Atlanta Smart Academy
Minutes
Board Meeting
Date and Time
Monday March 16, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Location
Meeting Password: HJ9SS0
Directors Present
A. Bruce (remote), A. Kennedy (remote), E. Ross (remote), I. Lee (remote), L. Cofield (remote), S. Scott (remote), V. Williams (remote), W. Brasher (remote), W. Newman-Johnson (remote)
Directors Absent
B. Williams, M. Moss
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
V. Williams called a meeting of the board of directors of Atlanta Smart Academy to order on Monday Mar 16, 2026 at 5:34 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
I. Lee made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Meeting on 02-23-26.
W. Brasher seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
II. Academic Oversight and Governance Committee
A.
State Governance Requirements
- The committee submitted an initial draft of policy changes to align with new state requirements to the Board Chair, V. Williams. They were accepted and will be voted on during the April 2026 board meeting.
- The annual board retreat is scheduled for June 26 - 27th. A reminder will be sent to members to confirm the agenda and dietary restrictions.
- A memo will be sent to request nominations for board leadership positions. Nominees will be voted on during the April 2026 board meeting.
- Reminder: Background checks need to be completed by March 31st.
- The SCSC had 3 findings during the annual audit. ASA submitted 3 appeals. The SCSC approved 2 of the 3 appeals. A special called meeting will be held on March 23rd to review changes and to vote on the policy changes needed for the 3rd appeal.
III. Finance, Facility, Development, and Strategic Partnership Committee
A.
Fundraising Action Items
- Board Member W. Brasher confirmed ASA as a member of the Kroger Community Rewards program. Kroger shoppers can connect their Kroger Plus cards and automatically donate 3-5% of their purchase directly to the school.
- Marketing materials have been sent to announce the partnership and instructions to connect.
B.
B. Engagement Letter with Prestige School Solutions
- Prestige School Solutions will be phasing Georgia schools out of its network. They will not be available for a new contract at the end of the fiscal year. Board Members are tasked to create a transition plan and shop for a new accounting service provider.
C.
Grant Submissions and Updates
- An update for the 2026 Innovative Education Fund grant will be shared in May 2026. If awarded, ASA will receive ~$30,000 for robotics education and career development.
- Budget hearings will align with the current board meeting schedule. Any special-called meetings will be announced to the SCSC.
- ASA's current landlord has a contingency for the renewed lease. ASA will exercise its first right of refusal so that the upcoming available space can be considered for school expansion.
- A facilities consultant is needed to assess the school expansion plan. The former RISE Academy facility is an option. The cost of building and a facilities consultant must be considered by June to be included in the budget.
IV. Other Business
A.
Board of Directors Membership
A. Kennedy made a motion to Terminate Board Membership of Megan Moss due to lack of engagement and attendance.
W. Newman-Johnson seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
B.
Employee Supplement Pay Allocation
W. Newman-Johnson made a motion to Equally allocate the supplemental pay to all teachers instead of only allocating the fund to the qualifying teachers.
I. Lee seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
V. Executive Director Updates
A.
STEAM Truck Partnership / Science Fair
B.
8th Grade Promotion Venue
- A venue is still needed for the 8th-grade promotion ceremony. The venue used in the past in currently under construction.
- Student Engagement: Students participated in Love Week to celebrate Valentine's Day, Field Lessons, NHJS, and trip to the State capitol for Capitol Day.
- Community Engagement: Several events were held to engage with the community and families, including BINGO Night, InspirEdu Family Workshop, 8th Grade Breakfast, and the annual arts production.
- Academic Updates: 7th-grade math proficiency to the benchmark improved from 38% to 67% . 6th-grade math proficiency improved from 23% to 51%. The success drivers include Wednesday night tutoring and new co-teaching in all math classes except advanced 8th-grade math and algebra. Progress for i-Ready Intervention included stats on average lesson time on task per student in Reading and Math subjects. As these indicators continue to increase, we expect to see improved progress toward goals.
- Operation Updates: Enrollment campaigns for the 2026-2027 school year are underway. Funds will be diverted from a marketing specialist to billboards in target zip codes. The most effective marketing tool so far is the "Day in the Life" school tours, where families can tour the facility and ask questions to a panel of teachers and staff.
VI. 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 6:59 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
V. Williams