John Rex Polytechnic High School to open in downtown OKC in fall 2027
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — John Rex Charter Schools announced a vision for a new high school that is scheduled to open in downtown Oklahoma City in the fall of 2027.
On Thursday, John Rex Charter Schools announced the vision for John Rex Polytechnic High School, a comprehensive public charter high school that will welcome ninth-grade students for the 2027-2028 school year.
Organizers say the school will add one grade each year.
“From the beginning, John Rex was built around the idea that an exceptional education can be deeply connected to the community around it,” said Patrick Duffy, superintendent of John Rex Charter Schools. “Opening a high school allows us to take that vision even further. We’re not simply adding four more grade levels. We’re building a high school model uniquely designed around downtown Oklahoma City and the students who will graduate into our city’s future.”
John Rex Polytechnic High School, which is located at 615 N. Hudson Ave., will combine rigorous academics with applied, real-world learning.
Organizers say under the polytechnic model, students will receive a comprehensive, college- and career-ready education while participating in interdisciplinary projects, applied learning and experiences connected to their interests and future goals.
“Oklahoma City gives us an extraordinary environment in which to build this kind of school,” said Dr. Rhonda Hart, founding principal of John Rex Polytechnic High School. “We want to connect students with the people and organizations solving real problems every day so they understand not only what they’re learning, but how they can use it.”
Students will be able to choose from engineering, cybersecurity and computer science, biomedical sciences, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary studies, or advanced academics.
“John Rex Elementary was a MAPS for Kids project intended to facilitate residential growth in downtown as well as provide a new center of excellence for public education in our city,” said Mayor David Holt. “Both aspirations have been realized since the passage of MAPS for Kids a quarter-century ago, but to truly leverage the potential of the original vision, it is ideal to have a John Rex pipeline that goes all the way through high school graduation. I commend everyone who has pursued this outcome and is making it possible. This is a great day for OKC’s public education system.”