The Anchor School
Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday August 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Location
In-person for board members
The Anchor School
2460 Wesley Chapel Road
Decatur, GA 30035
Directors Present
A. Pressey, C. Humphrey, E. Desprez Isbell, J. Burton (remote), J. Whittington, N. LeBlanc, S. Birch, S. Kollu, V. Thompson
Directors Absent
None
Ex Officio Members Present
J. Pinto Taylor
Non Voting Members Present
J. Pinto Taylor
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
N. LeBlanc called a meeting of the board of directors of The Anchor School to order on Wednesday Aug 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
E. Desprez Isbell made a motion to approve the minutes from Board of Directors Meeting on 06-25-25.
N. LeBlanc seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
D.
Vote to approve amended agenda
N. LeBlanc made a motion to approve the amended agenda to include a vote on SY25-26 board officials.
J. Whittington seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
II. Executive Director Report
A.
Executive Director Report
- 3 strategic focuses: Fundraising, high school readiness, welcoming new board members
III. Academic Achievement
A.
Academic Dashboard Review
- Reviewed the Year 3 Academic Dashboard
- MAP testing is currently being completed, data will be reviewed in September Academic Committee with a high level overview in the board meeting
IV. Community Engagement Adhoc
A.
Community Engagement Updates
- We had a fantastic first PTO fundraiser! Shoutout to our parents for bringing this to life. Determining how we can do these more in the future
- We are coordinating to get a new PTO meeting sequence on the calendar (and to get the latest bylaws to you Bernard)
- We are moving with a new structure.- community and advancement adhoc taskforce still (not a formal committee) The goal is to give shared space for both community engagement work + structures for fundraising from our village and to give more access to this work to our board members (more to come as we determine next steps there!)
- Great first day of school! Loved seeing yall Josh and Carl! And stay tuned: New member onboarding and SCSC Trainings - survey to come so we can start calendaring (anticipating to work with Morgan again) More to come from me! And we will have to get a board social on the books this fall too!
V. Finance
A.
July 25' Financial Summary
- Brittany Clay (Ed Tech) reviewed the July financials
- FY25 SCSC Dashboard, projected score of 90 for SCSC audit (currently taking place)
- CSP grant 93% utilization $555,436 out of $600,000
- CSP grant draw downs, lessons learned to ensure an even higher utilization rate
B.
Bond Report (If Applicable)
TAS continues to carry a surety bond per the SCSC contract.
C.
Facility Team Recommendation
Posted request for services and received back one competitive proposal from Cooper Carry for architectural services and the Facility Resource Center for project management and permitting process.
Action Item: Dr. PT to begin contract negotiations and share with finance committee.
E. Desprez Isbell made a motion to Approve Cooper Carry for architectural services and the Facility Resource Center for project management and permitting process services pending a negotiated contract review by the school and board by mid-September.
A. Pressey seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
VI. Governance
A.
Item for Information: Committee Structure for SY25-26
- Governance Committee
- Finance Committee
- Academic Committee
- Community and Advancement adhoc taskforce(not a formal committee). The goal is to give shared space for both community engagement work + structures for fundraising from our village and to give more access to this work to our board members (more to come as we determine next steps).
B.
Item for Information: Adopt Board Training Calendar
- Board training with 21 Cobalt (Morgan) with content tailored to The Anchor School
- Targeting a tentative 1 day training in January
- SCSC February 10 and 11 2026
Action Item: Create board training calendar with each member and required training
C.
Item for Action: Vote New Members Into TAS Board
Recommendation to elect the following individuals as members of the TAS Board of Directors:
- Thea Winston
- Shanice Stewart
- Kim Sargeant
- Kristi James
- Jarrod Jordan
- Rationale These candidates were recruited and vetted through the Governance Committee’s nomination process. They bring expertise in finance, education, and community engagement, and will strengthen the Board’s capacity to advance the mission of The Anchor School.
E. Desprez Isbell made a motion to Elect the following individuals as members of the TAS Board of Directors:
Thea Winston
Shanice Stewart
Kim Sargeant
Kristi James
Jarrod Jordan.
S. Birch seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
D.
Item for Action: Staff Handbook
E. Desprez Isbell made a motion to approve the staff handbook for SY25-26.
J. Whittington seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
E.
Item for Action: Vote on board officials
J. Whittington made a motion to vote in Nicole LeBlanc for Board Chair (1 year term) , Jasmine Burton for Vice Board Chair (2 year term), Thea Winston for Treasurer (with the transitional support of Jaamal, 2 year term), Emily Desprez Isbell (Secretary, 1 year term), contingent on verifying that board members who have served 3 years can renew for additional years of service annually.
C. Humphrey seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
VII. Public Comment
A.
Parent shared that the new staff members may need to have reinforced that homework should be no more than 10 minutes per night per grade level (i.e. 8th grade no more than 80 minutes a night)
- Parent shared that the new staff members may need to have reinforced that homework should be no more than 10 minutes per night per grade level (i.e. 8th grade no more than 80 minutes a night)
- Questions around group restroom breaks
- Questions about lunch time (gold days in particular feels rushed for student who shared)
Action Item: Sahi to share recommendations and examples for Campus Master Plans/Strategic Plan.
Action Item: Finance Committee to draft language around future facilities and distance away.
Marta will partner with schools for transportation.
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 8:57 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
E. Desprez Isbell
As we continue to build on this momentum, I want to highlight three goals that I have for our collaboration this year:
1. Amplified Impact Through Fundraising – Deepening our investment in students by securing the resources needed to grow and sustain excellence.
2. Focused Middle School Improvement and High School Expansion – Strengthening our foundation while thoughtfully preparing for our next phase.
3. Support For New Board Members – Ensuring a smooth onboarding process and cultivating strong, mission-aligned relationships across the board and between the board and the staff of the school.