Lowcountry Montessori School
Minutes
November Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday November 30, 2017 at 6:30 PM
Location
749 Broad River Dr., Beaufort, SC 29906
The mission of Lowcountry Montessori School is to provide an authentic Montessori education building a foundation for lifelong learning.
Directors Present
A. Moody, C. Blumenstein, D. Fent, D. Pickett, I. Deysach, K. Wiley, M. Altice, P. Chester, S. Lemstrom, S. Wiggins
Directors Absent
C. Lucas
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
D. Fent
Directors who left before the meeting adjourned
K. Wiley, P. Chester
Guests Present
A. Horn, C. Heyward, Kasia Powell, L. Acord, M. Zappia, S. Fox
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
A. Moody called a meeting of the board of directors of Lowcountry Montessori School to order on Thursday Nov 30, 2017 at 6:32 PM.
C.
Reading of Mission Statement
D.
Approval of Agenda
K. Wiley made a motion to approve.
M. Altice seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
E.
Statement of Compliance with FOIA
F.
Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting
D. Fent made a motion to approve minutes from the October Board Meeting on 10-26-17 October Board Meeting on 10-26-17.
P. Chester seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
II. Director's Report
A.
November update.
D. Fent arrived.
III. Committee Reports
A.
Academic Excellence
-DRA will be implemented 3 times per year for tracking progression and sharing growth with parents
-Land Lab and Brain Storm and the implementation.
- amendments to Charter - to be discussed in old business.
- parent / teacher / student survey - to get larger sample size. incentives?
-Land Lab and Brain Storm and the implementation.
- amendments to Charter - to be discussed in old business.
- parent / teacher / student survey - to get larger sample size. incentives?
B.
Governance
-virtual meeting
-Welcome Sara Lemstrom as full board meeting.
-Welcome Kasia Powell
-Welcome Sara Lemstrom as full board meeting.
-Welcome Kasia Powell
Worried that Kasia may need to wait to be voted to board as she also wanted to pursue Montessori practicum. This may pose to be a conflict of interest. Table Vote till January to identify her desire and needs.
-conflict of interest: conflict of interest policy needs to be modified to incorporate and encompass current board members. will include provisions that will allow that personnel issues are de-conflicted.
C.
Finance
-audit status - unqualified opinion (standard-good)
-vote to approve monthly financials:
-motion: Patrick
-2nd:Miranda
-unanimous
-vote to approve monthly financials:
-motion: Patrick
-2nd:Miranda
-unanimous
P. Chester made a motion to Approve financials.
M. Altice seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
D.
Fundraising
-Class organized Sell Bricks to pave areas - class will present in January *Goal: 200 bricks/year
-RTR (Raise The Roof): on the track to create an art/music and food truck event. seeking sponsorship, food trucks, art/mustc etc.
-RTR (Raise The Roof): on the track to create an art/music and food truck event. seeking sponsorship, food trucks, art/mustc etc.
P. Chester left.
E.
Facilities
-partial playground assembly is imminent.
-Follow up with Insurance and liability and issues - Kinghorn Insurance
-Identify issues such as building, structure, and equipment (HVAC CSI) concerns.
-Follow up with Insurance and liability and issues - Kinghorn Insurance
-Identify issues such as building, structure, and equipment (HVAC CSI) concerns.
IV. New Building
A.
Update on proposed building.
-matching funds donated to Montessori from EC Montessori - gifted to be ensured toward the progressive building of Montessori
-building to be built in phases beginning from slab basket ball court to eventually be enclosed into a gym/auditorium space.
-Plan must be predesigned, and identified prior to breaking ground - will be more expensive upfront, but will save money at completion.
***time line? Committee and staff meet to establish a timeline or goal to present to board
-building to be built in phases beginning from slab basket ball court to eventually be enclosed into a gym/auditorium space.
-Plan must be predesigned, and identified prior to breaking ground - will be more expensive upfront, but will save money at completion.
***time line? Committee and staff meet to establish a timeline or goal to present to board
V. New Business
A.
Board goals and strategic planning
-Committee Assignment:
-Board Goals: proposed for each committee have individual committee goals and compile and it becomes Board Goals
-Include Director Goals
***Each Committee and Director come prepared in January with Goal plans.
- This will open us up to long term strategic Goal planning.
-Board Retreat
-Board Goals: proposed for each committee have individual committee goals and compile and it becomes Board Goals
-Include Director Goals
***Each Committee and Director come prepared in January with Goal plans.
- This will open us up to long term strategic Goal planning.
-Board Retreat
B.
Committee assignments
***Governance Committee: to vote to change Board election and votes to spring - Have wording for January meeting so Board can vote to prepare for April elections.
-How are Committees working?
if anyone needs to change, then we need to address that and make the change.
-Committees can video conference
Dwayne moving fundraising committee.
Research to identify if we can reduce it from 2 to 1 board member in each committee.
if anyone needs to change, then we need to address that and make the change.
-Committees can video conference
Dwayne moving fundraising committee.
Research to identify if we can reduce it from 2 to 1 board member in each committee.
C.
Miranda Resigning
VI. Old Business
A.
Charter Revisions
-revisions to charter: remove Spanish enrichment, Remove HSAP component, added DRA component for 1-6 grade, setting reasonable growth goals, no change to graduation rates (no baseline).
Algebra EOC Percentages of growth - percentage to change in charter to .5% per year over 5 years
Algebra EOC Percentages of growth - percentage to change in charter to .5% per year over 5 years
L. Acord left.
K. Wiley left.
D. Pickett made a motion to Goal 3B: Students receiving passing grades on the English 1 and Algebra 1 EOC will increase by .5% for each year the test is administered with the 5 year goal of meeting or exceeding State averages. Once State averages are met or exceeded, the goal is to maintain or exceed State averages.
M. Altice seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
VII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
D. Fent made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
I. Deysach seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
S. Wiggins
-Initiating outreach through community and current families and utilizing incentives.
-Preparing for trip to visit Hershy and Clark Montessori in OH to learn from established program models.
-Amy, Matt, Sara Lemstrom, Rhonda Crosby
**Post a document with questions/concerns etc. so that they can ensure it is addressed or covered.