Meeting Minutes June 2013

Transcription

1 Meeting Minutes June 2013 It is the missin f Explris Middle Schl t create a challenging and supprtive learning cmmunity that engages each student in understanding and building a cnnected, just, and sustainable wrld. Meeting Title : Explris Middle Schl Bard f Directrs Meeting Lcatin: Explris Middle Schl Meeting Date: 6/18/2013 Start Time: 4:07pm End Time: 6:10pm Attendees: Bb Whitehead Kathleen Evans Frank McKay Liz Baird (Chair) Kendall Hageman Summer Claytn Susan Jhnstn Anne Franklin Shannn Hardy (Observing) Facilitatr: Liz Baird (Chair) Nte Taker: Frank McKay, Faculty Bard Rep in absence f BOD Secretary Barry Kstner Absent: Barry Kster Sean Gargan Wes Mre (intern) Rachael Lambert (intern) Agenda: 1. Call t Order and Welcme 2. Apprval f Meeting Agenda 3. Cnsideratin f Minutes frm May 21, Presentatins a. Explris Strategic Plan Treasurer s Reprt a. Financials Update b Budget Cnsideratins 6. Actin Items a. Cnsent Agenda: i. Apprval f Mnthly Financials ii. Apprve FY14 Budget iii. Apprve Strategic Plan 7. Annuncements / Discussin f New Business a. Cmmittee Updates b. Persnnel Update c. Cnsideratin f Bard Vacancy 8. Next Meeting: August 20 th 9. Adjurnment

2 Item Discussed/Decisins Made CALL TO ORDER & WELCOME APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA SJ mtined t apprve, BW 2 nd. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES frm May 21, 2013 Summer is psting minutes n Ggle Dcs and referring t them in the Agenda- n hard cpies. Mtin t apprve May- SJ, 2nd by BW Mtin t apprve March and April, shared via Ggle Dcs - KE, 2nd by KH Brief discussin abut BOD access t Ggle Dcs. (AF culd use sme assistance) PRESENTATIONS Explris Strategic Plan , prpsal presented by SC. Nte: many frm Strategic Planning Cmmittee are present fr this discussin including LB, SJ, Summer, KE, SH, (Sean G, Karen Rectanus, Barry K. and David W. nt present) This is final draft f prpsal, ready fr final BOD input and apprval. Faculty has had input, Summer des nt plan t pen up fr additinal faculty input beynd the members f the planning cmmittee since we are nearing final plan. AF nted imprtance f including a clear date fr final versin and as dcument is updated in the future, maybe as header r fter. Sme discussin abut the wrding f the visin, Being the change... AF suggested that the gerund frm f being is nt as strng as the infinitive. SH and SC cmmented that it is nt a future statement. We want it t be clear students and staff are currently in the prcess f mdeling and cntributing t psitive change in the lcal and glbal cmmunity. Summer- the heart f the plan is addressing six cre critical issues facing the schl, the essence is we want t have a larger impact and be mre financially sustainable. The 5 year visin is t make EMS K-8 with app. 500 students. The plan itself is the six strategic gals that address the six cre issues. The cmmittee felt that rewrking the missin, visin, and cre values was imprtant grundwrk fr creating the plan. AF asked what determines the number f students, ideal number, what is the right scale? SC cmmented that usually the schl mdel determines what the ideal number is, but the majrity f NC charter schls have an average number in the range f 500 students. AF the scale f the schl is imprtant since it determines hw relatinships are built and hw the schl perates. SC EMS seems t have hit a gd number grwing frm 14:1 t 17:1 student: teacher rati. Elementary schl culd have larger rati as high as 20:1. LB the cmmittee played with sme f the numbers fr the K6 cmpnent f schl, but n cnclusin fr ideal rati. SC mre wrk will need t be dne by cmmittees carrying ut the plan. SH research n varius mdels indicates that 15:1 is an ideal size fr crprate teams (based n bk Gd t Great). If we want t be a replicable mdel, we have t have a rati that ther schls can lk t as sustainable fr their ppulatins. AF- is that represented in the strategic gals? SH addressed in gal 6. SC- 500 wuld be cnsidered a small schl in WCPSS Frank- ther schls (Evergreen) have demnstrated hw structures can help a larger rati (24:1) feel smaller (12:1), using weekly meetings f their CREW fr example LB- the Summit Schl in Winstn Salem has a small schl feel structures that help create a family/cmmunity feel. SC- Empire prperties is nw lking fr prperties that wuld allw EMS t expand.

3 SC- EMS will have t apply fr expansin as a NC Charter Schl thrugh the NC OCS. Many f the strategic gals will have t be addressed simultaneusly as the schl applies fr expansin. The strategic gals timeline utlines the suggested prcess. BW- the timeline is essentially an actin plan, yes? SH- the actin plan will be mre detailed with actins and deliverables utlined by the cmmittee wrking n each gal. BW can share Chemware s templates fr creating actin plan and dcumenting prgress. SJ- that wuld be helpful fr t cnsider fr EMS cmmittee use. BW templates are very helpful in breaking dwn large tasks int managable tasks. KE- d we have peple identified utside f the bard wh can help take leadership n strategic planning cmmittees. Summer- has received large respnse thrugh cmmunity surveys sent ut t varius listservs. KE has mre vlunteers than needed fr Pass the Hat campaign. Culd redirect them t Summer fr SP cmmittee wrk. SC - this is an aggressive timeline being prpsed. We need input n what s dable frm the bard. LB- time is f the essence as Raleigh real estate market starts t bm. SJ -market values have nt yet reflected cming increases. SC- Empire Prperties says t act fast r we will lse ut. SH gals 2,3, and 6 really need cmmunity leadership frm families and ther cmmunity leaders. Faculty need t fcus n instructinal gals. SJ- d ur best t accmplish everything we can. Wrst case, we delay expansin ne year. KE- there is n expectatin that faculty take n the whle prcess. BOD is wrking hard. This adds a whle new layer t the existing respnsibilities. It will really take a village t make this happen. SJ- at sme pint, we may need t make a decisin t hire a cnsultant t help cmplete sme tasks SH- like marketing pieces KE- as we hear abut financials, we ll see we may have sme mney t help AF- is staying dwn twn in the SP? We may want t cnsider what ther businesses are ding, may want t be a mveable schl. KE- we need a hme BW- having an established schl means parents knw they can invest in the schl nce they are in SH- tugh t rely n investment f lcal cmmittee b/c f the pen lttery. Lttery will be mre limited (relative t size) nce we are k8 SJ- Emp. Prperty leaders expressed that WCPSS elementary schls are t far (20 miles away) Summer- challenge f being a mveable schl is the amunt f investment it takes t create a schl facility that meets ur needs. BW- labs d this all the time. Mveable labs within a nn-mveable structure. AF- an wned facility wuld be great dwntwn, but reality is that we need t cnsider all ptins Summer- Emp. can use mveable mdel b/c they make mney and can adapt as needed, Schls have mre limitatins SH- ne mre thught- NC schls d nt get instructinal mney. We are funding facilities thrugh instructinal mney. Other states have ther ptins fr charter schls fr facilities, but we d nt. We can t be at the mercy f dwntwn rents. We need t establish ur sustainable mdel with a hme base and then lk t expand. Ann- cunty cmmissiners will have the pwer t ffer mre ptins sn. right nw we are in a very expensive mdel. wn t happen ver night, but it will happen. SJ- reflecting back n prcess f getting t the pint where we are with the lease, we never expected the cuts t ed. funding that have happened in the past tw years. Summer- Emp. is lking at a building we culd buy and renvate. Details are emerging. Emp.

4 feels city cuncil will lk favrably n ur renvating existing structure t create dwntwn schl. BW- what determines ur lease increase. Summer- lease increases based n CPI r per capita allwance f students Summer- ur lease is csting $2.5 millin ver the life f the lease. We culd wn a building fr the same mney. Part f the SP is lking at ur ptins and seeing what we can get dwntwn. KE- expressed appreciatin t the cmmittee fr the wrk and energy SH- imprtant t credit Karen R. and David Wisz KE- wuld like a few days t lk ver the plan befre apprval. Other bard members shuld see it t. LB- wuld like t have mre eyes n the dcument, as well, befre apprving AF- what ther baseline assumptins are part f the plan that are imprtant t mving frward. Discussin abut example f what a replicable mdel lks like. Summer- a cncern: digesting the dcument is imprtant, but schl needs t mve frward n implementatin and need bard apprval. BOD des nt meet in July, s delaying apprval creates a significant delay. BW- des BOD have material bjectins befre apprval. Fr example, there shuld be a preamble, but that is nt a material bjectin. This culd be an apprved draft ne. SJ- we knw there will be changes as cmmittees start their wrk. AF- is there a way t just endrse the actin plan? (BW-yes, exactly) Summer- needs bard t apprve six strategic gals AF- mved t apprve SP as presented. KE- 2nd. Passed unanimusly. TREASURER S REPORT Financials Update Summer- des everyne have current versin? KE nted that after challenging number crunching, KE and SC have determined the schl will definitely have budget surplus fr FY13. 2 reasns: 1- successful Pass the Hat campaign in the fall. 2- Summer s salary being partly ffset by app. $25k by federal EC funds due t her extra wrk n EC this year. Befre/Afterschl prgram als netted additinal unexpected $14k Rent was a dwnfall, did nt budget crrectly. KE expressed she has learned a lt this year t help restructure budget next year s mnthly tracking is nt as challenging SJ appreciated wrk KE and SC have dne t clarify and refine budgeting prcess this year. KE nted everything will be cded t eliminate guess wrk required n tracking mney in past budgets. SC- e.g. individual field trip mney has been difficult t track since it was lumped tgether. Cding will help schl track funds better AF asked if Befre/Afterschl prgram a fee based prgram? Answer: Yes. SJ asked if it is pssible t manage schl budget prcess in huse in the future. SC wuld like t eventually have an nsite business manager. It depends n schl student numbers. Right nw it des nt make sense t emply full time designated BM. As schl grws, hiring ne, even tw supprt staff will make mre sense. LB- Friends f the Museum was at a size that required utside prfessinal accunting. SC- Sallie B... Charter uses a cmbinatin f in huse budget management with Acadia supprt KE suggested that any business (r schl) shuld always cmparative shp each year fr supprt wrk t save csts.

5 Budget Cnsideratins SC: BOD needs t apprve f ne f tw budget ptins. Optin (clumn) 1 brings staff t 100% f WCPSS teacher scale. Optin (clumn) 2 is 99% f WCPSS salaries (still a raise, but percent per emplyee varies), excepting ne teacher wh was making significantly under WCPSS scale. SC clarified that sme EMS emplyees make mre than they wuld with WCPSS r ther districts. Bth ptins stay true t current EMS pay scale in terms f years f teaching credit, regardless f what credit WCPSS wuld give them. BW asked whether n a $40k salary a teacher gets $400, fr example. SC answered state teaching scale varies the salary increase depending n years f experience t minimize attritin. LB nted at last meeting BOD discussed being fiscally respnsible t the schl, play it safe and then ffer teachers a bnus half way thrugh the year if budget is healthy. This means future budget wuld nt have t absrb the past increase. KE suggested teacher bnuses culd actually be greater than the salary increase teachers wuld receive in prpsed ptin 1. Other cncern brught up by SC is future health care increase that is yet t be determined. BW asked why bks and supplies item increases by $5k with lwer salary ptin (ptin 2)? SC answered we have t balance the budget, s mney ges t supplies. This des nt lck schl int that increase in the future. Based n experience in ther states, when yu pay a teacher a certain amunt, yu cannt retract that amunt. SJ nted that staff has run schl n a shestring KE nted last year s bnus actually put teachers ahead f what they wuld have gtten with WCPSS increase. AF- Frank, what d teachers say? FM shared that matching Wake Cunty sends an imprtant message t teachers and will definitely have a psitive impact n mrale. Teachers understand there are ther cnsideratins here as well. Thse will need t be cmmunicated t staff clearly if ptin B is passed. AF - dn t teachers absrb a lt f instructinal csts as they purchase supplies fr instructin? SC - teachers d absrb sme csts KE - as a schl, we shuld be able t meet WCPSS salaries. But n the ther hand... BOD needs t be fiscally respnsible. SC shared that a salary increase benefits her and all staff in the shrt run but teachers are well cmpensated cmpared t ther schls, when factring in all types f cmpensatin: EMS has a psitive wrking envirnment with a 17:1 rati, internatinal trips, autnmy, adequate supplies. Natinally, the teaching field is nt cmpensated well but at a charter schl there is ften a trade-ff. Fr a charter schl, EMS teachers receive a cmpetitive salary. BW nted the difference t teachers is nly a cuple hundred f dllars. SJ asked abut the demands that implementing the SP will place n teachers. This will require hard wrk. What message is BOD ging t send t teachers as schl engages in this prcess? SC nted BOD is making a decisin fr ne fiscal year, nt fr every year. We have teachers wh have been at EMS fr many many years, this makes salaries at EMS expensive. KH nted that next year, state teachers will nt get masters and NBC supplements

6 LB asked t cnsider strategic gal #5 relating t attracting and keeping high quality staff. AF expressed she is mre cncerned abut the quality f what we are ding. BWagreed BW asked abut the likelihd there will be mney available were the BOD t chse t d ptin 2 with a midyear bnus. Frank cmmented that while a bnus wuld be much appreciated, the immediate impact n mrale frm budget ptin 1 will be significant. With ptin 2, the message will have already been sent that we are nt matching WCPSS salaries even thugh we came ut f FY13 with a budget surplus in the range f $20k. BW expressed that the BOD needs t take a lng term utlk in terms f the fiscal health f the schl, especially cnsidering unknwn increases in health care csts after FY14. KE said the BOD culd d a bnus earlier based n surplus after Pass the Hat is cmpleted in the fall. SC expressed that the pint is the schl is nt just sitting n the $15-$20k, we re saving fr the upcming capital campaign and future building purchase. KE- mtin t g with Budget versin 2. BW 2nd. Passed unanimusly. ACTION ITEMS Cnsent Agenda: Apprval f Mnthly Financials Apprve FY14 Budget Apprve Strategic Plan Mtin- SJ. AF 2nd. Passed unanimusly. ANNOUNCEMENTS / DISCUSSION OF NEW BUSINESS Cmmittee Updates: N ther updates- SP was nly cmmittee that met Cnsideratin f Bard Vacancy Reminder by SC- Karen Barlw has stepped dwn. BOD still has 2 active applicatins. LB- wuld like t re-invite new nminatins as new 6th grade parents arrive, while als infrming existing applicants f pening. KE- agreed, especially since n current BOD members are current EMS parents LB- is there a nminatin cmmittee? AF- what s the prcess? LB- we cntact them first, and then BD lks ver applicants. SC- need t cnsult the by-laws t see when new members need t be seated. Persnnel Update SC- BOD s new budget has apprved 2 EC teachers. Sharn Cuff has accepted ne f the psitins. Still interviewing fr 2nd psitin. FM annunced he is taking a new jb at NC New Schls, effective July 8. SC- will be sending ut an alert t pst teaching vacancy. Biggest cnsideratin is whether t put 2 new teachers n ne team. Will be thinking abut best strategy with new hire.

7 Other Summer is traveling t Hirshima t attend an Ed Frum n Actin Research in Prfessinal Develpment. Will travel n July 3rd thrugh July 10th. NEXT MEETING: August 20th ADJOURNMENT: 6:10 pm Actin Items and Next Steps: 1. Frank McKay t send minutes t Kendall Hageman t have placed in new Minutes Frmat. Assigned t: 1. Frank McKay and Kendall Hageman