Board Meeting Agenda
Date: July 24, 2014
5:30-7:30 pm
Item
Person Responsible
1. Call to Order – Quorum confirmed
Chair
Board Members
Committees
Term Began
Term Ends
Neeraj Mehta (chair)
Equity, Governance
2014
2016
In Attendance
T. Michael Rock (vice-chair)
Personnel
2014
2016
Taylor Rub (secretary)
Achievement Leap
2014
2016
Linda Darling (Treasurer)
Finance, Technology
2013
2015
X
Malinda Lindquist
Achievement Leap
2013
2015
Via phone
Rose Dorer
Achievement Leap
X
2013
2015
X
Ann Luce
2013
2015
X
Endel Kallas
2014
2016
X
JJ Haywood
Personnel
2014
2016
X 6:00pm
Sara Fegers
Achievement Leap, Finance
2014
2016
X
Carla Pfahl
2014
2016
X
Chris Snoddy
2014
2016
X
Cindy Zwicky
2014
2016
Angela Wroblewski
(Non-Voting Member)
X
Meeting called to order 5:31pm.
Non-Board Present Member: Anthony Williams, parent of CH3 student
2.
Community Forum
Chair—Anthony is
here to request early enrollment for his daughter to Kindergarten. Received information from a BWE employee
and made 2014 school year decisions based on this information. Provided document outlining information,
steps taken. Feels IQ testing was too intense to be used as assessment. Has a current request in to HOS to early
enroll in Kindergarten. Neeraj is liaison and will follow up with Anthony.
3.
Approval Agenda
Rose seconds, passed unanimously
4.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Chair—Motion-Sara,
Chair
(Consent items are those which usually do not require discussion or explanation prior to school
board action, are non-controversial and /or similar in content, or are those items which have already
been discussed and/or explained and do not require further discussion or explanation. Items shall be
removed from the consent agenda by a request by an individual school board member for
independent consideration.)
1. Minutes from June 26, 2014
2. Donation report: none
3. Contracts: By Word of Mouth for speech/language services
Motion Endel, second Ann, passed unanimously
5.
Governance (e.g. by-laws, elections, etc.)
Chair
1. Strategic Planning -- September 11, 5:30-8:30pm. A shared discussion of each schools strategic
plan. Agenda and summaries will be sent out.
2. Committee assignments-- Ann on Development and Equity, Malinda on Development, Linda
and Endel Governance—Will send summary of committee descriptions and meeting times to
send out and in board packet.
3. Operations Evaluation from Audubon—p.10 Discrepancy in not identifying ELLs and tests not
issued. Working on a contract for an ELL teacher/art teacher.—p. 11 Parent survey results are
pending. Last date to respond is July 25. Will look at and address who responded, not just
results. Linda is summarizing results and will bring to next meeting.—p. 17 Enrollment forms in
two places on website. Has been updated and competed. In accordance with the law has been
done. Parent Handbook is expected to be completed by back to school night.—p.18 Challenge
in handbook. Needs to be separate from preschool.—p.22 Working with insurance to increase
requirement. Excited to see that review was better than last year. Special ed challenges were
passed and in regulation.
Policies need to be established by board to conform to requirements.
Angela will supply a list of policies that need to be approved for the year.
Discussion on date of meetings. Tabled for new business.
6.
Personnel Committee
T Michael/JJ
1. Letters of Agreements SY 2014-15: 3 contracts to paras and 2 good candidates for food
assistants. No contracts yet.
2. Hiring Updates for CH2—Need to hire 2 licensed teachers. Have two AMI candidates that are
willing to go back to school to get licensure.
One special ed para left to hire.
Discussion regarding the preschool director candidate.
7.
Head of School Report – Curriculum/Programs
Angela
1. Behavior Logs—Sent to Neeraj
2. Transportation Report
3. Updated Forms separate from Preschool- discussion regarding racial/ethnic background info on
enrollment form. Interest in exploring further how we give parents the opportunity to identify
racially.
4. Enrollment Update for SY14-15 (recommend opening enrollment to accept 4th grader)—15 on
waiting list. Enrollment is 178. Confirmed enrollment.
5. Motion to open enroll 2 4th grade students. Linda moved, Ann 2nd, discussion on open
enrollment. Board and HOS will establish # of slots available and then allow enrollment based
on those numbers. Vote passed unanimously. Enrollment opened from 8:00-4:00 on Friday July
25th.
Front window was broken last week, Police were called. Verified no one in the building and
deemed a prank. Church replaced.
8.
Finance
Linda
1. Financial Dashboard—no resolution on large overpayment. Bussing came in higher than
expected. Working on reimbursement for a special case. Utilities were higher due to weather
conditions. Audit is scheduled and auditor to attend Sept. board meeting. Grants are now listed
as separate line item.
2. Letter of Credit update-no new info, Signature Bank info, all documentation handed in, working
on getting accounts setup. Once automatic deposits are confirmed, US Bank account will be
closed.
3. Finance training-August 26th 5:30-8:30pm, SBS will be providing training
Linda moves to accept, Endel 2nd, passed unanimously.
Food service, discussed bringing breakfast in house, to reduce costs. Discussion on food policy
needed.
4. Enrollment
Date: Fall
Actual Budget Based On Waitlist
38
4
Kindergarten
96
8
Lower Elem
44
2
Upper Elem
178
165 ADM
14
Total
9.
Achievement Leap Committee
Malinda
1. Social Justice Curriculum-- Team has met twice for 2 all day meetings. Now have working first
draft of curriculum. Curriculum will be sent before next board meeting for approval. Will try to
send 2-3 weeks prior to meeting. Combining Bree Picower and Amnesty International curricula.
Will present to staff during professional development. Most units are literature based to begin
conversations around the difference concepts, with strong art infusion. Aim is for Grades 1-6,
with differentiation in follow up work. Some of these issues will be dispersed to Kindergarten.
Will also incorporate several community events. Curriculum will culminate in social action.
2. El Sistema overview—Can bring music to our children for 1 hour per day, three days a week.
Preschool is 45 minutes. Focus is on violin. Jr for k, el sistema 1-2. Due to funding stops at 2nd
grade. 3-6 will be choir component. Children will do 2 performances through el sistema on site.
Once their board approves, they will do a press release with us. Trying to find funding to include
3rd graders. Shortfall of $6000. We are waiting for approval from el sistema’s board before any
information can be released!
3. Amity fellows-- Had housing for all, now housing challenge. Need one more family.
10.
Fundraising/Development Committee
11.
Technology Committee –
12.
Community Engagement and Equity, August 11th 8:30am next meeting
13.
Closed Meeting:
1. Personnel matter under MN Statute 13D.05 Subd.3a
2. Educational Data matter under MN Statute 13D.05 Subd.2.3 (13.32 Subd.1c)
Moved to close meeting 7:40pm by Rose, 2nd by Ann. Passed unanimously.
Meeting opened 8:01pm
Policy questions- Need to address enrollment policy. Neeraj will begin discussion.
14.
New Business
1. Confirmation of date and time of next meeting August 28 at 5:30 p.m.
15.
Adjourn
Move to close Endel, 2nd JJ. Passed unanimously.
Linda
Neeraj
Respectfully submitted by
Sara Fegers