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State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia

Minutes

June Board Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday June 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Location

SCSC Board Room

1356B Twin Towers East,
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE

Atlanta, GA 30334

 

Virtual Access Information

Meeting Link

Phone: +1 646 931 3860

Meeting ID: 844 2791 6648
Passcode: 965938

1356 Twin Towers East,

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
 

Directors Present

B. Brockway, B. Scafidi (remote), C. Good, L. Millan (remote), M. Dudgeon, S. Sweeney

Directors Absent

T. Lowden

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

M. Dudgeon called a meeting of the board of directors of State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia to order on Wednesday Jun 25, 2025 at 10:06 AM.

C.

Approve Minutes

M. Dudgeon made a motion to approve the minutes from April Board Meeting on 04-30-25.
S. Sweeney seconded the motion.

Minutes were approved by unanimous consent of the board.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

II. School Performance Reviews

A.

School for Arts Infused Learning (SAIL)

Representatives from the School for Arts Infused Learning presented on how the school will improve its academic and financial performance.

 

Commissioners asked clarifying questions on how the board will address future academic and financial concerns.

B.

Statesboro STEAM College, Careers, Arts and Technology Academy

Representatives from Statesboro STEAM presented on how the school will improve its academic performance.

 

Commissioners asked clarifying questions regarding teacher retention, school operations, and financial oversight.

III. Division Reports

A.

Executive Director's Report

  • The Executive Director introduced the new Chief of Staff of the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), Christy Todd. Ms. Todd spoke on the SCSC and GaDOE collaboration.
  • The SCSC's summer interns, Zaina Bamidele, Adoris Gibbs, Gabriel Olmeda, Madison Tilton, and Katie Tokos, were introduced.
  • An update on local charter authorizers and Senate Bill 82 was provided.
  • Guin Jones and Kristen Easterbrook were commended for their hardwork on the FY25 petition cycle.
  • Three SCSC staff members will attend the National Charter Schools Conference next week.

B.

New Schools Division: Pre-Opening Schools

An update on the progress of new SCSC schools was provided.

C.

New Schools Division: FY25 Petition Process

An update on the FY25 petition cycle was provided. The Commission will begin voting on staff recommendations in the July meeting.

D.

Operations Report

  • An update on the Charter School Program (CSP) grant was provided.
  • The SCSC concluded the RFP process for the data system solution and awarded the National Charter Schools Institute's EpiCenter with the bid. Commissioners asked questions regarding the new data system.

IV. Strategic Plan Update

A.

Strategic Plan Update

An update on the SCSC's strategic plan was provided.

 

Commissioners commended the SCSC's progress on completing its strategic plan.

V. Action Items

A.

Staff Recommendation: CPF Revisions (Operations)

B. Brockway made a motion to approve the SCSC staff recommendation that the SCSC Board of Commissioners approve the following amendments to the Operations section of the SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework: 1) Increase points for the ‘Approaches Standard’ designation, 2) Modify on-time data reporting standards, 3) Modify governance training standards, 4) Merge Measure 2e into Measure 2b, 5) Adjust points for the ‘Meets Standard’ in measures within Indicators 1, 2, 4 and 6, and 6) Move compliance with authorizer intervention requirements from 6a to 6b.
S. Sweeney seconded the motion.

Operations CPF Amendment Rec 2025.pdf

 

Commissioners asked clarifying questions regarding the recommendation and stakeholder feedback.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

B.

Staff Recommendation: CPF Revisions (Finance)

B. Brockway made a motion to approve the SCSC staff recommendation that the SCSC Board of Commissioners approve the recommendation to make the following amendments to the Finance section of the SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework: 1) use the data of Unrestricted Cash as calculated and provided by the audit firms participating in the approved auditor program 2) acknowledge the “building related debt”, and 3) change the total points for the late submission of the annual financial audit report from 10 to 5 points.
C. Good seconded the motion.


CPF - Finance Amendment June 2025 final.pdf

 

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

Staff Recommendation: FY26 Budget Approval

S. Sweeney made a motion to approve the SCSC staff recommendation that (1) the State Charter Schools Commission approve the FY26 annual operating budget, as presented ($8,868,924), and direct the Georgia Department of Education to withhold the following amounts of state charter school funding for SCSC administration: • 1.7% of the state funding allocation to state charter schools, and, • .7% of the state funding allocation for state charter schools in the first year of operation, and (2) the State Charter Schools Commission directs the Georgia Department of Education to return the unexpended portion of the SCSC’s FY25 administrative to state charter schools based on a pro rata share, and upon the SCSC Chairman’s approval, the Executive Director may designate the use of returned funds to address concerns identified in the Comprehensive Performance Framework (CPF).
B. Brockway seconded the motion.

Action Item - FY26 Budget Adoption.FINAL.pdf

FY26 Budget Presentation.pdf

 

The Executive Director provided a presentation on the FY26 budget.

 

Commissioners commended SCSC staff on the FY26 budget.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VI. Public Comment

A.

Public Comment

Yvanne Jean Obei, Zenat Mahmuda, Christine Keck, and Dana Jackosn spoke in support of The Meliora School.

 

Camdon Jones spoke in support of the Atlanta Connections Academy.

VII. Executive Session

A.

Executive Session

B. Brockway made a motion to go into executive session for personnel discussion.
S. Sweeney seconded the motion.

The board voted to enter executive session at 12:24 pm.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
S. Sweeney made a motion to come out of executive session.
B. Brockway seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VIII. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 1:33 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
M. Dudgeon