The Board Chair read the mission and vision statements.

The Executive Director reported that no public comments were submitted for this meeting.

Enrollment Projections:
The Board of Directors reviewed the November enrollment numbers. ZEST will consider opening enrollment in January to fill any remaining seats prior to the March FTE count.

Academic Data Overview:
The Executive Director shared preliminary academic data, with full internal academic results to be presented in January. 

Assessments administered include:

• NWEA MAP (K–5)
• IXL Partner Program (K–5)
• Amira Dyslexia Screener (K–5)
• Lumos Learning Assessments (Grades 3–5)

Staffing & Operational Updates

Staffing 2025–2026:
School-level staffing projections for the 2025–2026 academic year were shared with the Board.

Social Worker Grant:
ZEST received the GaDOE Social Worker Grant. 

FY26 – Semester 2 Contracts:
The teacher hiring pool for the upcoming school year will open in December.

Monitoring Update:
All monitoring requirements were completed and submitted by October 31, 2025. 

The training deck and employee sign-in sheets will be submitted by the December 2, 2025, deadline for the Child Abuse and Neglect training. 

Ongoing Monitoring Components:

• 22Beacon Submission – 10/31/2025
• Cross-Functional Monitoring – Annual review as part of the 5-year data cycle
• State Testing oversight and documentation

GaDOE Deliverables:
Additional GaDOE deliverables are scheduled for submission next semester.

Special Education Corrective Action Plan (CAP)

The Executive Director provided an update on the SPED Corrective Action Plan submitted to the Authorizer. 

• Recruitment is underway to fill the SPED position. 
• Staff received training on IEP access and expectations.

ZEST will continue to adhere to the CAP requirements. 

Stakeholder Listening Tour

The Board will conduct a Listening Tour with Faculty/Staff, the Leadership Team, and Parent stakeholders.

Charter Contract Extension

The Board confirmed that all required documents for the Year0 Charter Contract Extension Deferment need to be formally submitted and requires a vote to submit to the State Charter Schools Commission.

Board Training

Board members completed the first of two required SCSC governance training sessions. Remaining Board members are expected to attend the February training in Atlanta.

Administrative Leave

The Board reviewed accumulated administrative leave for members of the leadership team and discussed potential options, including a buyout. A called meeting will be scheduled by the end of the week to determine next steps.

The Executive Director reviewed the cash flow projection with the Board:

• Monthly budgeted expenses
• Variances
• Monthly revenue;
• and projected cash flow. 

• The Executive Director also noted ongoing conversations with the finance team regarding these projections.

• The FY25 Audit was submitted on time. 
• The Corrective Action Plan has been documented in the audit report. 
  • The one finding has been addressed and officially ratified.

The Executive Director and Board Chair shared the fundraising updates on recent fundraising efforts:

• Topgolf 
• “Power of 25” fundraiser, and shared the current amount raised to date. 
  • The board is considering rerunning the campaign.
• The Winter Ball will be rescheduled to a later date.
• The Board’s give-and-get expectations.

The financial provider process is ongoing as the Board continues negotiation and plan for payments to close out this obligation.

• The ZEST Board of Directors discussed the potential of reaching building capacity following the 2025–2026 school year.
• The Board discussed future enrollment considerations connected to long-term facility planning.

• FRL data collection was submitted on time ahead of the 11/19/2025 deadline.
• ZEST’s FRL demographics have increased, and the school will need to review food expenses for FY26.
• The food and nutrition process rolled out on 11/3/2025, and fluctuations in participation are still anticipated. 
• The school has begun collecting revenue from reduced-priced and paid students.
• The Senior Director of Operations recommended that the Finance Committee and the Board explore the process of becoming a School Food Authority (SFA) to support reimbursement for free and reduced lunch costs.