Brannon Jones reiterated the Mission and Vision of ZEST Preparatory Academy.

• MCarruthers discussed the current status of the school's priorities, including federal cross-functional monitoring, Charter School Growth Fund data capturing, and academic performance.
• The school team is working with their LAPS Coach to prepare for Cross Functional Monitoring on March 5, 2025.
•  The school is currently completing interim assessments in math and English/Language Arts. Students will complete middle of the year NWEA testing  in early December.  Data will be shared at an upcoming Board meeting.
• The school is preparing for the 2025-2026 hiring process and is actively planning for the 2025 school year. 
• Event Updates: 
  • M. Carruthers mentioned the school partnered with Good Food, Green City and a professor from Kennesaw State University to create and plant a sustainable food forest on the school grounds. 
  • Upcoming annual ZEST family luncheon on 11/21/24 and 11/22/24. The school is expecting over 220 family members to come and eat lunch with their Trailblazers. The annual Winter ZESTival will occur in December.
• Facility maintenance issues were discussed, including leaks, plumbing issues, and concerns with the HVAC system. The school is working with vendors to ensure all maintenance issues are corrected.

• Discussed the school's special education population and FTE categories
• ZEST currently has 209 students enrolled. Enrollment by grade level: 96% enrollment for kindergarten, 81% for first grade, 80% for second grade, 87% for third grade, and 94% for fourth grade. 
• M. Carruthers and staff mentioned that they were working on increasing attendance and implement measures such as sending out regular attendance letters, daily automated calls for absences, and providing support for families to provide notes directly on the school's website. MCarruthers shared the school's attendance data, stating that they were at 6%  of the school's population for chronic absenteeism this school year and 94% for average monthly attendance. The increase in student absences is partially attributed to increased illnesses in September and October. A deep clean of the building occurred to help decrease the spread of germs.

 Board Assistance Proposals:

• Brannon Jones provided context on two Board support proposals. The GSCA-GSS Program will provide Board Chair coaching, compliance support, and overall Board support. The Board will be supported by Lisa McDonald. The 21Cobalt Governing Board Support services will provide 25 hours per month to include resource development, board training, 12 hours of required SCSC training, and vendor, contract assessment. 
• The governance committee recommends approving proposals for the GSS program through Georgia Charter School Association and the 21Cobalt Governing Board Support services. The board voted to move forward with both programs. 

Addressing Financial and Personnel Discrepancies 

• Discussed the financial status of the organization. M. Carruthers noted a discrepancy in the  current forecast as presented, which was not updated prior to the Board meeting and contained errors from Edtec. Discrepancies were discovered and discussed in last finance meeting.
• MCarruthers mentioned that ZEST was actively working with Edtec to correct these discrepancies. Horace stated personnel changes were not reflected in the current forecast, including staff members who had terminated their positions. 
•  The Board had a general discussion regarding reviewing why these errors occurred and the ongoing issues with Edtec in the next finance meeting.
•   The Board discussed how the School's After School program capacity and has decreased due to building space limitations.
• Fundraising Opportunity: ZEST Prep is a named beneficiary of the  Next Step Education Foundation Casino Night Fundraiser 
• The Board discussed utilizing a grant writer to explore grant opportunities and support with grant writing.

• Building Renovation Plans for Suite 120/Additional Facility Needs: Discussed the need for additional space due to the school's growing population and the necessity of renovations in Suite 120. 
• M.Carruthers mentioned that the Board engaged in conversations with CSDC and DA. Davidson regarding the renovations of Suite 120. The Board will partner with CSDC, as the owners of the building, on the renovation using the $400,000 held back from the initial loan.
• The Board mention that two architectural proposals had been received by their Project Manager, Sri Chintamaneni, of CSDC. One proposal received from Miller Architecture and another from Logan Design, and are anticipating more responses. The anticipated timeline for the renovation is between March and June, with the aim of completing the project by June to accommodate the start of the new school year in mid-July.

No Executive Session Items For Review