Cirrus Education Group
Minutes
CEG - Monthly Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday July 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87375054242?pwd=TpBKpCrtwd2qkbOvRgIfbKdJYe4BaJ.1
Directors Present
L. Golphin (remote), L. Taylor (remote), N. Lewis (remote), R. Finley (remote), S. Kelly (remote), T. Olagunju (remote)
Directors Absent
None
Guests Present
Alison Bass (remote), Arleen Samuels (remote), B. Williams (remote), Brenda Edwards (remote), Diane Freeman (remote), N. Brinson (remote), Nyla Thornton (remote), Sonja Riley (remote), Wendy Brinson-Grimes (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
L. Taylor called a meeting of the board of directors of Cirrus Education Group to order on Tuesday Jul 28, 2026 at 6:04 PM.
B.
Record Attendance
C.
Approve Agenda
L. Golphin made a motion to Approve Amended Agenda.
S. Kelly seconded the motion.
Chair Taylor called for a motion to approve the agenda as published. Before a vote was taken, Ms. Golphin noted that the agenda was missing the Finance Committee Chair vote item. Ms. Golphin then moved to revise the agenda to add a Finance Committee Chair vote and to move Public Comment ahead of the Closing Items.
Motion: Revise the agenda to add a Finance Committee Chair vote and move Public Comment ahead of the Closing Items.
Revised agenda adopted.
D.
Approve Minutes from the Budget Hearing 6-16
S. Kelly made a motion to approve the minutes from CEG Public Budget Hearing 1 on 06-16-26.
T. Olagunju seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| N. Lewis |
Aye
|
| L. Golphin |
Aye
|
| T. Olagunju |
Aye
|
| L. Taylor |
Aye
|
| S. Kelly |
Aye
|
| R. Finley |
Abstain
|
E.
Approve Minutes for Budget Hearing 2 - 6/23
N. Lewis made a motion to approve the minutes from Budget Hearing 2 and Board Meeting CEG Budget Hearing 2 and Monthly Board Meeting on 06-23-26.
S. Kelly seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Finley |
Abstain
|
| N. Lewis |
Aye
|
| L. Taylor |
Aye
|
| S. Kelly |
Aye
|
| T. Olagunju |
Aye
|
| L. Golphin |
Abstain
|
II. Matters of Discussion
A.
Operations Committee
- Facilities: summer maintenance and repair projects (facilities assessment, pest control, cafeteria tables, restroom/electrical work) largely complete; basketball court RFP issued.
- Transportation & Safety: recruiting CDL-certified drivers and adding bus monitors; SB 17 panic-button rollout approved; staff phones distributed; fire drill scheduled before end of July.
- Nutrition & Federal Programs: July SNP claims submitted, menus finalized; Title I, Title II-A, IDEA, and E-Rate funds received in July; CLIP resubmitted after corrections.
- Georgia Milestones results expected July 31; Replication and Expansion Cohort decision expected by month's end.
B.
Finance Committee
- Finance Committee met July 21, 2026 and reviewed June financials.
- June debt service coverage ratio: 1.34; June operating result: approximately -$950.
- Estimated fiscal year-end net income of roughly $283,000, pending final bills and audit.
- Reviewed local, QBE, and federal revenue sources for the month (see full financial report for exact figures).
- Annual audit fieldwork expected to run from early August through September, with results to follow.
C.
Academics Report
- New-year instructional model: K–4 reading lab (~55 minutes, supported by parent volunteers, homeroom, and special education teachers); 5th grade writing lab focused on Tier 2/3 intervention ahead of the middle-school transition; 6th–8th grade WIN (What I Need) small-group blocks; K–2 STEAM exploratory block (30 minutes).
- 3rd–4th grade word analysis block added; transportation plan incorporated into scheduling.
- Academic growth goal reset from 10% to 6% to reflect a more realistic target given shifts in student demographics; growth data for K–8 will be compiled by the deans and reported back to the Governance Board.
- Special education services will continue to be delivered per each student's IEP.
- Confirmed Amplify curriculum readiness for the new year: teacher training with Amplify is scheduled this week; week one of school will focus on procedures, week two on DRC/MAP testing plus procedures, and week three on full instruction.
D.
CEO Report
- Enrollment: 597 students in Infinite Campus as of tonight (up from 502 at the time the board packet was prepared), with about 12 applications still pending; the school is funded at 511 and anticipates some withdrawals during the first 10-day window. Leadership will meet to plan for a range of enrollment scenarios.
- Staffing: one remaining classroom vacancy (6th grade math), with interviews underway; recruitment has been strong, with recognition given to Ms. Riley for this year's hiring pipeline.
- Fundraising: launching a $50,000 fundraising goal for student and staff experiences, anchored by a "Night of Hope" gala on Saturday, October 24 (5–7 PM), targeting $30,000 from the event; Mr. Tosin has already contributed $2,500 toward the goal.
- Facilities: extensive summer renovations completed, including new murals, college-pennant displays, and donated furniture (500+ desks and chairs, plus additional classroom furniture) across grades K–8; 125 Chromebooks secured for the year.
- Grants: applying for a $100,000 high-dosage tutoring grant from the SCSC (deadline on or around August 25).
- Hallway Dedication / Open House: this Thursday, honoring six individuals with dedicated hallways; approximately 50 guests expected in addition to the honorees; logistics, seating, and media coverage were reviewed.
- Charter renewal: this is a charter renewal year, with applications opening in November; leadership is targeting a strong renewal outcome.
- Family engagement: Ms. Coley is building out a family engagement plan, including parent volunteer trainings on August 6 and 7 and a first official family engagement meeting planned for September.
E.
Finance Committee Chair Vote
L. Golphin made a motion to Nominate Nathan Lewis as Finance Chair.
S. Kelly seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
III. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 7:36 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. Taylor