Governance Chair B. Jones opened the meeting by outlining the purpose of the Board Committees. He then introduced ZEST Preparatory Academy’s new LEA Leadership Workflow Dashboard and tracking tool, which will be utilized by the school leadership team and Board of Directors on a monthly basis. This tool is designed to support compliance monitoring, workflow management, and strategic planning.

Executive Director M. Carruthers provided an update on the school team’s preparations for upcoming SCSC monitoring. The team has reviewed last year’s results, identified and addressed any gaps, and delegated tasks across multiple members of the administrative team to ensure thorough and timely completion. ZEST Preparatory Academy is actively working to ensure that all anticipated documentation and deliverables are submitted on time. The school team and members of the Board of Directors will review the monitoring handbook and any subsequent training once provided by the SCSC. Additionally, the Board of Directors will be added to the SCSC portal to support transparency and oversight.

Executive Director M. Carruthers reviewed the 2025–2026 Legal Obligations of a State Charter School as issued by the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC). The Governance Committee discussed the new updates and changes, and reviewed how the school is currently addressing or preparing to meet each compliance requirement.

The Governance Committee discussed the need to update school-based policies to reflect recent changes in state law. Specifically, the committee reviewed the implications of the Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act of 2024 which requires schools to adopt policies addressing student safety and exposure on social media platforms. The committee also reviewed House Bill 1284, establishing a statewide ban on student cell phone use during instructional time, and discussed the requirements of the Georgia Early Literacy Act  which mandates the adoption of high-quality instructional materials and evidence-based literacy practices. The Governance Committee agreed to recommend a set of updated policy drafts for formal review and discussion at the July Board meeting.

The Board reviewed the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) required governance training calendar. Board members will fulfill their annual training requirements by attending either the November 2025 session in Macon or the February 2026 session in Atlanta.  The Governance Committee will present the specific training dates for each option at the July 29th Board meeting.