Final

Kestrel Heights Public Charter School

Board Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday April 14, 2020 at 6:30 PM EDT

Location

Conference Call (Zoom)
https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/359981433
 
Meeting ID: 359 981 433
16465189805,,359981433#
 

Agenda

Section Number Topic Number Details
I. Opening Items
 
Opening Items
  A. Record Attendance and Guests
   
Please note which board members are present and absent for the Secretary. 
  B. Call the Meeting to Order
   
The meeting will be called to order by the Chair. 
  C. Public Comment
   
At each regular and special meeting which is open to the public, members of the public and employees of Kestrel Heights shall be afforded time, subject to reasonable constraints, to comment to the board.

Public/employee comments and questions shall be:
1) Limited to two minutes (2 minutes).
2) Directed to the Board and not to individual members.
3) Presented in a professional demeanor and not in a threatening, profane, vulgar or abusive manner.
4) Topics that are relevant to the business matters of the Kestrel Board of Directors.
5) Recognized after speaker provides their name to the Board President prior to addressing the Board.

It shall be the decision of the Board if it is appropriate to respond to a question and which Board member will respond. The Board encourages all comments/questions to be submitted in writing to the board following the two minutes to ensure the entire message is heard by the board.

Individuals who engage in repetitive comments/questions will be asked to refrain and/or yield the floor.
  D. Approve December 2019 Meeting Minutes
  E. ED 360 Evaluation
   
Share the evaluation process & timeline 
II. Academics
  A. Mission and Vision
   
Mr. Touchette will present his Mission and Vision proposal to the Board of Directors and discuss the importance of revitalizing and revising the mission and vision.  
  B. End of Grade and End of Course Testing
   
Dr. Tracy will provide an update on 2019-20 end of grade and end of course testing.  

 

Message from NCDPI sent on April 1, 2020: 

 

1) for this Spring and Summer - all EOG and EOC testing, including alternative assessments are canceled.  The 1% forms are not required this Spring for alternative testing.
2) Summer Program plans  no longer need to be submitted
3) look for RTA updates from K-3 Literacy.  I'll  pass along when I receive them as well
4) ACT makeups have been canceled.  There will be an opportunity for the 11th graders that did not test, to test in the Fall.  Monitor your ACT emails
5) Spring WorkKeys has been canceled.  Monitor your ACT emails
6) Data Verification for ACCESS for ELLs is required.  ACCESS testing was completed prior to school closure so there is no cancellation of WIDA assessments or processes
7) For High Schools - cohort graduation rates will be reported.  So, as your ability to do so from home, continue to work on the graduation cohort process.  A reminder that the Cohort Graduation Rate Manual is on the Accountability Services Management site under Documentation, 2020.  More details will be made available shortly to assist you with this.
8) We are discussing what end of year processes will still be required for closing out the school year.  I'll keep you updated on this as decisions are made.

 

Paul Davis
Regional Accountability Consultant
Accountability Services
NC Department of Public Instruction
 
  C. COVID 19 Academic Planning
   
Dr. Tracy will review the two key procedures for Academics during school closure (Distance Learning Plan and Grading Procedure) 
III. Governance
  A. Executive DIrector Report
   

Dr. Tracy will present his monthly report on the status of the school.  
  B. Policy Review
   

The Board of Directors will annually review all polices and staff handbooks, the schedule is below.  For the month of September the board is complete the 1st read of the School and Community Policy 

Staff Handbook 
June (First Read)
July (Second Read)
August (Board Approval)

School and Community Policy Section 
September (First Read)
October (Second Read)
November (Board Approval)

Finance Policy Section
December (First Read)
January (Second Read)
February (Board Approval)

Employee Policy Section 
March (First Read)
April (Second Read)
May (Board Approval)
  C. Charter Renewal and Performance Framework
   
 Dr. Tracy will provide a status update on the 2019-2020 Performance Framework:
  • 31 out of 30 submissions on time (all deemed accurate; fire inspection needs to be provided from the city) 
  • 31 Total submissions due for the 2019-20 SY 
  • All of November, December, January, February, and March have been submitted 
  • March Submissions: 
    • School Letter Grade 
    • School Improvement Plan 
  • April Submissions: 
    • Fire, OSHA, and Other Required Health or Safety Inspections
    • Civil and Liability Insurance Certificate
  • June 
    • Charter Agreement with Signatures
  D. Board Member Recruitment
   
The Board of Directors will discuss the current Board structure and determine plans for recruitment and replacement of expiring members.  The Board will look at the professional areas of need to have a diverse experienced Board of Directors.  

 

Board Elections traditionally occur in July.  
IV. Finance
  A. Monthly Budget Report
   
Dr. Tracy will present a review of the monthly budget.  This section is a summary from the Executive Director and the Board Monthly Budget Report.   



 
  B. COVID 19 Funding Sources (Review)
   
Dr. Tracy will present a review of the federal and state funding options as it relates to COVID 19.  
  C. Bond Discussion
   
Board will continue their conversation pertaining to a Bond proposal and potential campus expansion.  
  D. Request for Proposals
   
The Board will vote on the RFP process for the 2020-2021 School Year .   

 

The annual contracts are: 

 

Catering-Cafeteria 
Custodial 
Lawn Care 

 

 
  E. Paid Time Off Proposal 2019-20
   
Dr. Tracy will make a recommendation to eliminate the benefit of paying unused PTO for staff at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

 

Reasons:
  • The school took on the responsibility of paying all staff during COVID 19 closures 
  • The school was closed from at least March 13 to May 15
  • This is a saving of $6,000+ (which could be as high as $16,000 if we do not resume school and thus not have to pay out any more substitute funding) 
  • This will help offset costs related to the closure and help reduce the potential deficit at the end of the school year
  F. Staffing 2020-2021
   
Dr. Tracy will provide a recommendation on school size for the 2020-21 school year with a long term plan to stabilize enrollment to meet staffing and funding needs.  

 

April- Finalize staffing plan for the 2020-21 school year

 

§ 143-318.11.  Closed sessions.
(a)        Permitted Purposes. - It is the policy of this State that closed sessions shall be held only when required to permit a public body to act in the public interest as permitted in this section. A public body may hold a closed session and exclude the public only when a closed session is required:
  • To establish, or to instruct the public body's staff or negotiating agents concerning the position to be taken by or on behalf of the public body in negotiating (i) the price and other material terms of a contract or proposed contract for the acquisition of real property by purchase, option, exchange, or lease; or (ii) the amount of compensation and other material terms of an employment contract or proposed employment contract.
V. Closing Items
  A. Adjourn Meeting