New Tuition-Free Public Charter School Opening In Downtown OKC

A new tuition-free public charter school is just months from opening its doors to students.

John Rex Elementary is scheduled to open this August to students in pre-K to second grade and will eventually open to students through sixth grade.

Located at the corner of Sheridan and Walker, Oklahoma City's first downtown tuition-free public charter school is a public and private partnership between the University of Oklahoma and OKC Public schools.

The urban school will stand three stories tall and hold a 500-student capacity. It received $12 million in fund from the Maps for Kids program.

"We know in downtown there is a diverse population of families moving in to downtown not only socio economically, but racially and in many other ways, so we want to reach out to those groups and let them know we want to serve all children downtown," Joe Pierce, head of school, said.

The public is invited to ask questions and to hear more details about the new school at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Ronald Norick Library.