Seaside School, Inc
Minutes
April Governance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Monday April 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM
Location
Dunlap & Shipman, P.A.
2063 S. County Highway 395
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
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.
Committee Members Present
A. Winicki, C. Lewis, D. Tinghitella, L. Blue, R. Kauffman
Committee Members Absent
M. Uhlfelder
Guests Present
A.J. Reed (Parent), Jason Boger (Parent), Lauren Boger (Parent), M. Kerrigan (remote), M. Willcox (remote), T. Miller, Wayne Healy (Parent) (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Admissions Appeals
A.
Hearing on Appeal from Administration Admission Determination - Minor Child J.B.
School administration presented a summary of its review, in which administration concluded that the child does not qualify for the Walton County Admissions Preference. This was followed by a presentation by the parents. After discussion and a question and answer opportunity, the Committee voted as shown based on the absence of evidence (as set forth in and required by The Seaside School, Inc. Application and Admittance Policy) of residency of parents and child on or before the applicable deadline of February 29, 2024.
B.
Hearing on Appeal from Administration Admission Determination - Minor Child L.B.
School administration presented a summary of its review, in which administration concluded that the child does not qualify for the Walton County Admissions Preference. This was followed by a presentation by the parents. After discussion and a question and answer opportunity, the Committee voted as shown based on the absence of evidence (as set forth in and required by The Seaside School, Inc. Application and Admittance Policy) of residency of parents and child on or before the applicable deadline of February 29, 2024.
C.
Hearing on Appeal from Administration Admission Determination - Minor Child L.H.
School administration presented a summary of its review, in which administration concluded that the child does not qualify for the Walton County Admissions Preference even though it was not disputed that the parents were Walton County residents at the time of application. This was followed by a presentation by the child's father in which additional testimony was presented regarding the child's residency in Walton County not later than February 29, 2024. After discussion and a question and answer opportunity:
R. Kauffman made a motion to deny the appeal. Motion not seconded, motion failed. Additional discussion ensued.
Primary motion was made by L. Blue as indicated.
R. Kauffman made a motion to amend the primary motion, to specify that the motion to grant the appeal would be explicitly based upon new testimony and evidence presented at the hearing demonstrating that L.H. is a resident of Walton County, Florida.
Prior to calling the vote, it was reiterated by Committee members that School Administration acted properly in its initial review of the admissions preference and that any different decision made by the Committee is based upon new evidence presented at the appeal hearing.
D.
Hearing on Appeal from Administration Admission Determination - Minor Child G.R.
School administration presented a summary of its review, in which administration concluded that the child does not qualify for the Walton County Admissions Preference. This was followed by a presentation by the child's father in which additional testimony was presented regarding the child's residency in Walton County not later than February 29, 2024. Further discussion and a question and anwer opportunity was held.
Prior to calling the vote, it was again reiterated that School Administration acted properly in its initial review of the admissions preference and that any different decision made by the Committee is based upon new evidence presented at the appeal hearing. The motion was then voted upon as indicated.
III. Governance
A.
Annual Policy Review
IV. Other Business
A.
Update - Outside Counsel Agreement
T. Miller provided an update on the agreement with the Arnold Law Firm.
B.
Discussion - Foundation/School Functions
R. Kauffman provided an update and will discuss with former School Board/current Foundation Board members.
The Governance Committee will conduct an annual review of the Applicaiton and Admittance Policy prior to 2025 - 2026 applications and open enrollment.