County officials are scrutinizing the operation of a new online charter school that has drawn sharp criticism from Anaheim educators who want to see the program shut down.

Among the allegations lodged against Epic Charter School are that it was improperly allowed to begin teaching elementary through high school students, that it used “predatory” marketing practices – including financial incentives to families that signed up – and that an affiliated school in Oklahoma is under investigation.

Some parents and students praise the school’s program. And Epic officials deny the allegations, saying they’re a rehash of issues already addressed by the Orange County Department of Education when Epic’s taxpayer-funded operation was approved in the spring.

“It’s a distraction and something that seems unnecessary for us to go through,” said Paul MacGregor, Epic’s executive director in California.

In September, after Anaheim school officials publicly warned that students attending the charter were ill-served, the county education agency requested Epic’s records on contracts, invoices, staff credentials and canceled checks, among other documents.

County Superintendent Al Mijares said his department has an obligation to investigate complaints, and MacGregor said Epic has responded to all the records requests.

The criticism swirling around Epic also reflects increasing scrutiny of online charter schooling, at a time when virtual education is growing rapidly across Southern California and nationwide.

Meanwhile, a broader debate continues to rage over the growth of charter schools in general – public schools funded by taxpayer dollars but run independently from home school districts.

EPIC vs. ANAHEIM DISTRICTS

Since late June, when it opened locally, Epic Charter has enrolled 85 students from Southern California. The school hopes to have 300 students in its first year and 850 students by 2021.

Epic officials say they offer a personalized education plan via the internet, and that their programs are overseen by state-certified teachers who meet with students via Skype or in person, as needed, wherever it’s convenient for students and their families. An administrative office in Anaheim also is available for testing and meetups, and homework help is available online, in most grades, 24 hours a day.

Epic – an acronym for excellence, performance, innovation and citizenship – was denied last year when it sought to open a charter within the Anaheim Elementary School District. Trustees in the district said at the time that the school presented “an unsound educational program” that wasn’t likely to succeed.

Epic appealed that ruling to the Orange County Board of Education. In March, in a departure from its staff recommendation, the board approved the school’s operation in a 4-1 vote. Soon after, the online school opened its administrative offices, near Anaheim City Hall.

The Anaheim Elementary School District, which originally rejected the petition, and the Anaheim Union High School District, where the area’s students traditionally attend high school, were concerned that Epic was drawing their students.

In September, Anaheim district officials returned to the county school board and asked members to reconsider their approval of Epic.

The districts’ lawyer, Irvine attorney Daniel Shinoff, suggested in a letter that the county board “abused its discretion, when it decided to, in direct contradiction with their own staff’s recommendations, to approve a charter school petition with fatal … deficiencies.”

At a meeting in September, Anaheim Union Superintendent Mike Matsuda warned: “By even the lowest standard, no one could suggest Epic is providing an education that leads to successful college and careers.

“If Epic is allowed to grow without any transparency, accountability and oversight, the futures of students, families and the greater community are at stake.”

District officials said they are not opposed to charters in general, but believe the Epic online school won’t adequately serve students’ needs.

Ken Williams, a charter school advocate and one of the county trustees who voted to approve Epic, sees the campaign by Anaheim educators as a blatantly anti-charter move.

“This is pure politics,” Williams said. “They’re trying to destroy a good charter. This is a witch hunt.”

MacGregor, Epic’s executive director, was more measured in his assessment.

“Traditional district-based schools historically take notice of charter schools because it’s different than the norm … and the whole argument of school choice comes up.”

COMPLAINTS AGAINST EPIC

Epic officials say their school’s programs are academically sound and capable of educating all students.

Here a look at some of the key complaints raised by Anaheim school officials:

• An affiliate of the new Orange County online school, Epic Charter in Oklahoma, which serves more than 9,000 students, has been under investigation for three years. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation declined to elaborate on the investigation. Ben Harris, the school’s co-founder, said in an email that the allegations are false and were made by former employees who later started a competitive charter school, now closed.

• The Oklahoma online school received letter grades of C, D and F on state report cards. Harris noted that Oklahoma’s top educator has called the system flawed, and a task force of the state’s education leaders and others is looking to overhaul the Oklahoma rating system, according to published reports.

• Critics have questioned whether taxpayer funds from California have gone to the Oklahoma charter company. Epic officials said the California school hasn’t sent money to Oklahoma but eventually will, as the schools share administrative overhead costs to operate more efficiently. That dollar amount will be a small percentage of what Epic receives from California, MacGregor said.

Another controversy revolves around what Epic calls a “learning fund.”

The school, which as a public entity doesn’t charge tuition, offers students $1,500 worth of curriculum, supplies and extracurricular activities – in addition to a computer and internet access, which was a condition of approval from the county. Though money doesn’t wind up in the hands of parents or students, the learning fund can, for example, pay for horseback riding, music or dance lessons.

Matsuda, the Anaheim Union superintendent, called the offers “predatory marketing” and a gift of public funds, among other things.

At least two other charters that serve the area offer something similar, according to their websites. Inspire Charter Schools, which has an office in Buena Park, offers students $2,600 to $2,800 as an instructional allowance. And iLEAD Exploration charter schools – which states on its website that it serves students in Orange County, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura and Kern counties – gives students $2,000 for K-8 and $2,600 for high school students.

ATTRACTED BY FLEXIBILITY

Epic is the first online charter school to fall under the supervisory umbrella of the county Department of Education. Several others were approved and are monitored by their community school districts. Online schools can enroll students from contiguous counties, and about 60 percent of Epic’s students are from Orange County.

Amber Pittman, of Chino, enrolled her two young boys in Epic because she wanted a home-school experience for them.

“I don’t have any issues with public schools. But I want more for my kids,” she said.

Pittman said she likes the flexibility Epic has provided her boys, a kindergartner and a first-grader. They work partly online and partly with workbooks, and she supplements by encouraging their own interests. A teacher has visited her children at home three times since school started in September.

“And I can text her any time or email her and she’s very quick to respond.”

Pittman wasn’t aware of Anaheim officials’ complaints about Epic. She said the program works well for her children. “It makes them more independent. They get excited about learning.”

Anika Ortiz, an eighth-grader from Orange who has staged a pop-up boutique to support domestic-abuse programs – and was was named one of the county’s 100 most influential people last year by the Register – describes Epic’s online program as a perfect fit. She said she communicates with her teacher every day online and otherwise gets the support she needs.

“I love it. All the programs are great. I love the videos – and that they’re online,” says the 13-year-old, who works as a public speaker against bullying and as an organizer of events geared to empower girls.

“Even my reading books are online. I can do everything on my laptop.”

ONLINE SCHOOLS NATIONALLY

Across 23 states and the District of Columbia, more than 180,000 students attend virtual charter schools. Ohio, Pennsylvania and California are home to more than half of the full-time online charter students nationwide, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

The alliance, a leading national nonprofit working to advance the public charter school movement, issued a report in June concluding online charters serve a role for certain students and families, but too many are underperforming.

“Our problem is that the education they’re providing to students is not up to par,” said Todd Ziebarth, the group’s senior vice president.

The report found online students have fewer days of learning and “have much weaker academic growth,” compared with traditional public school students.

“Disturbingly low performance by too many full-time virtual charter public schools should serve as a call to action for state leaders and authorizers,” Ziebarth said.

What, if anything, will come of the county’s review of Epic charter remains to be seen. MacGregor predicts they’ll be given good marks.

County school board member David Boyd, who said he is “pro-charter” but voted against approving Epic, said revoking an operating charter’s approval is rare. “It almost takes an act of God.”

Contact the writer: rkopetman@scng.com Twitter: @RoxanaKopetman