Santa Fe South is a tuition-free public charter school with a straightforward mission: provide equal educational opportunity to all students. There are no admission criteria, and if enrollment exceeds capacity, a random lottery ensures every child has an equal chance—directly addressing a gap in educational equity for families who have traditionally lacked school choice.
Since its founding, Santa Fe South has focused exclusively on a south Oklahoma City corridor home to approximately 20,000 children. Of Santa Fe’s student population, 78 percent report English as a second language.
“We are a community-based school dedicated to meeting the needs of our students and families,” says Superintendent Chris Brewster. “Our success is dependent on the success of our students. Measurable outcomes and educational equity drives every level of our organization.”
That commitment is backed by accelerating results. According to the Oklahoma Center for Education Policy (OCEP), in-person charter high schools—which overwhelmingly serve high-potential populations—are achieving high performance marks on key measures. Statewide, in-person charter high schools graduated 91 percent of students compared to 88 percent in traditional public schools. For economically disadvantaged students, the gap was wider: 92 percent versus 84 percent. OCEP identified these outcomes as worthy of further study.
The systemic momentum at Santa Fe South brings these state-level findings to life. Just five years ago, 30 percent of Santa Fe’s students districtwide performed at or above grade level in math. Today, that number has more than doubled to 71 percent. Reading achievement tells a parallel story of acceleration, climbing from 42 percent to 68 percent over the same period.
“Our philosophy is simple: pair high expectations with high support,” says Brewster. “We invest in our staff and believe a good foundation is evidenced in classroom achievements.”
This intentional design targets early learning and sustained growth. In both math and reading, the percentage of first graders performing in the lowest tier has dropped by over 25 percent since 2021. This forward progress carries through the middle grades and high school graduation; reading performance in the top tier for Santa Fe’s seniors nearly doubled from 22 percent in 2021 to 40 percent in 2026. Furthermore, the district’s emphasis on college preparedness is highlighted by Santa Fe’s High School increasing its average composite ACT score by 1.3 points between October and April of this academic year.
In recognition of these gains, Santa Fe South received the 2026 Breakthrough School Award from the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, an inaugural award honoring academic excellence in schools and districts where at least 70 percent of students are economically disadvantaged.
Looking ahead, Santa Fe South plans to serve approximately 5,300 students next school year—growth that reflects both organizational strength and community demand. More than 75 percent of staff returned for the current school year, a retention rate that anchors the academic environment.
“Public charter schools are one piece of what’s needed to improve Oklahoma’s public education system—but at the end of the day, it’s about the kids,” Brewster says. “Our children are our legacy, and we’re going to do everything we can to help them reach their full potential.”
For more information, visit santafesouth.org.
