Lowcountry Montessori School
Minutes
Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday September 24, 2020 at 5:30 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 (remote), J. Dameworth (remote), K. Recchia (remote), P. Chester (remote), S. Lemstrom (remote), T. Vande Burgt (remote)
Directors Absent
D. Fent, G. Alexander, S. Meyer
Guests Present
A. Horn (remote), Denise Hopkins (remote), M. Zappia (remote), S. Fox (remote), Sue Mobley (remote)
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 Sep 24, 2020 at 5:37 PM.
C.
Reading of the Mission Statement
D.
Approval of Agenda
Agenda approved by unanimous consent.
E.
Statement of Compliance with FOIA
II. Consent Agenda
A.
Approve Minutes from Previous Meeting
A. Moody made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Meeting on 08-27-20.
K. Recchia seconded the motion.
Consent agenda approved by unanimous consent.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Approve Minutes from 9/16 Special Board Meeting
A. Moody made a motion to approve the minutes from Special Board Meeting on 09-16-20.
K. Recchia seconded the motion.
Consent agenda approved by unanimous consent.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C.
Approve Minutes from the Facilities Committee
A. Moody made a motion to approve the minutes from Facilities Committee Meeting on 09-08-20.
K. Recchia seconded the motion.
Consent agenda approved by unanimous consent.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
D.
Approve Minutes from the Finance Committee Meeting
E.
Approve Minutes from the Governance Committee Meeting
F.
Approve Minutes from the Academic Excellence Committee
III. Public Comment
A.
Public comment period, limited to 3 minutes per person.
No public comments to record.
IV. New Business
A.
USDA Presentation of Conditions for Phase 2 Loan
Nothing to present or approve at this meeting.
V. Director's Report
A.
September Update
Amy H. reported that staff is preparing hybrid plan as DHEC/county numbers continue to slowly improve.
VI. Committee Reports
A.
Finance
S. Lemstrom made a motion to approve August financial reports.
K. Recchia seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Denise Hopkins reviewed the August financials. All budget metrics look solid aside from health services supplies, which is understandably overbudget due to COVID-19 prep. Budget amendment might be needed to account for this.
B.
Facilities
Facilities team has learned OSF will need to approve design of HVAC upgrades.
Working on designing a quarantine room for use when hybrid instruction model begins.
Working on quotes for carpet cleaning.
Working on designing a quarantine room for use when hybrid instruction model begins.
Working on quotes for carpet cleaning.
C.
Governance
Board elections, delayed since May, will take place 6 weeks after in-person/hybrid instruction begins.
D.
Academic Excellence
Committee did not meet.
E.
Fundraising
Committee did not meet. Next meeting on 10/1.
VII. Unfinished Business
A.
COVID-19 response
Hybrid plan will include A / B grouping with one group on M/T and another on Th/Fri (Wed. will be reserved for cleaning).
50% of families express desire to return to an in-person model.
50% of families express desire to return to an in-person model.
B.
USDA loan and EB5 update
Still progressing toward closing, with several documents still outstanding.
C.
Discuss charter revisions.
Administrative team is set to begin revising the LMS charter, to include compliance updates, sponsorship opportunities, and other changes. Goal is to complete by end of calendar year. Board expressed desire to contribute/review proposed changes.
VIII. Executive Session
A.
Executive Session
T. Vande Burgt made a motion to enter executive session to discuss matters related to pending contractual arrangements.
P. Chester seconded the motion.
Entered executive session at 1835.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
T. Vande Burgt made a motion to exit executive session.
J. Dameworth seconded the motion.
Exited executive session at 1918
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
IX. Other Business
A.
Vote on matters from Executive Session, if required
No matters requiring a vote.
X. 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 7:21 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
A. Moody