Dr. Alesha Morrison read the mission statement 

• To equip students with a quality and holistic education rooted in love.

Financials were sent to Board

• Lauren Piscitelli presented the proposed 2025/26 Budget and the financials
• Lauren P and Dr. Robinson met with Friends of Friendly Foundation to present on the facility funding need of $360,000. They were told this weekend that the grant was
  denied. They are requesting more information for the determination and if the
  request can be partially approved.
• Special Board Meeting dates were discussed if needed to vote on budget before July 1. 

Enrollment

• The school has remained at or above 80% progress toward its enrollment goal for applications.
• An increase in application submissions is anticipated following the conclusion of the current school year.

Staffing

• The Student and Recruitment Specialist, Te’Ara Arman, began employment on May 1, 2025.
• All 3 Director positions have been filled.
• 4 of 6 teacher positions have been filled.
• 2 of 5 support staff positions have been filled (1 teacher assistant and 1 social worker).
• Interviews were temporarily paused due to a tornado in the community but have since resumed.
• Leadership anticipates filling all remaining teacher vacancies in the coming weeks.
• Current staffing vacancies include: 2 teachers, 2 teacher assistants, and 1 office coordinator.
• A staff outing is scheduled for June 2 at PuttShack to support team cohesion.
• Lead Team Professional Development is scheduled for June 23–27.
• The Teacher Summer Institute will take place July 28–August 15.

Facility

• Painting has commenced at the school site.

Playground

• A quote of $75,000 was received from ABcreative for a three-piece rope playground set, including installation and Kiddie Kushion safety surfacing.
• Another vendor indicated they are unable to provide portable playground options.
• Leadership is seeking at least one additional bid to ensure optimal use of space.
• Three furniture quotes were received from School Outfitters, Warrington, and CI Select.
• CI Select is being recommended to the board for approval.

Financials

• Grant revisions were submitted to The Opportunity Trust, with decisions expected in June.
• A follow-up has been submitted requesting more information and potential for partial funding.
• Seat and school improvement grant funds from The Opportunity Trust are expected in early July.
• These funds are needed to support facility-related expenses and new staff onboarding.
• An interview was conducted with the New School Venture Fund.
• A school site visit is scheduled for the fall before a grant determination is made.

Board

• Three additional board members are needed. Candidate names and contact information have been shared.
• It was proposed that the candidates be invited to the next board meeting for onboarding consideration.
• Following onboarding, it was suggested that a Finance Committee be formed by the August board meeting.
• A half-day board retreat or training was proposed for July or early August.
• Potential facilitators include Kent Peterson (Charter Association) and Jesse Dixon (The Opportunity Trust).

Other

• The RFP for transportation services was sent out; one bid has been received from MO Central.
• A community partner has expressed interest but has not yet submitted a formal proposal.
• The RFP for food and nutrition services is currently in progress.
• The school is 100% compliant with MCPSC report submissions.
• Progress continues on the recommended deliverables for school launch.

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Amended Bylaws Vote

• A vote was held to approve the amended bylaws as presented Dr. Robinson.
• The proposed changes to the bylaws included the following:
  • Removal of “classes” from the section regarding board member elections and term of office.
  • Modification of the annual meeting date from a fixed calendar date to one determined annually by the board.
  • Adjustment of the Vice President position from a required officer role to an optional position.

Furniture Vendor Vote

• A vote was held on the selection of a furniture vendor, as presented by Tesha Robinson.
• CI Select was recommended for the initial furniture order, with a cost not to exceed $150,000, inclusive of furniture, delivery, and installation.
• The consultant received and incorporated board feedback regarding pricing and the inclusion of additional items such as teacher desks, staff lounges, and office seating.
• Average delivery time for the order is approximately six weeks.
• Two additional vendor quotes were received and included in the board documents for review.

Consent Agenda Vote

• A vote was held to approve the initial set of board governance and finance policies, as presented by Tesha Robinson.
• The following Board Governance policies were approved:
  • Conflict of Interest Policy
  • Sunshine Law Policy
• The following Board Finance policies were approved. These supersede and replace all previously adopted internal control or financial management policies:
  • Annual Operating Budget Policy
  • Bank Procedures
  • Cash Management Policy
  • School Accounting System Policy
  • Audit and Reporting Policy
  • Payroll Policy
  • Grants and Federal Fiscal Compliance Policy
  • Capital Assets Accounting Policy
  • State Tax Sources Policy
  • State and Federal Projects Policy
  • Borrowed Funds Policy
  • Bonded Indebtedness Policy
  • Authorized Signature Policy
  • Investment Model Policy
  • Procurement Policy

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:42 PM.