, said school officials were disappointed that weather delayed the ceremonies originally planned for Oklahoma City in May.

“The silver lining is we are now having our ceremonies in a more luxurious, indoor venue that is home to our Oklahoma City Thunder,” Banfield said. “I don’t believe another school has ever been able to have a graduation here because of the basketball season so we hope you are as thrilled as we were that the venue was open to us for this weekend.”

Banfield said each graduate had much to be proud of.

“As a school, we have managed to grow into the state’s largest public school system while overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, not the least of which has been a pandemic,” he said. “By earning the right to sit here today, each of you and your families and your teachers who have supported you on your journey to graduation has shown you can persevere even in the most difficult of situations. That is the Epic way and we couldn’t be prouder of each of you.”

Records show 789 students participated in ceremonies held in Tulsa while 1,256 participated in the Oklahoma City events — a total of 2045 of the 3,777 who were eligible.

Epic students return to school on September 7. 

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