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Academy of Collaborative Education

Board Meeting

Published on November 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM CST

Date and Time

Wednesday November 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM CST

Location

The Center for Children and Families, Inc.

622 Riverside Dr.

Monroe, LA 71201

 

Joellen Freeman is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
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According to the Louisiana Open Meetings Law - La. R.S. 42:19, notice is hereby given to the members of the Board of Directors of Academy of Collaborative Education and to the general public that the Board will hold a regular, special, or rescheduled meeting, open to the public as specified below. To ensure compliance with the Open Meetings Law, recipients of this message should not forward it to other Board members, and Board members should not reply to this message.

 

Members of the public can access the board meeting through the link on the website or attend in person. The meeting's anchor location will be The Center for Children and Families, Inc., located at 622 Riverside Dr., Monroe, LA 71201.

 

Any individual who wishes to make a public comment on one or more agenda items but cannot attend the meeting must submit their comment to boardchair@aceforasd.org at least 24 hours before the board meeting. The comment should include the individual’s full name and the name of the agenda item on which they are commenting. 

 

Any individual interested in providing a public comment on one or more agenda items who can attend the meeting in person may submit their comments to boardchair@aceforasd.org at least 24 hours prior to the board meeting. Alternatively, they may arrive at the meeting, complete the ACE Board Meeting Public Comment Request Form in writing, and submit it to the board chair. 

 

During the board meeting, once the Board President/Chair calls for public comment on a specific agenda item and recognizes the speaker, the individual wishing to make an in-person public comment on an agenda item should be prepared to speak for no longer than 3 minutes. Before commencing with their public comment, the individual must state their full name. 

 

The names of all individuals submitting public comments in person and via email shall be recorded in the meeting minutes.

 

It is the practice of the board to hear public comments but not respond instantly. The board will confer with the ED, and, depending on the issue, either the Board Chair or ED will respond to you within 24 hours.

Agenda

Section Number Topic Number Details Purpose Presenter Time
I. Opening Items 3:30 PM
  A. Record Attendance   Allison Dickens 2 m
  B. Call the Meeting to Order   Kara Maggiore 1 m
  C. Approve Minutes from 10.29.25 Approve Minutes Kara Maggiore 3 m
   

Motion: Move to approve meetings from the October 29, 2025 meeting of the governing ACE Board of Directors as presented in the board packet.

  
    Minutes for Board Meeting on October 29, 2025  
  D. Approval of Agenda Vote Kara Maggiore 3 m
   

Motion Option #1: Move to approve the agenda as presented.

Motion Option #2: Move to approve the agenda as amended by board discussion to include <insert amendment>.

 

Request for amendment to the agenda, or approval of the agenda as presented.

  
II. Reports 3:39 PM
  A. Board Chair Report FYI Kara Maggiore 5 m
  B. Executive Director Report FYI Joellen Freeman 15 m
   

The Executive Director reports on the organization's performance, strategic progress, financial health, and any other significant updates.

  • Enrollment Data
  • Staffing Update 
  • Updated Financials 
  • Audit progress 
  • Sixth-grade expansion update
  • SY25-26 Progress to Goals
  • SY26-27 Enrollment Process Update

 

 

  
     
     
     
  C. Committee Reports FYI Kara Maggiore 10 m
   

Board committee chairs will provide a brief summary of their committee meeting, including a statement of proposed actions needing full board approval during the current meeting. 
 

Committees will report in the following order:

  • Governance (Holly Allen)
  • Finance (Latner McDonald)
  • Facilities (Davy Mize)
  • Academic Excellence (Kara Maggiore)
  
     
     
     
     
III. New Business 4:09 PM
  A. A. Introduce Prospective Board Member Discuss Latner McDonald 8 m
   

Introduction and nomination of new board member, Curtis Eberts. 

  
  B. Governing Board Meeting Schedule Changes Discuss Kara Maggiore 8 m
   

Discuss changes to the governing board meeting schedule from meeting monthly to meeting every other month. Remaining meetings for FY26 will be held in February, April, and June. Special meetings may be called if necessary.

  
  C. Review + Discuss Audit Engagement Letter Discuss Anna Grimmett 8 m
   

Provide overview and discuss audit engagement letter from Woodard and Associates. Both governance and finance committees have reviewed the engagement letter and recommend approval.

  
     
  D. Review + Discuss VCOM MOU Discuss Joellen Freeman 8 m
   

Provide overview and discuss VCOM MOU, which provides opportunity for medical students to engage in meaningful activities with ACE students.

 

Governance committee reviewed the VCOM MOU and recommends approval with the provision that an additional certificate of insurance is provided naming Academy of Collaborative Education as additional insured.

  
     
  E. Review + Discuss Grace Lease Discuss Joellen Freeman 10 m
   

Provide updates on and discuss amendments to Grace Lease for additional space that will hold 5th and 6th grade this school year and provide continued growth opportunities in future years.

  
IV. Action Items 4:51 PM
  A. Nomination of Curtis Eberts to ACE Board of Directors Vote Kara Maggiore 2 m
   

Motion: Move to nominate Curtis Eberts for one term as a member of the ACE Governing Board of Directors.

  
  B. ACE Governing Board Schedule Vote Kara Maggiore 2 m
   

Motion: Move to approve the changes to the ACE governing Board of Directors meeting schedule from monthly to every other month moving forward with remaining FY26 meetings occurring February, April, and June.

  
  C. Woodard & Associates Engagement Letter Vote Kara Maggiore 2 m
   

Motion: Move to approve  Woodard & Associates engagement letter as presented in board packet.

  
     
  D. VCOM MOU Vote Kara Maggiore 2 m
   

Motion: Move to approve the VCOM contract with the provision that an additional certificate of insurance is provided naming Academy of Collaborative Education as additional insured.

  
     
  E. Grace Building Lease Vote Kara Maggiore 2 m
   

Motion: Move to approve Grace building lease as presented in board packet, which provides for a lease ending in 2028 with a monthly cost of $3,125 through June 30, 2026, and then rising to $3,958 through June 30, 2028. 

  
     
V. Other Business 5:01 PM
  A. Reminder: Board Ethics Training FYI Kara Maggiore 3 m
   

Each trustee must complete 1 hour of Ethics Training by Dec.31, 2026. https://eap.ethics.la.gov/EthicsTraining/login.aspx 

 

Please download the provided certificate upon completion and email to Allison Dickens and Kara Maggiore by EOD on 12/30/2025.

  
  B. Enrollment Process Reminder FYI Kara Maggiore 1 m
   

SY26-27 enrollment process begins on December 1, 2025. Please remind families as you engage with them and direct any questions to Joellen and team.

  
VI. D.O.N.
 

DECISIONS made:

 

OWNERS:

 

NEXT steps:

  
VII. Closing Items 5:05 PM
  A. Adjourn Meeting Vote Kara Maggiore 1 m

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance at a public meeting of Academy of Collaborative Education, please contact Joellen Freeman at jcfreeman@aceforasd.orgdescribing the assistance that is necessary.