Seaside School, Inc
Minutes
The Seaside School Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday April 16, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Location
Seacoast Collegiate High School
Founded in 1996
Serving Students in Grades 5 - 12
We seek to sustain an educational community where an emphasis on academic excellence is complemented by our concern for each learner’s personal growth and intellectual, aesthetic, and psychological development. The curriculum is developmentally responsive – actively engaging students in learning skills in context, integrative – directing students to connect learning to daily lives, and exploratory – enabling students to discover their abilities, interests, learning styles, and ways that they can make contributions to society.
Information on procedures for public comment can be found at https://www.seasideschools.net/about/governance
If anyone needs special assistance to participate in the public input session, every effort will be made to provide an appropriate accommodation. When requesting accommodations for public input, please allow no less than 1 business day notice prior to the scheduled meeting.
Specific issues about a particular student should only be addressed to the school’s Director of Student Services, rather than the Board of Directors.
All public comments will be taken under advisement by the Board, but will not elicit a written or spoken response. The names of persons providing public comment and a brief summary of topics or input will be included in the meeting minutes published. A response will be provided to the stakeholder within seven (7) days.
If a person decides to appeal any decision made by this body with respect to any matter considered at this meeting or hearing, he or she will need a record of the proceedings and, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
Directors Present
A. Jordan, A. Weil, C. King, D. Hahn, F. Brown, J. Doris, J. Ward, K. Sandoe, M. Harrison, R. Kauffman, T. Brooks
Directors Absent
C. Cerise
Guests Present
C. Fail, D. Ward, F. Barker, Jenna Mathis, K. Mixson, Liz Branch, M. Kerrigan, M. Willcox, S. Widman, T. Peterson
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
D.
Approve Minutes Special BOD Meeting March 11
E.
Consent Items
The Seacoast Collegiate High School Stage Covering Review is moved to "Other Business"
II. School Leadership Team
A.
Middle School Update
B.
High School Update
Mr. Drew Ward provided an update on activities and accomplishments at Seacoast Collegiate High School.
He announced upcoming Open House events scheduled for April 21st for rising 9th and 10th grade students and April 22nd for rising 11th and 12th grade students. School counselors recently visited Seaside Neighborhood School to meet with rising 8th grade students to discuss high school opportunities and course planning.
He reported that Seacoast students performed above the national average on the National Spanish Exam. He also shared updates regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE) testing, noting that 63 of 74 students successfully passed the first round of Master Entrepreneur certification testing. Additionally, students participating in the drone program recently completed their assessments.
Career exploration opportunities continue to expand, with an engineering-focused Careers on Campus event scheduled for the following week. Mr. Ward also reported meeting with representatives from NWFSC, including Cherelle Weeks, to strengthen post secondary partnerships and opportunities for students.
He highlighted several student achievements, including Seacoast entrepreneurship students winning the Walton County Chamber of Commerce Shark Tank competition. He also shared information about the upcoming Dancing with the Stars event scheduled for May.
An overview of discipline data was presented to the Board.
Mr. Ward recognized several outstanding student accomplishments, including Myles Christenson being honored through the No Ordinary Joe program for Walton County and Calvin Chilton signing a collegiate scholarship in track and field as a decathlete.
III. Academic Excellence
A.
Academic Excellence Committee Report
Mr. Kevin Sandoe presented the Academic Excellence Committee Report and provided an overview of current academic initiatives and priorities across both schools.
Mr. Sandoe reported that Seacoast Collegiate High School will be adding Physical Science as a course option for students and continues to expand summer learning opportunities through the addition of more academic boot camps designed to support student success and readiness for the upcoming school year.
The committee also reviewed plans for the Seaside Neighborhood School Edgenuity Summer Math Acceleration Program. The program is intended to provide targeted math support and acceleration opportunities for students during the summer months.
Mrs. Kim Mixson explained that the Edgenuity platform may also be utilized for credit recovery purposes when appropriate. She clarified that participation in the summer math acceleration program is not a for-credit course and will not impact student grades. The program is designed to strengthen math skills and address learning gaps prior to the start of the next school year.
IV. Finance
A.
Finance Updates
C. Brown provided the Board with a financial update for Seaside School, Inc. and reviewed the financial report and accompanying comments prepared by Lily Meadows of School Financial Services.
The Board received an overview of the schools' current financial position, including budget performance, revenue and expenditure trends, and other key financial indicators. C. Brown discussed the information provided by School Financial Services and addressed questions from Board members regarding the financial report.
C. Brown also presented information related to the proposed 2026–2027 Salary Scale for Board consideration.
V. Governance
A.
Governance Update
R. Kauffman presented the Governance Committee update and reported that the committee completed its annual review of the Board bylaws. Following review, the committee determined that no revisions or amendments were necessary at this time and recommended maintaining the bylaws in their current form.
R. Kauffman also provided a reminder regarding the school's charter. He noted that Seaside School operates under a 15-year charter term and discussed the importance of ongoing compliance and preparation for future charter renewal requirements.
B.
Settlement of Ongoing Litigation
VI. Other Business
A.
Buffkin Baker Review
M. Harrison provided an update on the Executive Director search process. She reported that the search committee selected the firm Buffkin/Baker to conduct the search for the school's next Executive Director.
M. Harrison shared that representatives from Buffkin/Baker had been actively engaged with the school community, including a working lunch with the search committee the previous day. In addition, the firm met with Seaside Neighborhood School staff, Seacoast Collegiate High School staff, and community stakeholders to gather feedback and perspectives regarding the leadership search.
Mr. Ken Carrick, representing Buffkin/Baker, addressed the Board and provided an overview of the search process and timeline. He noted that his colleague, Ms. Ann Yates, was unable to attend the meeting.
B.
Stage Covering Review
A. Jordan led a discussion regarding potential options for providing shade coverage over the stage area at Seacoast Collegiate High School.
A. Jordan reviewed two bids that had been submitted for the project. The proposed options include a tent-style structure similar to the shade covering currently utilized at Seaside Neighborhood School, as well as sail shade structures designed to provide sun protection for students and guests attending outdoor events.
During the discussion, J. Ward noted the availability of an approximately $8,000 grant through the American Academy of Dermatology that may assist with funding sun protection initiatives for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations.
Board members discussed the proposed options and potential funding opportunities. No action was taken, and no vote was held. The Board agreed to continue reviewing the proposals and revisit the matter at a future meeting.
Mrs. Kim Mixson provided an update on activities and achievements at Seaside Neighborhood School.
Mrs. Kim reported that preparations are underway for the end-of-year band concert and the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid. She also celebrated successful baseball and softball seasons and noted that students are currently participating in golf activities.
She shared progress related to Seaside Writes and reported strong results from Career and Technical Education testing, including a 100% pass rate on ServSafe certification assessments.
Next week, Seaside Neighborhood School will host a teachers-versus-students basketball game on Monday.
K. Sandoe commented on the success of the recent Seaside Neighborhood School Open House, noting that it was a well-executed event and commending all those involved in its planning and implementation. Mrs. Kim gave special recognition to Courtney Fail for her leadership and efforts in coordinating the event and helping ensure its success.