Rooted School - Washington
Minutes
Rooted School Vancouver Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday April 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location
Rooted School Vancouver
10401 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Suite 201
Vancouver, WA 98662
Directors Present
A. Davis (remote), A. Mason, L. White (remote), N. Chen (remote), R. Johnson
Directors Absent
A. Duncan
Directors who left before the meeting adjourned
N. Chen
Guests Present
A. Lovett-Uddin (remote), J. Singleton
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
II. Approval of Minutes
A.
Approve Minutes from March 24, 2026 Regular Board Meeting
B.
Approval Of Special Meeting Minutes (April 18th)
III. Communications
A.
Welcome Community Members
B.
Initial Public Comment
The public comment procedures were read aloud. No public comments were offered.
IV. REPORTS, REQUESTS, AND COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS
A.
Reports, Requests, and Comments by Board Members
R. Johnson asked for a recap of the Old Hollywood Spring Formal held on April 24. Jamila and L. White (who donated supplies and sent her children early to decorate) reported the event was student-led from concept through execution by ASB. Approximately 25 students attended in formal attire. Social media interns are compiling videos for social media. Board members discussed the importance of advance notice for student-facing events so directors can plan to volunteer; this connects to the new board calendar discussion later in the meeting.
B.
Student Rep Board Report
Student reps did not attend this week's meeting.
V. BOARD ACTION ITEMS
A.
Compliance Dashboard – April Review
The board reviewed the April 2026 compliance dashboard. Jamila reported current enrollment (9th: 22; 10th: 22; 11th: 23) and 26-27 applications in progress (9th: 11 applied / 3 enrolled; 10th: 15 applied / 2 enrolled; 11th: 7 applied / 1 enrolled), for a total of ~33 applications against a goal of 45 new fully enrolled students. A returning-student survey has gone out; ~46 of 65 current students have confirmed re-enrollment, with 20 remaining to confirm.
Finance: meeting standard for unrestricted cash, asset-to-liability ratio, debt margin, revenue margin, and cash flow. Enrollment variance remains (62.9 FTE actual vs. 75 budgeted).
Academics: SBAC state testing is underway this week (ELA Tuesday, Math Thursday, Science Friday) with a second round next week for adaptive/performance components. MAP spring results showed 121% growth achieved in ELA (56% of students met growth target; median growth percentile 62 vs. goal 50), and 96% of growth achieved in math (50% of students met growth target; median growth percentile 47 vs. goal 50).
Attendance remains a focus area: approximately 27% of students are chronically absent, and 7 students were absent during state testing today. A weekly attendance team structure is starting up, led by Dr. Yee with the student success coach. Attendance incentives are in place for students at 80%+ regular attendance (raffle drawings for a Switch, iPad, and one other item).
VI. Consent Agenda
A.
Approval of Financial Disbursements and Payroll as Audited and Certified per RCW Regulations
Items C (2026-27 Calendar) and D (Staff PTO Policy) were pulled from the consent agenda for separate discussion and vote.
The following payments as audited and certified by the auditing officer, as required by RCW 42.24.080, and those expense reimbursements claims certified, as required by RCW 42.24.090, are approved for payment. In addition, payroll payments in the amount of $71,179.86 are also approved.
General Fund
Accounts Payable
Total electronic payments totaling $150,953.30 and
Check numbers N/A totaling $0
Non-AP Cash Disbursements
Total electronic payments totaling $7,280.51 and
Manual checks #N/A totaling $0.00
Payroll
Total electronic payments totaling $71,179.86 and
Payroll check numbers N/A totaling $0
B.
Policies
C.
26-27 calendar
Jamila clarified that an earlier draft had an unnecessary 185th instructional day; May 21 has been restored as a snow makeup day, returning the calendar to 184 days. A memo was shared confirming the calendar meets basic education requirements (180 days / 1,080 instructional hours per state). Minor date edits were made, bingo night was added, senior night remains June 11, spring formal is April 24, and Fall Carnival is October 30.
D.
Staff Policy Update
Jamila reported that the proposed PTO policy was sent to staff for feedback the prior week and no substantive feedback was received from staff or board. She also reported recent communication from the Commission indicating the board may need a formal governing sick leave policy (Policy 5101) rather than relying on the staff handbook. Jamila will follow up with the Commission for clarification.
The only substantive change since the prior reading was clarifying language around separation: unused PTO is forfeited at separation, and upon retirement or death the employee/estate receives 25% of unused PTO as a cash-out, consistent with the WAC. The school maintains a single PTO bank (not separated into sick and vacation).
A. Davis made a motion to approve Staff Policy Item D (PTO Policy). R. Johnson seconded the motion.
VII. BOARD INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEMS
A.
Financial Update (as of March 31, 2026)
Jamila reported annual FTE at 62.9 (84% of the budgeted 75). Public revenue is down approximately $120K due to enrollment. Private revenue is on target with fundraising. Total expenditures are projecting approximately $78,000 below budget. Days cash on hand is healthy at 127. Long-term financial stability depends on continued strong cash on hand and strengthened recruitment/enrollment systems; Dr. Yee is working with School Ops, Anders, Brooke, and Julia to rebuild tracking systems, follow-up scripts, and prospect communications. Jamila also noted that a previously discussed matter affecting the budget is expected to come to closure this week.
B.
Policies (Read)
The board discussed the ED evaluation policy drafted by the Governance Committee following the April 18 retreat. The board added family engagement data and staff turnover data as evidence sources to complement staff culture/climate data, student academic data, and board observation. Jamila will reformat the language into the standard policy template.
C.
Updating Board Bylaws
The board reviewed the current bylaws and identified several pain points: outdated term-rotation language from the corporate founding template, officer roles named in the bylaws that do not currently exist (e.g., treasurer functions that are now handled internally), and the question of whether to extend trustee terms from two to four years to better support continuity in a school context. A. Davis and A. Mason will form an ad-hoc committee to draft proposed revisions, drawing on bylaws templates from other Washington charter schools (including outreach to J. Thompson in Portland and Washington Charters). Updates will be brought back to the May meeting.
D.
Empowering the Board
A. Davis and Jamila presented a draft board sign-up calendar of school events for the coming year, intended to share leadership and visibility opportunities more broadly across the board. Board members agreed to add their names to events they can attend. Additional rows will be added for community events relevant to recruitment, employer partnerships, and Chamber/community engagement. L. White (as a Rooted parent) anticipates attending most events. A. Davis noted that the board must be mindful of quorum at non-noticed events. A December "holiday with the board" gathering (e.g., hot chocolate bar) was added. The calendar will be shared as an editable link, and a calendar review will become a standing item on future board agendas.
E.
Enrollment Support
Jamila requested board member support with warm outreach calls to families who miss the May 1 enrollment deadline. Each board member would receive a short list of ~5 families with scripts to help families understand the importance of completing enrollment paperwork to secure their seat. Board members present indicated willingness to participate. Jamila will send the call lists after May 1.
VIII. Board Actions
A.
Board Member Renewal--Ach' Sheila Davis
The board acknowledged that A. Davis's prior term technically ended in January 2026 and the renewal had not been formally voted on.
L. White made a motion that the Rooted School Vancouver Board of Directors approve the reinstatement of S. Davis for a new term of one year beginning January 24, 2026 and ending January 30, 2027. R. Johnson seconded the motion. The board acknowledged that A. Davis's prior term technically ended in January 2026 and the renewal had not been formally voted on.
The board VOTED to approve the motion (A. Davis abstained).
B.
Board Member Vote --Abby Lovett-Uddin
Additional director term intentions were discussed for May action: L. White confirmed a 2-year renewal (through June 2028); A. Mason indicated a 1.5-year renewal (through December 2028) to stagger summer rotations. These will be brought to the May board meeting for formal vote.
IX. Closing Items
A.
Reminder and Important Dates
A. Lovett-Uddin's F-1 Personal Financial Affairs Statement is due within two weeks of seating; Jamila will support onboarding. The next meeting is the Regular Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, which will include a send-off for R. Johnson, whose term concludes.
B.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved.
A. Lovett-Uddin was welcomed to the meeting as a prospective board member. She shared background as a long-time educator (24+ years), an alum of Benson Polytechnic (a Portland CTE high school), former AP/principal of a CTE high school in the Bronx, and current work supporting Bloomberg Philanthropies' expansion of 17 new school-to-trade programs. She expressed strong alignment with Rooted's mission and interest in joining the board.