Private schools across Oklahoma have qualified for more than $63 million in federal relief aid, the latest data shows.
The recovery dollars are coming from three programs:
* The newest, Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools, allocated $31 million to Oklahoma to help schools address pandemic-related disruptions. More than 50 schools applied and qualified for that program, which reimburses for purchases of items like sanitation supplies, personal protective equipment, ventilation systems, staff training and redeveloping student instruction for remote learning.
Congress authorized the program through the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. The state Department of Education is distributing the funds.
* Private schools in Oklahoma have also qualified for at least $22.9 million through the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal relief effort intended to help small businesses and nonprofits retain and pay their employees. The aid is given as loans, which are fully or partially forgiven if the businesses keep employee counts and wages stable.
Private schools that received a Paycheck Protection Program loan after Dec. 27, 2020, were not eligible for Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools.
* Additionally, Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2020 created a temporary education relief program to distribute $10 million in tuition grants to private school students called the Stay in School Fund. The fund gave out 1,893 awards averaging $5,132 each.
Last week, Stitt’s office fulfilled a request by Oklahoma Watch made Jan. 26 for enrollment at the nearly 100 private schools in that program.
A combined 28,000 students attended these schools this year, the data shows. That figure includes all students at most, but not all, private schools across Oklahoma.
The schools ranged in enrollment from 10 students to over 1,000.
Search or sort the table below.
In some instances, a related entity — such as a church that operates a private school — received a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Those amounts are not reflected in the table.
Federal Relief Funds Allocated to Oklahoma Private Schools
The governor’s office provided Oklahoma Watch the number of funds disbursed to each through the Stay in School program and the schools' enrollment, shown below. Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools data comes from the state Education Department and the amounts shown are what's available to the school for reimbursement. We searched a database of Paycheck Protection Program recipients for all the schools in the Stay in School grant program. In some instances, a related entity received the loan; for instance, a church that operates a private school. Those amounts are not reflected in the table.School Name | Location | Stay in School Program | Paycheck Protection Program | Emergency Assistance To Non-Public Schools | 2020-21 Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Saints Catholic School | Norman | $26,342 | $534,547 | 343 | |
All Saints Catholic School | Broken Arrow | $21,330 | $448,664 | 375 | |
Altus Christian Academy | Altus | $58,850 | $128,500 | $218,626 | 158 |
Antioch Christian Academy | Moore | $47,621 | $88,800 | 40 | |
Ardmore Adventist Academy | Ardmore | $3,750 | 10 | ||
Bishop John Carroll School | Oklahoma City | $121,539 | $220,449 | $424,661 | 220 |
Bishop Kelley High School | Tulsa | $323,950 | $1,341,000 | $1,458,271 | 939 |
Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School | Oklahoma City | $403,000 | $1,079,600 | $1,189,281 | 688 |
Boulevard Christian School | Muskogee | $51,000 | 57 | ||
Casady School | Oklahoma City | 939 | |||
Cascia Hall Preparatory School | Tulsa | $71,500 | $1,227,555 | 535 | |
Christ the King School | Oklahoma City | $22,575 | $685,639 | 514 | |
Christian Heritage Academy | Del City | $591,500 | $656,500 | 548 | |
Christian Montessori Academy | Tulsa | $34,075 | $62,600 | 54 | |
Claremore Christian School | Claremore | $82,330 | $327,367 | 135 | |
Cookson Hills Christian School | Kansas | $169,407 | N/A | ||
Corn Bible Academy | Corn | $69,280 | $266,677 | 81 | |
Cornerstone Christian Academy of South Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City | $24,750 | $40,100 | 28 | |
Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School, Inc. | Oklahoma City | $780,000 | $356,400 | $2,480,435 | 243 |
Crossings Christian School | Oklahoma City | $148,625 | 1149 | ||
Crossover Prep | Tulsa | $526,500 | $547,469 | 105 | |
Destiny Christian School | Del City | $273,199 | $783,800 | 439 | |
Eagle Point Christian Academy | Sapulpa | $18,020 | $124,800 | $588,345 | 140 |
Emmanuel Christian School | Enid | $57,970 | $140,000 | 203 | |
Family of Faith Christian School | Shawnee | $18,000 | $135,068 | 84 | |
First Lutheran School | Ponca City | $11,007 | $335,380 | 174 | |
Good Shepherd Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $13,000 | $507,800 | 36 | |
Good Shepherd Lutheran School | Midwest City | $21,960 | 75 | ||
Higher Plain Christian Academy | Oklahoma City | $17,700 | 41 | ||
Holland Hall School | Tulsa | $227,500 | $1,990,000 | 1000 | |
Holy Family Cathedral School | Tulsa | $105,638 | $156,816 | 98 | |
Holy Trinity Lutheran School | Edmond | $21,400 | $204,891 | 180 | |
Holy Trinity School | Okarche | $58,400 | $314,776 | 104 | |
Hope Harbor Academy | Claremore | $19,500 | 14 | ||
Immanuel Lutheran Christian Academy | Broken Arrow | $42,359 | 141 | ||
Keystone Adventure School and Farm | Edmond | $12,680 | $261,800 | 65 | |
King's Gate Christian School | Yukon | $12,250 | $158,800 | 123 | |
Lakewood Christian School | McAlester | $34,074 | 162605 | 180 | |
Legacy Christian Academy | Broken Arrow | $37,180 | $270,135 | 64 | |
Life Christian Academy | Choctaw | $6,298 | $143,200 | 130 | |
Lighthouse Christian Academy | Tulsa | $69,350 | 105 | ||
Lincoln Christian School | Tulsa | $303,964 | 893 | ||
Little Light Christian School | Oklahoma City | $26,000 | $87,570 | $89,282 | 40 |
Marquette Catholic School | Tulsa | $58,193 | $462,435 | 385 | |
Messiah Lutheran School | Oklahoma City | $14,800 | 77 | ||
Mercy School Institute | Edmond | $295,317 | N/A | ||
Metro Christian Academy | Tulsa | $289,875 | $1,046,201 | 894 | |
Mingo Valley Christian School | Tulsa | $45,500 | $291,800 | $649,011 | 320 |
Mission Academy High School | Oklahoma City | $6,500 | 10 | ||
Monte Cassino School | Tulsa | $19,500 | $1,059,100 | $725,702 | 720 |
Mount St. Mary Catholic High School | Oklahoma City | $199,825 | $678,300 | $676,482 | 391 |
Mt. Olive Lutheran School | Miami | $10,800 | $28,400 | $218,626 | 30 |
Muskogee Seventh-Day Adventist Christian Academy | Muskogee | $6,600 | 16 | ||
Odyssey Leadership Academy | Oklahoma City | $6,000 | $119,000 | 36 | |
Oklahoma Bible Academy | Enid | $240,340 | $619,800 | 216 | |
Oklahoma Christian Academy | Edmond | $130,212 | $448,200 | $729,136 | 470 |
Oklahoma Christian School | Edmond | $19,500 | $1,031,400 | 1025 | |
Paths to Independence | Bartlesville | $42,769 | $138,900 | $271,280 | 55 |
Peace Academy | Tulsa | $581,477 | N/A | ||
Positive Tomorrows | Oklahoma City | $377,000 | $261,200 | $969,510 | 70 |
Regent Preparatory School | Tulsa | 528 | |||
Rejoice Christian School | Owasso | $39,000 | $1,001,800 | $1,173,256 | 912 |
Riverfield Country Day School | Tulsa | $48,030 | $2,449,400 | 535 | |
Rosary Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $47,996 | 252 | ||
Sacred Heart Catholic School | El Reno | $8,140 | $167,117 | 105 | |
Sacred Heart Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $103,400 | $932,882 | 135 | |
School of Saint Mary | Tulsa | $54,392 | $297,606 | 219 | |
Shiloh Christian School | Tahlequah | $42,000 | $61,088 | $57,232 | 40 |
SNU Lab School | Bethany | $120,375 | $315,921 | 125 | |
Solid Foundation Preparatory Academy | Tulsa | $5,280 | 52 | ||
Southwest Covenant Schools | Yukon | $116,794 | $355,300 | 492 | |
St. Augustine Academy | Tulsa | $38,877 | $304,600 | 142 | |
St. Catherine Catholic School | Tulsa | $79,625 | 168 | ||
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $58,726 | $1,051,925 | 145 | |
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School | Edmond | $76,395 | $638,709 | 391 | |
St. Eugene Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $110,088 | $425,806 | 300 | |
St. James Catholic School | Oklahoma City | $203,500 | $1,413,630 | 150 | |
St. John Bosco Institute | Edmond | 27 | |||
St. John Catholic School | Bartlesville | $4,510 | $196,878 | 133 | |
St. John Lutheran School | Moore | $23,291 | $137,615 | N/A | |
St. John Nepomuk Catholic School | Yukon | $34,880 | $247,242 | 190 | |
St. John's Lutheran School | Moore | $14,356 | 54 | ||
St. Joseph Catholic School | Muskogee | $122,791 | $239,230 | 75 | |
St. Mary Catholic School | Ponca City | $33,388 | $230,073 | 111 | |
St. Paul's Community School | Oklahoma City | $128,500 | $43,700 | $410,926 | 41 |
St. Philip Neri Catholic | Midwest City | $88,250 | $256,399 | 147 | |
St. Pius X Catholic School | Tulsa | $234,451 | $453,277 | 327 | |
Stillwater Christian School | Stillwater | $71,435 | $131,592 | 80 | |
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School | Tulsa | $237,000 | $2,013,422 | 169 | |
Summit Christian Academy | Broken Arrow | $13,000 | 450 | ||
Terra Verde Discovery School | Norman | 156 | |||
The Academy of Classical Christian Studies | Oklahoma City | $177,500 | $598,179 | $1,206,451 | 695 |
Town & Country School | Tulsa | $65,000 | $420,300 | $270,135 | 173 |
Trinity School | Oklahoma City | $30,580 | $137,900 | 107 | |
Tulsa Adventist Academy | Tulsa | $30,850 | $199,167 | 70 | |
Tulsa Hope Academy | Tulsa | $39,000 | $23,100 | 30 | |
Undercroft Montessori School | Tulsa | $39,000 | $361,600 | 208 | |
University School | Tulsa | $272,424 | N/A | ||
Veritas Christian School Inc. | Sulphur | $4,100 | $27,100 | 51 | |
Victory Christian School | Tulsa | $435,240 | 875 | ||
Victory Life Academy | Durant | $96,600 | $179,400 | $367,429 | 151 |
Wagoner Christian School | Wagoner | $190,010 | N/A | ||
Wesleyan Christian School | Bartlesville | $532,258 | 230 | ||
Western Oklahoma Christian School | Clinton | $74,000 | $264,050 | 172 | |
Westminster School | Oklahoma City | $34,030 | $1,047,700 | 581 | |
Woodward Christian School | Woodward | $114,464 | N/A | ||
Wright Christian Academy | Tulsa | $192,950 | $193,100 | $455,567 | 185 |
Young Achievers Christian Academy | Oklahoma City | $55,300 | $112,900 | 86 | |
Total | $9,716,000 | $22,902,549 | $30,786,203 | 26,470 |
Sources: Governor’s Office, federalpay.org, Oklahoma Department of Education

Jennifer Palmer has been a reporter with Oklahoma Watch since 2016 and covers education. Contact her at (405) 761-0093 or jpalmer@oklahomawatch.org. Follow her on Twitter @jpalmerOKC.