Santa Fe South Schools

Santa Fe South Schools
Address
7000 Crossroads Blvd, Suite 4000
Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma, 73149
United States
Coordinates35°23′50″N 97°29′21″W / 35.3971°N 97.4893°W / 35.3971; -97.4893
District information
TypeIndependent public charter district
GradesPK–12
Established2001
SuperintendentChris Brewster
Schools10
NCES District ID4000796[1]
Students and staff
Students4,620 (2024–25)
Other information
Websitesantafesouth.org

Santa Fe South Schools (also known as Santa Fe South Charter Schools, or SFS) is a public charter school district in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade across south Oklahoma City. Founded in 2001, it is the largest brick-and-mortar charter school district in the state of Oklahoma.[2][3]

History

Founding (2001)

Santa Fe South was founded in 2001 by Chris Brewster, who had worked in traditional public schools as a music teacher and later as an assistant principal.[4][5] Brewster launched the school out of a church basement, enrolling 120 ninth-graders with a staff of six teachers and three support personnel, citing the need for aiding inequities between schools in wealthy and low-income parts of Oklahoma City.[4][5] Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) served as the district's charter authorizer from its founding through 2021.[6][7] The school was developed with support from ORO Development Corporation, a local nonprofit active in the area since 1971.[4]

Growth and expansion

From its single high school campus, Santa Fe South expanded over the following two decades to include elementary, middle, and early childhood programs across south Oklahoma City.[4] Brewster received the Milken Educator Award in 2009 in recognition of his work developing the district.[8] As of the 2024–25 school year, the district enrolls 4,620 students across 10 schools, making it the largest brick-and-mortar charter school district in Oklahoma.[2][3]

The district operates on an open-enrollment, tuition-free model. When more students apply than seats are available, seats are assigned through a random lottery.[9]

2021 authorizer transition

From 2001 through mid-2021, Santa Fe South's charter was authorized by OKCPS.[6][7] In April 2021, as Santa Fe South was preparing to shift its authorization to Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC), the OKCPS Board of Education voted unanimously to request a state investigative audit of the district for fiscal years 2018–19 and 2019–20.[10] The request cited a $300,000 loan from a nonprofit development corporation connected to Santa Fe South to Sovereign Community School, another Oklahoma City charter school.[10] Superintendent Brewster questioned the timing of the audit request, calling it a "political football".[10] He noted that the audit coincided with the district's planned departure from OKCPS oversight and the resulting loss of authorizer fees OKCPS had collected from Santa Fe South, which Brewster estimated at $4 million over the preceding ten years.[10] OCCC assumed the authorizer role on July 1, 2021.[7]

COVID-19 pandemic

In August 2021, Superintendent Brewster announced that Santa Fe South would require students to wear masks, making it the first Oklahoma school district to institute such a requirement that school year. The COVID-19 mandate included an opt-out provision to navigate Senate Bill 658, a state law restricting mask requirements to periods of a governor-declared emergency.[11]

Schools

As of the 2024–25 school year, Santa Fe South operates 10 schools across south Oklahoma City.[3]

Early childhood and elementary

  • Santa Fe South Trinity Early Childhood[12]
  • Santa Fe South Spero Lower Elementary[13]
  • Santa Fe South Spero Upper Elementary[14]
  • Santa Fe South Hills Elementary[15]
  • Santa Fe South Penn Elementary[16]
  • Santa Fe South Shidler Elementary[17]

Middle

  • Santa Fe South Middle School[18]
  • Santa Fe South West Middle School[19]

High school

Student demographics

The district's student body is approximately 95% Hispanic and serves a predominantly low-income population in south Oklahoma City.[22] As of 2024–25, the district enrolls 4,620 students with a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.73 to 1.[3] About 63% of students are eligible for federally subsidized meals.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Santa Fe South Charter". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 Oklahoma Watch (November 7, 2022). "Oklahoma City Charter School Leader Opposes District Bond, But Quietly Obtained a Bond For His School". Archived from the original on 20 February 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 National Center for Education Statistics (2025). "Santa Fe South Charter – District Directory Information (2024–2025)". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Santa Fe South Schools. "Employee Handbook 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 American Federation for Children. "Chris Brewster". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 StateImpact Oklahoma (April 13, 2021). "Oklahoma City school board calls for investigative audit of Santa Fe South". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 News9 (July 1, 2021). "Santa Fe South Charter Schools, OCCC Embark On Expanded Collaboration". Retrieved 13 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Milken Educator Awards. "Chris Brewster". Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "Admissions". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 NonDoc (April 13, 2021). "OKCPS requests investigative audit of Santa Fe South charter school". Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  11. ↑ StateImpact Oklahoma (September 23, 2021). "Santa Fe South was the first district to implement a mask mandate in Oklahoma this fall. Here's how it's going". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Trinity Early Childhood". Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Spero Lower Elementary". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Spero Upper Elementary". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Hills Elementary". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Penn Elementary". Archived from the original on 18 November 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  17. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Shidler Elementary". Archived from the original on 14 March 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South Middle School". Archived from the original on 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South West Middle School". Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  20. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "About – Santa Fe South High School". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Santa Fe South Schools. "Home – Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College". Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  22. 1 2 U.S. News & World Report. "Santa Fe South". Retrieved 13 May 2026.
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