Springfield Prep
Minutes
Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday March 24, 2021 at 5:45 PM
This meeting of the Springfield Prep Charter School Board was held via Zoom video conference on 3/24/2021 at 5:45 pm. Meeting notice was posted on the school's website (www.springfieldprep.org) on 3/16/21 at 1:30 pm.
Trustees Present
A. Grant (remote), A. Malone (remote), D. Morrin (remote), J. Rosewell (remote), K. Molina (remote), R. Leonard (remote), S. Fuller (remote), T. Walker (remote)
Trustees Absent
S. Balogun
Trustees who left before the meeting adjourned
J. Rosewell
Ex Officio Members Present
B. Spirer (remote)
Non Voting Members Present
B. Spirer (remote)
Guests Present
M. Wagner (remote), N. Abramowitz (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
R. Leonard called a meeting of the board of trustees of Springfield Prep to order on Wednesday Mar 24, 2021 at 5:48 PM.
C.
Public Comment, If Any
No members of the public present.
II. Consent Agenda
A.
Approve February 24 Board Meeting Minutes
S. Fuller made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Meeting on 02-24-21.
T. Walker seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Monthly Financials
C.
Vote to Approve Consent Agenda items
S. Fuller made a motion to Approve all items on the consent agenda.
T. Walker seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
III. DEI Task Force Update
A.
DEI Task Force Update
Doug recapped the meeting of the DEI task force and the update memo. He shared that the focus of the meeting was how to identify action items and key priorities, and maintain accountability for those actions. He shared that the two key areas identified in the discussion were related to improving the DEI capabilities and diversity of the Board, and clarifying ED goals and supporting ED actions related to DEI at the school.
Bill shared that many of the action items naturally fit into the purview of specific committees, e.g., ED accountability with the Governance committee, academic metrics evaluation with the Academic Achievement Committee, which will ensure that these actions have accountability and continue past this year.
Sally shared that she would like to find ways to hear staff voice about DEI trends at the school. Doug shared that the DEI task force had discussed this and was considering ways to do so without blurring the line between governance and management.
Kelvin suggested that this document should be reviewed in each of the committee meetings to create action steps and then operationalize the action steps we take so that they become part of our monthly/annual process.
Tricia expressed gratitude for the team who has worked on this memo and discussion.
IV. Executive Director's Report
A.
Executive Director Report
Bill discussed the ED Report. He shared that the phased re-opening has gone well and that the few cases of COVID-19 in the school community have been isolated and are not showing any spread within the school. He discussed the most recent grant received toward the Capital Campaign from the DW Gore Foundation.
He also shared a brief update of the state and federal stimulus packages for COVID-19 relief. Because the school expects a significant influx of funding from these packages and the Student Opportunity Act over the next 3 years, the leadership team is taking a careful approach to budgeting for the coming fiscal year as well as for 3-5 years and will share that draft at the next meeting.
Bill also discussed two pieces of work the school is doing on DEI. He discussed the progress on the Leadership Team trainings, but that the staff efforts have been a bit slower than would be ideal. This delay is partially due to a worthwhile step back to strategically review the needs, capacity, and priorities of the school in its DEI work, and also because the sudden shift to in-person learning required urgent, focused effort from our team.
B.
School Reopening Update
Bill discussed the reopening of the school in March and reviewed the slides that were shared by DESE and that the school shared with staff and families. He shared that the school is doing a phased reopening and is not doing a hybrid model. He also discussed the decision to do 3-4 foot distancing and that it is based on DESE and health data.
Alex asked about our assessment of learning loss and our summer school plans. Bill shared that we will share updated data at the next meeting and at the end of year, but that there is clear evidence of growth being slower than in prior years. He also shared that the school is running a robust summer school program that will include enrichment and physical activity, and that we will provide transportation to eliminate that barrier for families.
C.
B'Nai Torah Short-Term Lease
Meghan discussed the proposed lease with B’Nai Torah for classroom space for our 6th grade students to allow for additional physical distancing in the main building. She mentioned that it is physically close to the school and that the school already uses part of this campus for parking and our drop-off/pick-up loop. She discussed that students will remain at this building for the day except for the dismissal plan, and that we are adding a tent to increase capacity for meals.
T. Walker made a motion to Authorize Bill Spirer, as Executive Director, to execute a short-term lease (April through June) for classroom space at the B'Nai Torah temple, at a gross lease rate of $7,000 per month.
J. Rosewell seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
V. Building Project
A.
Building Project Status Update
Meghan discussed the building update memo/monthly dashboard. She shared the rationale for timeline changes to the main building (on schedule, including tenant space) and the gym (behind schedule). She shared that there are no major change orders to approve this month.
Alex asked if there was any backup plan should the move-in timeline slip, and Meghan shared that we have our current building through the end of August. Bill shared that we will also work with the project team to sequence the delivery of spaces so we have the most critical or time-sensitive spaces available before the start of the school year.
J. Rosewell left.
VI. Governance
A.
Prospective Board Member - Amy Piela
Tricia shared an introduction to Amy Piela and her background. She shared that Amy’s financial background, as well as her willingness to jump into a new role and make a difference, would be beneficial to the school. Kelvin and Bob shared their approval of Amy as a board member based on their discussions with her and her experience, particularly as a CPA. Bill shared that he agrees with the other evaluations and would recommend her for the Board. Tricia also shared that she spoke with Sherriff who has worked with her in the past and he also expressed support.
T. Walker made a motion to Elect Amy Piela as a Board Member, effective upon DESE approval.
J. Rosewell seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Executive Director Evaluation Process Discussion
Bob briefly discussed the Education Board Partners report and shared that because the school participated in the report, Board on Track offered a consulting session regarding ED evaluations. He suggested that the Board take advantage of this offer and several members expressed support for taking advantage of this offer.
VII. Closing Items
A.
Next Board Meeting
The next scheduled board meeting is on Wednesday, 4/28/21 at 5:45 PM.
B.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 7:08 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
N. Abramowitz
Documents used during the meeting
- 3. SPCS FY21 February Friends.pdf
- 2. SPCS FY21 February Summary.pdf
- 5. SPCS FY21 February Cash Flow.pdf
- 6. SPCS FY21 February Grants.pdf
- 4. SPCS FY21 February SNP.pdf
- 3.16.21 Board DEI Task Force Summary.pdf
- ED Report - 3.24.21.pdf
- 3.18.21 Board Reopening Update.pdf
- B'Nai Torah - Springfield Prep Short-term Lease v2.pdf
- Construction Budget update 3-19-21.pdf
- Building Status Dashboard - 3-19-21.doc
- Amy_Piela_Current_Bio__03.25.2020.pdf