John Rex Charter Elementary School

What John Rex Charter Elementary School does

John Rex Charter School is a public charter school system (legal entity: John W Rex Charter School) operating across three campuses in downtown Oklahoma City — Elementary (500 W. Sheridan Ave.), Intermediate (428 W. California Ave.), and Junior High (131 Dean A. McGee Ave.) — serving students from Pre-K through 8th grade with plans to add a high school in the 2026–2027 school year. Founded circa 2014, the system is governed by a board of directors (Jennifer Monies, chairwoman) and led by Superintendent Patrick Duffy; new academic leadership (first Chief Academic Officer Carmen Oswalt and founding high school principal Dr. Rhonda Hart) is being installed for the vertical extension.

Academically, the school emphasizes STEM, leadership, and hands-on learning, anchored by a 1,000 sq ft Urban Learning Greenhouse and an adjacent 4,500 sq ft monarch butterfly garden co-designed with Renegade Design+Build and University of Oklahoma architecture students. Reported outcomes are 28% state test proficiency versus 13% for OKCPS on comparable economically disadvantaged populations (91.4% district baseline), per Fuel OKC analysis; four student/staff teams were selected to present at ISTELive 2026 in Orlando.

Revenue is structured as a public charter: per-pupil state funding (primary stream) plus donations and grants routed through the Catalyst Education Fund, an Oklahoma income-tax credit granting entity that funnels 100% of gifts to the school. Enrollment uses a tier-based lottery (Tier 1 attendance zone, siblings, then general applicants) with a December-to-mid-February application window, and a public/private partnership model extends across Devon Energy, Continental Resources, OKC Thunder, OG&E, OKC Zoo, YMCA Downtown, and OU. The school is non-tuitions and does not charge for educational services; auxiliary revenue lines such as paid athletic programming are emerging in the planned high school era.

Name

John Rex Charter Elementary School

Legal name

John W Rex Charter School

Website

https://johnrexschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

John Rex Charter School is a public Pre-K–8 charter system across three downtown Oklahoma City campuses, adding a high school in 2026–2027, funded by state per-pupil allocations and donations through the Catalyst Education Fund, and serving urban families via lottery-based enrollment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Charter Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter STEM/STEAM-Focused Schools (EDAJACAG)

Keywords

• Public charter school
• Elementary education
• K-8 education
• Charter school system
• STEM education

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: As a public charter school, John Rex receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. This is the primary revenue stream supporting school operations.
2. Donations and Grants: The school accepts donations through the Catalyst Education Fund (Oklahoma income tax credit granting entity). Community partners and donors contribute to programs like the greenhouse and garden.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

John Rex Charter Schools is a public charter school system operating three campuses (Elementary, Intermediate, and Junior High) in downtown Oklahoma City, providing tuition-free Pre-K through 8th grade education. The schools deliver STEM-focused, hands-on curriculum enriched by unique facilities such as a 1,000-square-foot Urban Learning Greenhouse, a 4,500-square-foot monarch butterfly garden, and partnerships with downtown OKC cultural and corporate organizations.

Product overview

John Rex Charter Schools operates as a unified K-8 charter school system with three campuses (Elementary, Intermediate, and Junior High) serving students from Pre-K through 8th grade in downtown Oklahoma City. The school positions itself as 'A Launchpad for Learning and Life,' offering STEM-focused education, career readiness, and hands-on learning opportunities. Educational facilities include an Urban Learning Greenhouse serving as a living laboratory, and the school maintains an Athletic Program for middle school students. The system emphasizes community immersion and partnerships with downtown OKC organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% proficiency rate vs 13% for OKCPS - approximately twice the academic outcomes despite similar poverty levels
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OKC ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in greenhouse/garden project and Making Tracks educational program. 3rd graders participated in Making Tracks program learning about African animals. Also participated in scarecrow contest judging.
• Lowe's Home ImprovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing support for greenhouse/garden project and scarecrow contest supplies.
• Rise GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner contributing to greenhouse and garden facilities.
• Learn Fresh / NBA Math HoopscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA Math Hoops program partners with OKC Thunder and Devon Energy. John Rex students participate in weekly math classes and regional/global tournaments.
• OKC Beautiful - Tree OKC ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree planting partnership where 9 trees were donated and planted on school grounds. Students learned about tree benefits, planting techniques, and tree care. OKC Beautiful has added over 3,500 trees to OKC since 2022.
• OKC ThundercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA Math Hoops partnership through Thunder Cares and Devon Energy. Students use real NBA/WNBA stats for math learning. Student Kylie Smith selected to represent Thunder at global championship.
• YMCA Downtown OKCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety Around Water (SAW) program teaches life-saving water skills. 2nd graders and Pre-K completed the program. Classes visited downtown YMCA facility.
• Renegade Design+BuildcoreTechnology or IntegrationDesigned the Urban Learning Greenhouse alongside University of Oklahoma architecture students. Created fusion of nature and technology.
• University of Oklahoma - Christopher C. Gibbs College of ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture students collaborated on greenhouse design. Big Event volunteers from OU served school (30+ students building shelves, organizing supplies).
• Eileen Hobbs (Local Author)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal children's author visited 2nd graders for read-aloud and hands-on gemstone necklace activity inspired by her books.
• First Serve OKCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennis camp partnership for middle school girls during Fall Break with Body Confident Sport curriculum.
• Body Confident SportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in First Serve OKC tennis camp providing curriculum around body confidence for middle school girls.
• OG&E (Oklahoma Gas and Electric)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers built new shed at school. Provided financial literacy education to 2nd graders through JA in a Day program.
• Scissortail Park Mitchell's ShademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Seeds for Hope art and writing contest winner display. Event offered free trees to community with over 1,500 trees available.
• H2OklahomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater education program for 4th graders at Will Rogers Gardens - learning about Oklahoma water systems and aquatic habitats.
• EMBARK (OKC Public Transit)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner7th graders learned to navigate city bus system and biking through city with Ward 2 Councilman James Cooper.
• SkatetimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided skates and protective equipment for 3rd-6th grade roller skating PE unit.
• Salvation Army OKCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRocket Rangers student leaders volunteered preparing sack lunches for downtown community members.
• Miguel Hidalgo School (Zirahuato Village, Mexico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership through Symbolic Migration program - paper monarch butterflies sent to Mexico school and reciprocal cultural exchange.
• Lyric TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformed Junie B. Jones musical with advanced musical theater class for 1st and 2nd graders.
• Oklahoma County OSU Extension Service - 4-H Youth DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst graders participated in embryology project hatching chicks - tracked embryo development over 20-22 days, candled eggs, created time-lapses.
• Classen SAS Middle SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced musical theater class performed Junie B. Jones for younger students.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Epic Charter Schools: Oklahoma-based virtual and hybrid charter school system. Comparable as an Oklahoma public charter competitor serving K-12 students with public funding, including a sizable virtual component that overlaps John Rex's catchment area.
• Santa Fe South Schools: Oklahoma City charter school network operating multiple campuses with lottery enrollment. Comparable multi-site OKC charter model serving similar demographic populations.
• ASTEC Charter Schools: Oklahoma City-based charter school system emphasizing STEM and college readiness. Directly comparable in mission (STEM focus, college prep) and geography (OKC metro), competing for the same families.
• Harding Charter Preparatory: Oklahoma City charter school focused on college-prep academics. Comparable as a local charter competitor with lottery enrollment and outcome-driven positioning in the same metro.
• Dove Schools of Oklahoma: Oklahoma charter network with multiple campuses emphasizing college preparation. Comparable as an in-state charter competitor drawing from similar applicant pools in the OKC metro.

Broad incumbents

• IDEA Public Schools: Large multi-state charter network operating Pre-K through 12 campuses with strong college-prep outcomes and growing share of economically disadvantaged students. Comparable in scale trajectory and outcome-driven positioning.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large urban charter network (NYC) operating K-12 campuses with lottery enrollment and strong outcome data versus district averages. Comparable multi-site urban charter model with emphasis on academic results.
• Great Hearts Academies: Multi-state charter network operating classical, liberal-arts-focused K-12 campuses. Comparable multi-site charter structure with lottery enrollment, public per-pupil funding, and uniform programmatic identity across sites.
• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): Largest U.S. charter school network operating multiple Pre-K through 12 campuses. Comparable as a multi-site, college-preparatory-focused charter system with similar lottery-based enrollment mechanics and per-pupil public funding model, though far larger in scale.

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: STEM-intensive charter school network with multiple campuses. Comparable focus on rigorous STEM curriculum, technology integration, and consistently high state test outcomes — directly paralleling John Rex's STEM and outcome-differentiation strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/johnrexschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@johnrexcharterschool3336
• Facebookfacebook.com/johnrexelementary
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnrexschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-w-rex-charter-elementary-school-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Rex Charter Elementary School