Magnolia Public Schools
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday February 11, 2021 at 6:00 PM
Location
https://zoom.us/j/95781778844?pwd=NEQ3MCt6d2dZRmxzL2FwWld2WEJYdz09
Meeting ID: 957 8177 8844
Passcode: 222380
One tap mobile: +16699009128,,95781778844# US (San Jose)
One tap mobile: +16699009128,,95781778844# US (San Jose)
All members of the public can participate by calling in using the numbers provided above.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and upon request, Magnolia Public Schools may furnish reasonable auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with disabilities. Members of the public who need special accommodations or translation are strongly encouraged to contact Magnolia Public Schools at least 24 hours in advance of the Board meeting so assistance can be assured.
Any public records relating to an agenda item for an open session which are distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the Board Members shall be available for public inspection. Magnolia Public Schools values public comment during Board meetings. For members of the public who would like to speak, we have speaker cards to be filled out prior to the beginning of the meeting. For teleconference meetings you can email us your request for public comment. We limit individual speakers to three (3) minutes and speakers with interpreters to six (6) minutes for a total of 20 minutes per one item. An individual speaker cannot donate the remaining of their given time to another public speaker. To accommodate for all public comment requests made by individuals, comments shall be taken first from those attending in person (if applicable), followed by telephonic comments, and lastly written comments. For any questions regarding this meeting email contact@magnoliapublicschools.org or call 213-628-3634 Ext. 100.
Board Members:
Mr. Haim Beliak, Chair
Dr. Umit Yapanel, Vice-Chair
Dr. Salih Dikbas
Ms. Diane Gonzalez
Ms. Sandra Covarrubias
Mr. Mekan Muhammedov
CEO & Superintendent:
Mr. Alfredo Rubalcava
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and upon request, Magnolia Public Schools may furnish reasonable auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with disabilities. Members of the public who need special accommodations or translation are strongly encouraged to contact Magnolia Public Schools at least 24 hours in advance of the Board meeting so assistance can be assured.
Any public records relating to an agenda item for an open session which are distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the Board Members shall be available for public inspection. Magnolia Public Schools values public comment during Board meetings. For members of the public who would like to speak, we have speaker cards to be filled out prior to the beginning of the meeting. For teleconference meetings you can email us your request for public comment. We limit individual speakers to three (3) minutes and speakers with interpreters to six (6) minutes for a total of 20 minutes per one item. An individual speaker cannot donate the remaining of their given time to another public speaker. To accommodate for all public comment requests made by individuals, comments shall be taken first from those attending in person (if applicable), followed by telephonic comments, and lastly written comments. For any questions regarding this meeting email contact@magnoliapublicschools.org or call 213-628-3634 Ext. 100.
Board Members:
Mr. Haim Beliak, Chair
Dr. Umit Yapanel, Vice-Chair
Dr. Salih Dikbas
Ms. Diane Gonzalez
Ms. Sandra Covarrubias
Mr. Mekan Muhammedov
CEO & Superintendent:
Mr. Alfredo Rubalcava
Directors Present
D. Gonzalez (remote), H. Beliak (remote), M. Muhammedov (remote), S. Covarrubias (remote), S. Dikbas (remote), U. Yapanel (remote)
Directors Absent
None
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
H. Beliak called a meeting of the board of directors of Magnolia Public Schools to order on Thursday Feb 11, 2021 at 6:23 PM.
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
Refer to attendance information reported above.
C.
Approval of Agenda
S. Covarrubias made a motion to approve the agenda with the removal of Action Items III C & III G.
D. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
D.
Public Comments
No public comments were given.
E.
Announcements from MPS CEO & Superintendent
A.Rubalcava, CEO & Superintendent, and J.Hook, Assistant Executive Office Manager, presented to the Board updates on Public Health & Safety which included the ending of the Regional Stay at Home Order, and data on the adjusted case rate showing a steady decrease throughout the counties of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego. Governor Newsom is expected to make an announcement which will provide clarity to plans in reopening schools. Magnolia Public Schools is prioritizing in gathering resources including vaccinations for staff. A.Rubalcava thanked D.Gonzalez, MPS Board Member, for being present at MSA-Santa Ana's school visit from the California Department of Education (CDE).
F.
Approval of Minutes from Regular MPS Board Meeting- January 21, 2021
H. Beliak made a motion to approve the minutes from Regular Board Meeting on 01-21-21.
M. Muhammedov seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
G.
Approval of Minutes from Special MPS Board Meeting- February 1, 2021
H. Beliak made a motion to approve the minutes from Special Board Meeting on 02-01-21.
M. Muhammedov seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
II. Closed Session
A.
Public Announcement of Closed Session
H. Beliak, announced that the board would be going into Closed Session to discuss anticipated initiation of litigation and would report out any actions taken. Closed session was announced at 6:44 PM
B.
Anticipated Initiation of Litigation
This item was discussed in Closed Session
C.
Report Out From Closed Session
H. Beliak announced in Open Session at 8:08 PM that the board had directed staff on several items.
III. Action Items
A.
Approval of Updates to Fiscal Policies
S.Dikbas, Finance Committee Chair, presented to the Board the proposal to update the following fiscal policies: G&A118 Budgeting which would add Controller and Senior Financial Analyst as approvers; & PUR107 Bidding Requirements which would increase the threshold for Request for Proposal (RFP) requirement from $25,000 to $50,000 and the RFP requirement does not apply to renewal and/or extension of the existing service contracts. S.Orazov, Chief Financial Officer, added that this policy update will greatly aid in efficiency and productivity.
S. Dikbas made a motion to move that the board approve the proposed updates to the fiscal policies and procedures manual of Magnolia Public Schools.
H. Beliak seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
B.
Approval of School Safety Plans
B.Lopez, Director of Student Services, presented to the Board the annual review of the comprehensive school safety plans. The work was provided by each school's Dean of Students. All safety plans have been reviewed and revised in accordance with California Department of Education (CDE) and California Education Code sections 32280-32289.5, and must be reviewed, updated and adopted by March 1st of every school year. Board Members were given all schools (MSA-1 through MSA-8, MSA- Santa Ana & MSA-San Diego) school safety plans.
D. Gonzalez made a motion to approve the comprehensive school safety plans for all MPS schools.
U. Yapanel seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C.
Approval and Career Access Pathway Partnerships MOU Agreement
This item was tabled during the Approval of Agenda.
D.
Approval of Material Revision to Merge MSA-4 into MSA-6
A.Rubalcava, CEO & Superintendent, presented to the Board the resolution for material revision to merge Magnolia Science Academy-4 into Magnolia Science Academy-6. Over the years MSA-4 has experienced a decline in enrollment. Though efforts were made to increase enrollment, results have been unsubstantial causing budget constraints. A solution proposed by MPS leadership was to merge MSA-4 into MSA-6 and proceed with Material Revision process with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Since their proximity to each other is a mere 2.4 miles away, it will not inflict travel burdens on current families.
S. Covarrubias made a motion to approve the resolution that authorizes the following: (1) Material revision for MSA-6’s Charter Petition and (2) Closure of MSA-4 effective June 30, 2021, and authorize the MPS CEO and Superintendent to take the necessary actions needed to complete the material revision process.
M. Muhammedov seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
E.
Approval of MSA-4 Assets Transfer to MSA-6
A.Rubalcava, CEO & Superintendent, presented to the Board the resolution of assets transfer that was brought forth as part of the material revision. Guidance from Charter School Division (CSD) states that a resolution should be brought detailing the financial obligations that will be transferred following the school's closure. Once Magnolia Science Academy-4 closes on June 30, 2021 and merges to Magnolia Science Academy-6 any assets lefts by MSA-4 will be transferred to MSA-6. This resolution will give authority to the CEO & Superintendent, A.Rubalcava, to oversee the process.
D. Gonzalez made a motion to approve the resolution that authorizes the MPS CEO Alfredo Rubalcava to direct and oversee the fund transfer process of Magnolia Science Academy-4’s net assets to Magnolia Science Academy-6.
H. Beliak seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
F.
Approval of Revised MPS Audit/Facilities & Stakeholder Committees Structure
U.Yapanel, Board Vice-Chair, presented to the Board revisions made to the alternate members of the Audit/Facilities & Stakeholder Committees. This effort is to balance the workload between all MPS Board Members.
U. Yapanel made a motion to approve the changes to the MPS Audit/Facilities & Stakeholder Committees Structures to take affect February 12, 2021 to be as follows: Audit/Facilities Committee, U.Yapanel will replace S.Covarrubias as the alternate member for the committee; Stakeholder Committee, M.Muhammedov will replace H.Beliak as the alternate member for the committee.
D. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| H. Beliak |
Aye
|
| S. Covarrubias |
Aye
|
| D. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
| U. Yapanel |
Aye
|
| M. Muhammedov |
Aye
|
| S. Dikbas |
Aye
|
G.
Approval of Design Contract for MSA-1 Improvements
This item was tabled during the Approval of Agenda.
IV. Information/Discussion Items
A.
Portrait of a Graduate
I.Soto, Director of Development & Communications, presented to the Board updates on the Portrait of a Graduate. This was initiated back in August of 2019 with the goal to create a collective vision for Magnolia Public Schools (MPS) that articulates students aspirations and creates lasting support from the community that leads to enduring impact for students. I.Soto went over who is currently in the Portrait Design Team, the design process and the six competencies that the Portrait Design Team deemed important to include in the community's Portrait of a Graduate. Board Members expressed their support for the continuation of this project.
B.
MSA-San Diego Annual Authorizer Oversight Report
D.Yilmaz, Chief Accountability Officer, presented to the Board the last authorizer report from 2019-2020 school year. San Diego Unified School District provided the oversight report which was mostly positive with no issues noted. Because of the pandemic this Oversight visit was via zoom. As of now, S.Dikbas, MPS Board Member, sits as MSA-San Diego's Local Governance Committee. S.Orazov, Chief Financial Officer, went over the finance portion of the report, which included budget reporting, financial stability and sustainability and fiscal management. G.Serce, Principal at MSA-San Diego, gave more insight regarding the report. Other Principals present at the meeting gave their brief updates regarding their schools and will give more details during the Board Retreat.
V. 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 9:19 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
H. Beliak