There were no announcements made from the CEO & Superintendent and Committee Members.

MPS Board of Directors discussed and reconsidered the circumstances of the State of Emergency related to COVID-19 in which meeting in person can directly impact the ability of the Board and public to meet safely. As such, local officials are still continuing to recommend measures to promote social distancing. Staff addressed questions made by the Board.

S.Acar, Chief Operations Officer, presented the change to the employee handbook to include the new laws adopted in California which expands the right of employees to take leave under the California Family Rights Act which became effective January 1, 2022. Board Members questions were addressed by staff. 

E.Acar, Chief Academic Officer, presented to Board the opportunity to furnish and equip science classrooms/STEAM classrooms with materials and supplies that were in need. MPS science teachers worked collaboratively to respond to their needs and requests to better provide for the students. RFP's were presented. Discounts were provided by two vendors whom are well established in providing materials and supplies with great discounts. E.Acar, proposed to add the two vendors to the approved vendor list for future cases when the need arises. 

N-3-22 was announced by Governor Newsom on January 11, 2022 which would give temporary staffing flexibility in maintaining in-person services for students despite staffing shortages caused by the rise in COVID-19 cases. S.Acar, Chief Operations Officer, further explained that the written finding letter will be sent to MPS's authorizers and will be made available to the public upon request. 

This item was presented to the Finance Committee & Audit/Facilities Committee. S.Budhraja, Chief Financial Officer, presented the 2020-21 annual audit. S.Gustaffsson from Eide Bailly also provided context regarding the audit. Report encompassed financials, number of students in total and per school site, money that was received and spent, instructional minutes, compensation. There were no reconciliations of fund balances. MPS received an unmodified opinion which entailed that the financials were fair and accurate. Entitlement money was spent properly, and there were no federal findings to the report. Internal controls were appropriate and the recommendations made in 2019-20 regarding internal controls was acted upon. Committee members had no questions regarding this item.

S.Budhraja, Chief Financial Officer, presented the fees charged by LAUSD in accordance with Prop 39 as it related to facilities. Fees for the year was $141,185.46 for MSA-3 and $79,711.60 for MSA-4. MPS is set to make the payment by February 1, 2022 in accordance with LAUSD. 

S.Budhraja, Chief Financial Officer, presented to the Board the current state of school site testing because of the growth of the COVID-19 variant. To accommodate the influx of tests MPS reached out to vendors and identified one that can provide 5,000 test kits to meet the needs of this demand and provide time until schools are given test kits from government agencies. J.Hook, Health & Safety liaison, provided context with the changes made to the Health & Safety Policy in which allows MPS to use antigen tests more frequently. The vendor provides tests that are on the FDA approved lists. Antigen tests are permissible as long as they are FDA approved. This would allow staff to test efficiently and effectively to ensure students are able to return to the classrooms and to ensure the safety of everyone. The Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) would be used for this expense. Public comments and Board Members questions were addressed by staff and clarified it is IHEALTH Home COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests. 

S.Budhraja, Chief Financial Officer, presented the resolution to approve the State Disability Insurance (SDI) account for MSA-1. Back during the schools inception it was created under a different program. MPS Finance team identified that MSA-1 had a different set-up from other MSA schools. To comply with the California Employment Development guidelines, the resolution would ensure to bring MSA-1 in accordance with all other MSA school sites. Board Members questions were addressed by staff.