IOTA Community Schools
Minutes
IOTA Board of Directors' September Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday September 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Location
Wooddale Middle School
3467 Castleman St, Memphis, TN 38118
Directors Present
A. Allen (remote), L. Neal (remote), P. Egwuekwe (remote), P. Velasquez (remote), T. Alexander (remote)
Directors Absent
E. Harris
Guests Present
Christopher Jones (remote), D. Penaranda (remote), Damika Pichon (remote), DarShauna Shepherd (remote), Haley Morton (remote), Iris Thompson (remote), J. Orozco (remote), J. Rodgers (remote), Kavarica McCurry (remote), Rubi Valles (remote), Sonya Johnson (remote), T. Estes (remote), T. Shivers
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
C.
Agenda
D.
Vision, Mission, and Excellence
E.
Mission Moment
K. McCurry shared the IOTA Industry Day Experience at Bluff City High School.
F.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
G.
Consent Agenda
There was no consent agenda.
II. Strategic Priorities Updates
A.
Academic Updates
T. Estes reported on the Bluff City site visit, the Arkansas update, and academic testing data. P. Velasquez raised a question about Tennessee academic performance. The Board discussed continued performance standards and the realignment of academic outcomes for school year 2027. No action was taken.
III. Engaged Parents & Community Enrollment Updates
A.
Engaged Parents & Community Enrollment Updates
No updates were presented under this item.
IV. Highly Effective Team Updates
A.
Highly Effective Team Updates
No business was brought before the board.
V. Replicable Model Updates
A.
Finance
Enrollment:
J. Rodgers presented the enrollment update. The following points were noted:
- Enrollment was identified as a significant deficit area, and enrollment at current levels is not sustainable.
- The organization will work this academic year to build an enrollment footprint that supports sustainability.
- The FY27 budget will show a larger deficit than originally expected, as cuts alone cannot close the gap.
No action was taken.
B.
Nomination and Election of Finance and Audit Committee
A. Allen introduced the item, and D. Penaranda provided context.
The following nominations were made:
Larry, nominated by A. Allen
Pedro, nominated by P. Egwuekwe
A. Allen called for a vote.
L. Neal and P. Velasquez were elected to the Finance and Audit Committee by the unanimous vote of members present.
J. Rodgers presented the organization's vision, mission, and excellence statement.