Academy of Collaborative Education
Minutes
Finance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday September 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Pursuant to 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 re-scheduled meeting, open to the public as specified below. To ensure compliance with the Open Meeting Law, recipients of this message should not forward it to other Board members, and Board members should not reply to this message.
Committee Members Present
Allison Dickens, Amy Marcus (remote), Joellen Freeman, Katie Kahmann, Latner McDonald
Committee Members Absent
Anna Grimmett, Mike Dunn
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Finance
A.
Lease for Middle School with Grace
B.
SPED Strategies contract
Although the Finance Committee endorses the contract in principle, there are inaccuracies in the dates and clauses that are disproportionately worded, such as ACE being assigned excessive responsibility and SPED strategies being held insufficiently accountable.
The committee will revisit approval of this contract to the full board after these items have been corrected.
Joellen will send the contract back to SPED Strategies for the requested amendments.
C.
Insurance cost increase for ACE
Joellen wished to inform the committee about the increase in the annual insurance premium resulting from the rental of additional space at Grace.
D.
Security and Safety Quote for expansion into Grace building.
ProVision has prepared a quote for safety and security measures at the Grace Episcopal premises. The estimated cost is approximately $85,000 and can be reimbursed through the CSP grant.
The committee resolved to recommend approval by the full board at the upcoming meeting, with approval contingent upon the formal signing of the lease and the leasing of the Grace space.
E.
Professional Services Agreement - Riley Physical Therapy
The committee recommended that the full board approve this contract at the forthcoming meeting.
III. Other Business
A.
Stipend Updates
Joellen reported that ACE received a secondary deposit for the 24-25 stipend for Credentialed and Support Staff. ACE has also received the 25-26 stipend allocation. She will have a proposal for the Governance Committee by the next meeting at the end of September and Finance and full board in October.
IV. Progress-Toward-Goals:
A.
Finance SMART Goals
Many objectives are delayed mainly due to the transition from our previous CPA firm to EdOps. Improvements and aligned timelines should be evident next month.
While the base rental price amount aligns with ACE's budget, we are still awaiting clarification from the fire marshal and an insurance increase on the property. Final updates to the contract can be presented to the full board for approval.
The committee discussed Provision's quote for mag-lock doors, alarmed windows, and delayed entries upon approval from the fire marshal. Also, Provision is to install a sprinkler system, provided all parties agree.