Menlo Park Academy Governing Board

Minutes

Regular Board Meeting

Date and Time

Thursday December 17, 2020 at 6:00 PM

Location

Virtual Meeting: 
OUR MISSION: Menlo Park Academy is a public school that nurtures gifted children through an exemplary program and rewarding experiences which develop the whole child.

Directors Present

Dante Giancola (remote), Melissa Picone (remote), Richard Hronek (remote), Susan Dornan (remote), Suzanne McFarland (remote), Teri Harrison (remote), Tiffany Randle (remote)

Directors Absent

None

Guests Present

Anthony Moujaes (remote), Barbee Thomas (remote), Jeff Jaroscak (remote), Jeremiah Tangen (remote), Lesley Gillen (remote), Marilyn Wright (remote), Melissa McCarthy (remote), Sarah O'Bryan (remote), Seamus O'Hara (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Call the Meeting to Order

Teri Harrison called a meeting of the board of directors of Menlo Park Academy Governing Board to order on Thursday Dec 17, 2020 at 6:03 PM.

B.

Record Attendance and Guests

C.

Certification of Notice of Meeting

II. Minutes

A.

Approval of the Minutes from the November 19, 2020 meeting

Tiffany Randle made a motion to approve the minutes from Regular Board Meeting on 11-19-20.
Melissa Picone seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

III. Public Participation

A.

Public Comment

There were no public comments.

IV. Sponsor's Report

A.

Sponsor's Report


You should have received a link to the October Sponsor Update. As a reminder, the updates remain posted on the ESCLEW Website. I would like to draw your attention to the following items contained in the update:
  • Annual School Evaluations have been sent to board presidents. Although the schools have been excused from administering achievement tests to students, sponsors were not excused from providing an annual school evaluation to its schools. In terms of the Local Report Card, all that was measured was attendance. The primary school evaluation comes directly from the local report card and locally administered assessments. We were able to measure the school’s mission specific goal and the school’s non-academic goals.
  • 11.6 goals are in the final stages of approval

Other items of note:
  • The monthly financial conference call between the school’s treasurer and ESCLEW’s Financial Oversight Specialist was held on December 16. No red flag items or concerns were noted.
  • A site visit is scheduled with the school on December 21. Items to be covered include:
    • Actual enrollment
    • Attendance procedures
    • School Climate and Culture
    • Remote Learning Plan Implementation
    • Teacher/Administrator Evaluations

V. Treasurer's Report

A.

Review of Monthly Financials

Lesley Gillen spoke on the November financials. 
Tiffany Randle made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the monthly financials.
Dante Giancola seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VI. School Director's Report

A.

School Director's Report

Seamus discussed the school activities in November including parent teacher conferences and the third grade State reading test.  There has been no spread of Covid in the building. 

B.

Monthly Enrollment Verification

Tiffany Randle made a motion to acknowledge receipt of the monthly enrollment verification.
Susan Dornan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

Return to School Plan- Update

Seamus O'Hara spoke on some of the changes to the return to school plan.  The school is still planning on having students learning person on January 5th.

D.

Winter Health & Safety policy review

Richard Hronek made a motion to acknowledge review of the health and safety policies listed below.
Susan Dornan seconded the motion.
402 Use of Medication Policy
402.1 Care of students with diabetes
403 Use of Inhaler/Epinephrine Autoinjector
422 Public Conduct on School Property
423 Facility Security
 
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VII. Communications Director's Report

A.

Marketing & Enrollment Report

The Kindergarten readiness night was a success.  The winter benefit auction is ongoing.   

B.

Crisis Communications Plan

Anthony Moujaes spoke on the crisis communications plan. 

VIII. Operations Report

A.

Operations Lead Report

Our food vendor is piloting a program where meals will be mailed directly to the student's home instead of having the families come to the building to pick up meals.  
 

B.

School Support

Sarah O'Bryan spoke on issues relating to report card release. 

IX. Board Committee Reports

A.

Advancement

The advancement committee will meet in the new year to determine the results of the winter benefit and to plan a spring event.

B.

COVID-19 Task Force

Susan Dornan spoke on the Covid situation in the building. 

C.

Finance & Audit

The committee went over the monthly financials and the audit and found no issues.
 

D.

Program Excellence

Suzanne McFarand spoke on the last program excellence meeting.  The meeting was about the return to school plan for 1/5/2020.

X. Resolutions for Consideration- Board of Directors

A.

Policy Review

B.

Legal Update- Fall Policy Review

Melissa Picone made a motion to approve the fall policy update as presented. The policies are listed below.
Suzanne McFarland seconded the motion.
148.8 Federal Grants Procurement, Monitoring, and Administration
204.17 (NEW) COVID-19 Modifications Policy
225 Religion in Schools
241.5 Enrollment and Residency
245 Promotion and Retention
254.1 (NEW) 2019-2020 HB 197 Calamity Day Make-Up Plan
254.2 (NEW) 2020-2021 Calamity Day Make-Up Plan
273 Expulsion and Suspension
318 Other Employees
385.1 E-FMLA
411.1 (NEW) Use of Face Masks/Coverings
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

Open meeting and Public Records Training

XI. Resolutions for Consideration- Finance

A.

Vote to Approve Donation

Richard Hronek made a motion to accept/approve a donation of $5000 for the purchase of technology.
Susan Dornan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

XII. Resolutions for Consideration- Operations

A.

Interactive Displays

Richard Hronek made a motion to authorize the purchase of interactive tv's from Mobiletek as presented.
Dante Giancola seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

XIII. Resolutions for Consideration- Talent

A.

Staff Leave Requests

Suzanne McFarland made a motion to extend the unpaid leave of Betty Svoboda as presented.
Melissa Picone seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

B.

End of Year Bonuses

Melissa Picone made a motion to ratify the payment of the bonuses as presented.
Susan Dornan seconded the motion.
The bonuses approved are: Atkinson, Jerrid $100.00,  Becher, Nicole $100.00,  Berenson, David $100.00,  Borgan, Marysa $100.00,  BRIGANTI, NATALIE $100.00,
CONTI, AMANDA L $100.00,  CSIKOS-VANDRASIK, DEBRA J $100.00,  CYCYK, JOHN $100.00,  DACHTLER, DANIELLE $100.00,  GARDIN, RENA T $100.00,  HARRAMAN, BRITTANY A $100.00,  HU,SHUOMEI $100.00,  Ingraham, Jennifer $100.00,  Juarez, Nereida $100.00,  KACIC, KATELAND $100.00,  KNEIDEL, SHANON L $100.00,  KNIPPER, WENDY $100.00, Kowalski, KIMBERLY $100.00, LONG, MELISSA $100.00,  LOUIS, JEANETTE $100.00, Martinez, Jessica $100.00, McCarthy, Melissa $100.00,  Moujaes, Anthony $100.00,  Noga, Allison $100.00,  O'GRADY, FRANK X $100.00,  O'Hara, Seamus $100.00,   O'MALLEY, ASHLEY M $100.00,  Pannell, David $100.00,  Polasko, Jenny $100.00, Santos, KENDRA $100.00,  Sholar, Beth $100.00,  Sponseller, Cassie $100.00, Theiss, Katie $100.00
Thomas, Barbee $100.00,  Wright, Marilyn $ 100.00,  BARNES, KRISTIN $ 200.00,  CALDWELL, SCOTT $200.00, CRONIN, JULIE $200.00,  JAKUBCZAK, SHANNON R $200.00,  MACEY, LINDSEY $200.00,  Maskil, Pamela $200.00,  PETERS, ERIN $200.00, SCHLOSSER, RACHEL $200.00, THOMPSON, DOUGLAS Q $200.00, TURK, MARY B $200.00,  Vikdakovic, Mirjana $200.00,  WHITTAKER, KELLY $200.00,  BIGGERT, CARLA M $300.00,  COYNE, GRACE $300.00,  KREIGER, AMY $300.00,  MacGregor, Doug $300.00,  PENNYPACKER, NICHOLAS $300.00,  Wondrak, Dennis $300.00
Young, Staci $300.00
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

XIV. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

Dante Giancola made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Richard Hronek seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Melissa McCarthy