This Meeting is being held in person.

The Committee will review a draft budget put together by the COO, Principal, CSO, with the assistance of Quatrro.  

The "big lift" for Operations in recent months has included assumption of direct responsibility for Front Office, including support for improvement of PowerSchool functionality; support of the organization given admin changes; bank changes; and beginning work on the FY24 and 5 Year Financials.  

Other work notes:

1.  DCEO capital grant funding - DCEO paid EMSA the final approximately $23,000 of the $300,000 capital grant on January 2, 2024.  It took about 2.5 years to receive the funds, from the time of first appropriation by the State Legislature in the FY22 capital budget.  This occurred as the Gym project was being completed in summer 2021.  

2.  Facility Funding for FY24 - Rep Moeller has contacted Speaker Welch's office regarding Kerry & Dan's October letter requesting that DCEO fast-forward facility funding for FY24.  Dan working with INCS to advocate that DCEO get actual funding, bring clarity to administer funds such that schools know they can apply, can apply, and ideally get grant agreements by June 30th.  Other charter schools statewide are very interested in this outcome as well; it's a high priority for INCS.  Rep. Moeller has learned that half of the $20 million has been allocated to DCEO, and this has been passed along to INCS.  It may well be that Rep. Moeller was a key factor in making that happen.   

3.  Student Recruitment.  Student applications received through January 16th total 44 for kindergarten, with 130 applications overall, K-8.

4.  Food program.  EMSA has submitted to ISBE for approval, an RFP document which would see EMSA contract for our food program with a high-quality vendor capable of sustaining our high level of student participation.  There will be a second similar document for the CACFP program, which provides the Suppers.  Cost will be the most important consideration, but other considerations will also apply.  If approved, this RFP will result in a decision on a new contractor in the late spring.  That contract could then be extended, at EMSA's discretion, year over year for a total of five years.

5.  There have been continued payments now almost exclusively to Bulley & Andrews.  This is likely to continue into the spring.  

Current student demographics of the School as of January 16th are as shown in the attached report.

EMSA has 464 students enrolled.  55% of the students qualify for Free or Reduced lunch, and 21% of students have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) - 98 students out of 464.  

Current student wait list of the School as of January 17th, 2023 is as shown in the attached report.  No students are being admitted into 7th & 8th grades, for the remainder of SY23-24.  

The next Meeting of the Finance & Operations Committee will be on Friday, February 20, 2024 in person in the Admin Building.