Liberty STEAM Charter
Minutes
LSC Board of Directors Finance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday January 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Location
LSC Network Office; 108 N. Main Street; Sumter, SC 29150
This meeting is held in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of the agenda has been made available to the local media & general public.
Committee Members Present
(Tajma) LaShea Davis (remote), Heather Bass, Rodney Thompson
Committee Members Absent
None
Guests Present
Amy Hansen, Rachel Suchecki, Trevor Ivey
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
Rodney Thompson called a meeting of the Finance Committee of Liberty STEAM Charter to order on Tuesday Jan 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
C.
Invocation
D.
Pledge of Allegiance
Rodney Thompson led the Pledge of Allegiance.
E.
Reading of Mission and Vision Statements
Heather Bass read the mission statement.
Gifford Shaw read the vision statement.
F.
Consent Agenda Approval of Meeting Agenda and Previous Minutes
Motion to approve the consent agenda consisting of the meeting agenda and the minutes from LSC Board of Directors Finance Committee Meeting on 11-20-25.
With no objections, the consent agenda was approved.
II. Finance Committee Topics for Discussion
A.
Executive Director's Report
Dr. Ivey presented the Executive Director’s Report and welcomed Gifford Shaw to present the financial updates. The Finance Dashboard, which provides a snapshot of Liberty STEAM Charter School’s financial and operational performance with current status indicators, will be presented at the January 26 Board meeting.
Mr. Shaw reported the following updates:
- Payroll: The most recent payroll run was higher than average due to the payout of mid-year bonuses.
- Budget Performance: Overall expenses remain in line with the approved budget.
- Donations: Contributions continue to track positively.
- YASS Loan and Grant: The team is actively working on YASS loan and grant requests. Grant proceeds will support human resources needs. Loan proceeds will be designated for facility upgrades not included in the construction contract. A meeting scheduled for January 22 will provide additional detail, including terms for the interest-free loan.
- FY26 Federal Reimbursement Allocations: Allocations include Title I, II, III, IV, and IDEA. LSC worked collaboratively with the SC Department of Education and the Public Charter School District to correct a coding issue that had underreported PIP scholar numbers. Any resulting underpayments will be retroactively reimbursed.
- Expansion Update: Flooring project invoices at the PA are being received as expected. Approval of funds for the shelving project will be requested at the January 26 Board meeting. Speakers and cameras have been installed in the playground area at the EA. Plans include expanding further into the mall footprint. The facilities team is exploring options to convert the current cafeteria into a Fine Arts Center over Summer 2027, including a music classroom, art lab, and storage space. One option under consideration for a future band room is the temporary use of open classrooms available beginning July 1. Facilities staff is organizing and inventorying equipment.
- Succession Planning: The Finance Committee completed the Executive Leader Succession Planning document, including the communication strategy to be followed prior to any public announcement.
- Mid-Year Organizational Goals: Dr. Ivey reviewed the 2026 Mid-Year Organizational Goal Report Card. Overall, LSC is performing well across key areas including College and Career Readiness, Operational Excellence, Mission Alignment, Culture of Excellence, and Financial Strength, with many targets met or exceeded. An area to watch is sustaining and improving growth in reading and math mastery. The SC READY Bootcamp strategy, Eagle Advantage, is now in place to support targeted academic reinforcement.
III. Closing Items
A.
Recommendations
Action Items and Upcoming Board Considerations
- Schedule a February walk-through to review interior branding options.
- Items recommended for Board approval and/or acceptance at the January 26 meeting include:
- Finance Dashboard/Monthly Financial Report, including Proposed Operating Capital Support
- Proposed FY27 Salary Scale (pending state budget approval)
- Finance Committee Succession Planning Document
- Identification of the cost range for the shelving project
B.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Amy Hansen
Documents used during the meeting
- ALL Debrief Overall Liberty STEAM Charter School_ Fall '25 Spark Data Debrief (1) (1).pdf
- ALL NETWORK WIDE STAFF Survey Summary (1) (1).pdf
- ALL LSC Primary Staff Survey Summary(1) (1).pdf
- ALL LSC Elementary Staff Survey Summary (1) (2).pdf
- ALL LSC Special Pops Staff Survey Summary (1) (1).pdf
- ALL LSC Food Services Staff Survey Summary(1) (1).pdf
- All Mid-Year Survey Parent Engagement HIGH LEVEL December 2025 (2) (2).pdf
- LSC EA 25-26 MAP Data.xlsx
- 2025_EA_MAP_Linking_Study__1_.xlsx
- LSC 25-26 Mid Year Data RIT (1) (2).pdf
- PA MAP Data Breakdown - MidYear (1) (1).pdf
- ALL PA MAP Data 25-26 - MATH (3).pdf
- ALL PA MAP Data 25-26 - READING (1).pdf
- 202601 ALL LSC Semester 1 Discipline Report (1).pdf
- All Daily Attendance Metrics as of 1-13-26.pdf
- All Chronic Daily Absenct Alert as of 1-13-26.pdf
- ALL Liberty STEAM Charter School_Executive Leader Succession and Sustainability Planning 2026 (1).pdf
- Copy of Ivey's LSC Legacy Plan (2).pdf
- 20260120 Succession Planning Finance Committee (2).pdf
- Mid-Year Progress to Goals LSC Copy of Organizational Goals 2025-2026 (4).pdf
Rodney Thompson gave an invocation.