Northwood Academy Charter School
Minutes
Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday April 15, 2020 at 5:30 PM
Location
Northwood Academy Charter School (via Zoom))
A public meeting of the Board of Trustees of Northwood Academy Charter School that was properly advertised pursuant to the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act was held on April 15, 2020 at 4621 Castor Avenue.
Trustees Present
D. Madison (remote), J. Marshall (remote), J. Williams (remote), K. Maddox (remote), K. Spraga (remote), M. Bly (remote)
Trustees Absent
D. Kleschick, V. Jefferson
Guests Present
A. Hollister, C. Carey (remote), Erin Herschberger, K. Dugan, Kathryn Henry, P. Friedman (remote), T. Hunt (remote), T. Taylor (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
J. Williams called a meeting of the board of trustees of Northwood Academy Charter School to order on Wednesday Apr 15, 2020 at 5:35 PM.
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Resolution 041520.001: Approval of Agenda
K. Maddox made a motion to approve the April 15, 2020 Agenda.
M. Bly seconded the motion.
M. Bly noted the addition of Resolution 041520.008
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
D.
Reading of Mission Statement
M. Bly read the Mission Statement.
E.
Resolution 041520.002: Approval of March 18, 2020 Board Meeting Minutes
J. Marshall made a motion to approve the minutes from Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting on 03-18-20.
K. Spraga seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
F.
Community Comment
No Community Comment
II. Finance
A.
Resolution 041520.003: Approval of Financials
J. Marshall made a motion to approve the Financial Report and all supporting documents submitted by the Business Manager, which shall be incorporated in the record of this meeting.
K. Maddox seconded the motion.
T. Taylor reviewed the Executive Summary of the Financial Report ending March 31, 2020.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
III. Committee Reports
A.
Finance Committee
Finance Committee Meeting Minutes from April 1, 2020 meeting were previously submitted for review.
J. Marshall (Committee Chair) has asked administration to submit all CBA's requiring additional approval from committees other than Finance as soon as possible to the respective committees. Additional discussion included:
T. Taylor will submit all documents for the next committee meeting on May 1, 2020.
Next Committee Meeting: May 6, 2020 at 6:00pm
J. Marshall (Committee Chair) has asked administration to submit all CBA's requiring additional approval from committees other than Finance as soon as possible to the respective committees. Additional discussion included:
- Budget Review Process: The committee has a goal to streamline the budget review process. As a result of the proposed charter school funding cuts being on hold, the focus will shift from BC and WC scenario budgets to just BC scenario. The committee will continue to evaluate funding priorities and address any changes from the State as necessary.
- Compensation Policy: The committee agreed it's an appropriate time to update the current Compensation Policy, which typically is reviewed every two (2) to three (3) years. Total HR Solutions has been asked to provide the committee with a proposal that includes cost and projected timeline for the process.
- Reprice and Taylor Contract: The proposed cost for services has been included in the BC budget scenario. The actual contract will be submitted to the committee on April 16, 2020 for review. The committee submit official recommendation to the full board for final approval during June Board Meeting.
T. Taylor will submit all documents for the next committee meeting on May 1, 2020.
Next Committee Meeting: May 6, 2020 at 6:00pm
B.
Governance Committee
M. Bly (Committee Chair) referenced the committee report previously submitted for review and highlighted the revised timelimes for Goal 1 (Bylaw Review) and Goal 2 (Board Job Descriptions).
M. Bly will send committee members all documentation for review prior to next committee meeting.
Next Committee Meeting: May 27, 2020 at 5:00pm.
M. Bly will send committee members all documentation for review prior to next committee meeting.
Next Committee Meeting: May 27, 2020 at 5:00pm.
C.
Human Resource Committee
Human Resource Committee Meeting Minutes from April 1, 2020 meeting were previously submitted for review.
Next Committee Meeting: April 29th, 2020 at 5:00pm.
Next Committee Meeting: April 29th, 2020 at 5:00pm.
D.
Recruitment Committee
J. Williams (Committee Co-Chair) stated the interviews for six (6) Parent Trustee Candidates are schedueld for April 27th - April 30th. Interviews for two (2) additional candiates have to be scheduled. The members of the interview panel are: J. Williams, D. Madison, V. Jefferson, A. Kelly, and A. Hollister. The exact dates and times for each interviewee will be sent by J. Williams.
E.
Strategic Planning Committee
A. Hollister (Committee Chair) stated the following items are will be discussed during the next committee meeting:
A. Hollister will submit all final documents for review one (1) week prior to the next committee meeting.
Next Committee Meeting: May 6, 2020 at 5:00pm
- School-Wide Goal Completion to include Dashboard and associated action plans.
- Smart Sheets: Application being used to compile all strategic plan documents to streamline efficiencies as it relates to tracking timelines and accountability of goals.
A. Hollister will submit all final documents for review one (1) week prior to the next committee meeting.
Next Committee Meeting: May 6, 2020 at 5:00pm
F.
Student Achievement Committee
No Committee Report
IV. Staff Reports
A.
CEO
Board reviewed the April 2020 CEO Report and supporting documents previously submitted by A. Hollister. No further discussion.
B.
Principal
Board reviewed the April 2020 Principal Report and supporting documents previously submitted by C. Carey.
Discussion included:
Discussion included:
- Distance Learning Data: At the end of this week, administration will have data that shows how many students have logged in, how many assignments were completed, etc. This data will be used to identify which families may be having technology issues and to monitor the progress of this new distance learning process.
- Student Technology Access: Parents have contacted administration to request a Chromebook if their student(s) were having issues accessing the distance learning platforms or completing work using personal devices such as smartphones. Administration is granting those requests as they are received.
- Technology Email Account: Established for families to submit technology requests and/or concerns.
- Technology for families with more than one (1) student: Families with multiple students have been issued two (2) Chromebooks for the students to share. The administrative team will accommodate additional family needs as they arise.
- Additional Chromebooks: The delivery of 200+ additional Chromebooks was received today and will be distributed as needed.
C.
Student Services
Board reviewed the April 2020 Student Services Report previously submitted by P. Freidman.
No further discussion.
No further discussion.
D.
Operations
Board reviewed the April 2020 Operations Report previously submitted by K. Dugan.
Discussion included:
Discussion included:
- Capital Improvement Allocation: Current spending for capital improvements has been significantly less than budgeted. Director of Operations will submit capital improvement projects originally slated for FY20-21 to the Finance Committee for review and preliminary budgetary approval. The Finance Committee will submit final recommendations for official board vote during the May Board Meeting.
E.
Human Resources
Board reviewed the April 2020 Human Resources Report previously submitted by Total HR Solutions. No further discussion.
V. Unfinished Business
A.
12 Month Employee Schedule/Calendar
Board reviewed the 12 Month Employee schedule and supporting documents previously submitted for review.
Discussion Included:
Discussion Included:
- Work week and pay for Exempt and Non-Exempt 12 Month Employees.
- Revision of school closure during the summer: School will only be closed for 1 week during the summer instead of 2 weeks.
- Revised PTO days and how it relates to the one (1) week school closure during the summer.
VI. New Business
A.
Resolution 041520.004: Personnel (Key Performance Indicator)
M. Bly made a motion to accept the personnel changes, modifications and additions, as presented in the attached Key Performance Indicator (KPI).
J. Williams seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Board Survey Action Plan
Board engaged in further discussion with the administrative team regarding responses to the Board Survey with the end goal of developing an action plan to address the identified areas of concern.
T. Hunt left early
C.
Resolution 041520.005: Continuity of Education Plan
M. Bly made a motion to adopt the Continuity of Education Plan submitted to PDE, as presented.
J. Marshall seconded the motion.
Board reviewed the Continuity of Education Plan previously submitted by A. Hollister and additional discussion included:
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
- Development of Plan: The current plan was developed in response to the state mandated school closures. The school closures were recently extended through the end of the year and the current plan will be followed to support the instructional program for the remainder of the year. If by chance, school are not reopened in September 2020, administration will review the plan and revise as necessary.
- Teacher Office Hours: Although office hours have been established for teachers, which serves to provide facetime with parents and or students, teachers and administrators can be contacted at any time during the day via email or via available classroom apps for questions and/or assistance.
- Permission Form to Participate in Distance Learning: Students who wish to participate in Zoom sessions must have the permission form signed by their parent. The notice regarding the permission form will be placed in a prominent place on the school's website.
D.
Resolution 041520.006: REVISED Academic Calendar 2020-21 School Year
K. Maddox made a motion to adopt the REVISED Academic Calendar for the 2020-21 school year, as presented.
J. Williams seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| M. Bly |
Aye
|
| K. Maddox |
Aye
|
| J. Marshall |
Aye
|
| D. Madison |
Aye
|
| J. Williams |
Aye
|
| K. Spraga |
Aye
|
| V. Jefferson |
Absent
|
| D. Kleschick |
Absent
|
P. Freidman left early.
E. Herschberger left early.
K. Henry left early.
K. Dugan left early.
E. Herschberger left early.
K. Henry left early.
K. Dugan left early.
E.
Resolution 041520.007: Confidential Settlement Agreement In Re: Student AP
Upon motion by M. Bly and seconded by K. Maddox the Board unanimously ENTERED into
executive session to discuss legal matters.
Upon motion by M. Bly and seconded by J. Marshall the Board unanimously ENTERED
into open session.
executive session to discuss legal matters.
Upon motion by M. Bly and seconded by J. Marshall the Board unanimously ENTERED
into open session.
J. Marshall made a motion to ratify the Confidential Settlement Agreement In Re: Student AP, as presented.
M. Bly seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
F.
Resolution 041520.008: Northwood Academy CS Opposition to Proposed Charter School Funding Cuts
D. Madison made a motion to strongly oppose and condemn Governor Wolf’s charter school funding cut proposals which are embodied in House Bill 2261 and Senate Bill 1024 and urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reject these dangerous and destructive cuts.
M. Bly seconded the motion.
A. Hollister gave an update on the current advocacy efforts regarding the Governor's legislation regarding charter school funding cuts/reform. All school districts were encouraged by PSBA to formalize their positions in favor of the proposed charter school funding cuts. In the same manner, PCE and PCPCS have encouraged charter schools to formalize their positions in opposition to the proposed charter school funding cuts.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
VII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
M. Bly made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
K. Maddox 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 7:35 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
M. Bly