1. Public Employee Performance Evaluation

        Pursuant to Gov. Code 54957

          a. Annual Performance Evaluation, Superintendent/CEO

No action was taken.

Elementary Principal April Sade detailed the year-long Curriculum Quest, an initiative designed to support home educators managing multiple subjects and grade levels.

• The Highlights: The initiative culminated in the Elementary Parent Power-Up event. Under the theme "It takes a hive for students to thrive," parents attended curriculum workshops and a bustling "Curriculum Walk" led by expert teachers, while students engaged in robotics, coding, and a reptile zoo.
• The Pivot: While the event was a massive success—with 100% of surveyed staff reporting professional growth—attendance at live "Curriculum Communities" dwindled mid-year. Pivoting to parent feedback, the department plans to replace these with asynchronous, Facebook-style groups next year to better accommodate busy parent schedules.

Secondary Principal Lori Wood focused on how data shapes personalized learning. Three years of data revealed that while students were growing, ELA progress was outpacing math by 30%.

• The Solution: To close this gap while preserving curricular choice, five math Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) designed a "Math to Mastery" framework.
• The Deliverables: Launching this fall, the initiative will provide families with Summer Bridge packets, parent-friendly quarterly "power packets," new formative assessments, and video resources.
• Other Milestones: The secondary team also updated its academic integrity policy to address AI in writing, mandated goal-setting for incoming 9th graders, and presented their success at the CSDC conference.

Virtual Principal Jen highlighted three strategic investments aimed at expanding and refining the virtual experience.

• Early Education: The program successfully launched Virtual Kindergarten, capping rosters at 20 students (split into "Early Eagles" and "Later Gators") for targeted early intervention. Enrollment reached 340 students and is projected to hit 400 next year.
• Teacher Development: Over 40 educators participated in a Virtual Teaching Open House to observe peers, while monthly training expanded digital toolboxes with virtual field trips and Nearpod integration.
• Community Building: To combat isolation, the department hosted monthly Fun Fridays and regional, in-person grade-level meetups. Looking ahead, the program will introduce Virtual TK, transition to the Canvas LMS, and welcome a new virtual education coordinator.

Heidi recognized the staff at Excel Academy that are celebrating their 10 year work anniversary this year.

This presentation outlines the legal requirement for the board to conduct a compensation study before amending an executive’s contract, such as extending the term or increasing pay, to ensure the compensation remains within a reasonable, non-excessive range. Utilizing data from IRS Form 990s and the State Controller’s Office for comparable non-classroom-based and brick-and-mortar schools, the study applied a conservative 3% annual adjustment to older 2024 data to estimate current market values. The findings established a benchmark average base salary of $258,000 and an average total compensation of $318,000, which the board must now use as a guideline to ensure any new or modified contract for the superintendent aligns with these market averages.

The Board members expressed deep gratitude for the immense effort, depth of research, and thorough study that went into preparing the outstanding staff and principal reports. Along with celebrating Heidi’s contract renewal and Megan’s excellent hiring practices, the Board warmly welcomed their newest member, Joe. They noted that Joe is joining at a fantastic time because the organization is currently financially solid after bouncing back from leaner years, and they look forward to leveraging his expertise alongside Heidi to set the strategic tone for the future. A major highlight of the discussion was the strong culture of collaboration happening across the organization—among virtual and elementary principals, TORs, staff, and parents. The Board emphasized that strong principal leadership sets the tone for the entire community, creating a joyful, happy school environment that directly contributes to high staff retention and the impressive 10-year milestones celebrated by several team members.

Heidi thanked the Board for their support and highly praised Megan for the incredible depth of thought and hours of hard work poured into the strategic staffing plan. She warmly welcomed Joe, expressing great relief and gratitude for how quickly he has integrated into the organization. Turning to recent school achievements, Heidi celebrated major testing milestones, commending Jenny for her exceptional ability to minimize parent opt-outs, and praising Laura for a historic six-year first: ensuring every special education student showed up for in-person testing, which spared the staff from chasing down makeups. Following a thorough two-hour data review with Parsec, Heidi concluded that she is deeply proud and honored to represent the school and the fabulous work being accomplished by the team.