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The Exploris School

Minutes

Regular

Date and Time

Tuesday March 23, 2021 at 4:30 PM

Location

Board meetings are currently virtual until further notice. 
Topic: Exploris School Board Mtg
Time: Feb 23, 2021 04:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
       
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Topic: Exploris School Board Mtg
Time: Mar 23, 2021 04:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Directors Present

A. Rodriguez, D. Deaton, D. Kain, G. Burnette, J. Hwang, K. Byars-Nichols, M. West, S. Darroch, T. Kingsberry, T. Miller

Directors Absent

J. Korreck, K. Hogan

Guests Present

C. Greer-Banks, Cori Greer-Banks, D. Brown, Devon Rose, K. Morgan, Leah Perry, M. Gargan, Mabel Lajes-Guiteras, Michelle Parkerson, Shannon Hardy, Sharon Cuffe, T. Simmons, Tammie Guyer

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

T. Kingsberry called a meeting of the board of directors of The Exploris School to order on Tuesday Mar 23, 2021 at 4:35 PM.

C.

Approve February Minutes

S. Darroch made a motion to approve the minutes from Regular on 02-23-21.
A. Rodriguez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

D.

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

II. Interim Leadership Report

A.

Personnel and Operations

D. Brown and A. Northrup provided the following updates:
  • There were no new contracts or appointments for the Board to consider.
  • Recommended revisions were suggested for the School calendar. These included:
    • Inclusion of additional teacher workdays.
    • Inclusion of major holidays for all faith traditions.
    • Inclusion of flex days as placeholders for digital / alternative learning opportunities.
  • Board approval was requested to adopt the new Beginning Teacher Support Plan.
    • This plan has been approved by DPI and is designed to support the onboarding of new teaching professionals.
  • The ILT increased substitute teacher incentive pay in order to mitigate labor shortages in the market.
  • The annual partnership with UNC to host German students was conducted virtually this year.
  • Exploris will participate in the first Kenan Fellows pilot program - the program will be aligned with grades K and 6 since these are the primary points of student entry into the School.
  • Exploris is actively pursuing health alliances that would support ongoing medical, dental, vision, and COVID testing needs for students.
  • The Lottery was held virtually on March 5 in partnership with Charter Success Partners.
    • There were 83 seats to be filled with 68 completed registrations, 15 seats in process, and 961 students on the waiting list as of Friday, March 19.
  • Plan B reopening two weeks earlier progressed smoothly with no issues. Two staff members (Alyssa and Sharon) provided personal feedback.
  • Board approval was requested to re-open based on Plan A (minimal social distancing).
    • While the Elementary School will be required to re-open based on new DPI guidance, the Middle School is not legally allowed to open at this time.
    • To accommodate Plan A, March 26, April 5, and April 6 were requested to be modified from remote learning days into teacher workdays.
  • Winter MAP testing showed mixed results - some good progress mixed with potential issues to address.
  • New for the 20-21 school year is 6 hours of mental health training for staff.
  • The School is applying for various grants related to COVID-19 and learning loss to support ongoing programming.
J. Hwang made a motion to approve the School calendar as presented.
D. Kain seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
S. Darroch made a motion to approve the new Beginning Teacher Support Plan.
T. Miller seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
J. Hwang made a motion to re-open the Elementary School based on Plan A (minimal social distancing) using the modified calendar.
D. Deaton seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

B.

Finance

The Finance Committee met on March 18 to review the February financial reports and develop the budget for the next fiscal year.

C.

Board Business

J. Hwang will collect biographies and profile photos for the new website and bond financing needs.

III. Committee Reports

A.

Facilities

L. Perry provided an update on new properties that the School is investigating in conjunction with the City of Raleigh.

B.

Governance

D. Brown provided an update on i) the Board's new Board Member recruiting plan and ii) a pending update of new School Policies.

C.

Climate and Culture

M. West will serve as the chair of the Climate and Culture Committee moving forward.

 

C. Greer-Banks provided an update on the Committee's outreach and survey efforts from staff and Board members. A key conclusion was the need for a 3rd staff member to coordinate between Middle and Elementary campuses.

D.

Other Business

T. Kingsberry thanked J. Korreck and K. Hogan for their service on the Board.

IV. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

T. Miller made a motion to adjourn today's meeting.
S. Darroch seconded the motion.
The board VOTED 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 6:03 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
T. Kingsberry