Tulsa Honor Academy

Founded in 2015, Tulsa Honor Academy (“THA”) serves 882 students in grades 5-11 across two campuses in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The network’s mission is “to equip all students with the academic skills, content knowledge, and ethical character required for college graduation and life success.”

Founder and Executive Director Elise Urueta Pollock is an East Tulsan native who is a former Teach for America Corp member and a Building Excellent School Fellow. Ms. Urueta Pollock returned to her home community with the goal of launching a high performing charter school to empower low-income families and ultimately foster economic development in Tulsa. The East Tulsa community has a large Hispanic population, and students of color represent more than 75% of THA’s student body. Over 90% qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

EFF provided a $12.5 million loan to refinance a loan used to acquire one of THA’s campuses and complete renovations associated with the newly acquired campus. THA is a member of EFF’s Accelerator Fund cohort, and the loan benefitted from credit enhancement generously provided by the Charter School Growth Fund.