Amethod Public Schools
Minutes
Special Meeting of the AMPS Board of Directors
Date and Time
Tuesday April 29, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Location
1450 Marina Way South, Richmond, CA 94804
The Board of Directors (Board) and employees of Amethod Public Schools will be holding this meeting in person at 1450 Marina Way South, Richmond, CA 94804.
Members of the public who wish to attend in person can join us in the Home Office's Board Room at 1450 Marina Way South, Richmond, CA 94804. Or members of the public may meet via the Zoom meeting platform at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83187954557
We also offer two-way teleconference locations for the public to attend in our Oakland school sites:
Oakland Charter High School- 2365 Coolidge Ave, Oakland, CA 94601
Downtown Charter Academy- 2000 Dennison St, Oakland, CA 94606
Oakland Charter Academy- 4215 Foothill Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601
Participating by Telephone: 669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 831 8795 4557
Public Comment: Members of the public attending in person who wish to comment on an agenda item please fill out a speaker card and submit it to a staff member. Members of the public who are joining via teleconference, please use raise hand tool in the reactions tab located at the bottom of the zoom screen or press star (*) nine if joining by telephone. The Board Chair will call on you. Please note that comments are limited to two minutes. The Board Chair may increase or decrease the time allowed for public comment, depending upon the topic and number of persons wishing to be heard.
Access to Board Materials: A copy of the written materials which have been submitted to the School Board with the agenda relating to open session items may be reviewed by any interested persons on the Amethod Public School’s website at www.amethodschools.org following the posting of the agenda. Amethod reserves the right to show or distribute additional information and/or documents to the School Board at the meeting, and will make copies of such documents relating to open session items available to the public upon request.
Disability Access: Requests for disability-related modifications or accommodations to participate in this public meeting should be made 24 hours prior to the meeting by calling (510) 436-0172. All efforts will be made for reasonable accommodations. The agenda and public documents can be modified upon request as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE
Directors Present
J. Lerma, P. Hanley, R. Ornelas
Directors Absent
None
Guests Present
A. Barnes, S. Li
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
C.
Announcements
D.
Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items
No public comments.
II. Consent
A.
Board Member Resignation Acceptance
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Ornelas |
Aye
|
| P. Hanley |
Aye
|
| J. Lerma |
Aye
|
B.
Approval of 4/16/2025 Regular Board Meeting Minutes
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| P. Hanley |
Aye
|
| R. Ornelas |
Aye
|
| J. Lerma |
Aye
|
III. Business
A.
Interview and Consideration of Approval of New Board Member(s)
Board Chair Rodolfo amended the agenda and removed Item A from the agenda, noting that it must be approved during a regular board meeting.
No objections.
B.
Review and Consideration of Revised AMPS Regular Board Meeting Calendar
Adrienne recommended adding a second regular board meeting each month to provide additional opportunities for onboarding new board members.
Rodolfo proposed scheduling an additional regular board meeting on either Thursday, May 8 or May 22 to support the active recruitment and nomination of new board members, as well as to address upcoming charter renewals and potential appeals.
Board member Hanley requested clarification regarding the agenda for the proposed May 8 meeting. He noted he would be unavailable for the June retreat and suggested rescheduling it to early July.
Adrienne responded that, if the May 8 meeting is approved, the agenda would likely include the approval of new board members, discussion of charter renewals, and a closed session. She also noted that all staff would be off during the first week of July and that she would be attending a leadership training from July 7–15. She proposed moving the two June meetings to June 12 and June 26 to accommodate schedules and revisiting these dates when there is a full board membership.
Rodolfo suggested formally approving May 8, May 22, June 12, and June 26 as regular board meetings, and postponing the board retreat until more members have been added to accommodate for everyone's schedule.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Ornelas |
Aye
|
| P. Hanley |
Aye
|
| J. Lerma |
Aye
|
C.
California Community Schools Partnership Program
Adrienne, Interim CEO, reported that approximately $7.5 million in CCSPP grant funding is currently administered through Oakland Charter High School. If OCHS were to close, the grant would need to be reapplied for, with revisions to reflect both the current work being done and future planned initiatives.
She also noted a coding error from the 2023–2024 fiscal year involving the J&V Integrated contract. Although the contract was board-approved under the CCSPP grant, it should have been classified under general expenses. To correct this, she proposed reclassifying approximately $72,000 across two schools from CCSPP grant funds to general expense. This adjustment aligns with guidance from both the California Department of Education (CDE) and auditors, and is expected to be a straightforward process. AMPS will submit a revised expenditure report to the CDE clarifying that these costs were not funded by the CCSPP grant, and its auditors will review during the 2024-25 audit.
Adrienne shared this update for transparency, noting that the issue may come up during RCA’s upcoming renewal hearing.
IV. Closed Session
A.
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL— ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
The board resumes from closed session at 7:14pm. No reportable actions.
B.
Public Employment (Gov. Code § 54957)
No reportable actions.
Board member Peter expressed his gratitude to Interim CAO Mary Busby and the site directors for coordinating his visits to all Oakland school campuses. He appreciated the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with school leaders and teachers and was pleased to witness a strong focus on student learning. He noted that site leaders are working diligently to enhance instructional practices across the schools.