Rooted School - Washington
Minutes
Rooted School Vancouver Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday July 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location
Rooted School Vancouver
10401 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Suite 201
Vancouver, WA 98662
Directors Present
A. Duncan (remote), A. Lovett-Uddin (remote), A. Mason (remote), J. Lockhart (remote), L. White (remote)
Directors Absent
A. Davis
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
J. Lockhart
Guests Present
Dana Nerenberg (remote), Italiana Hughes (remote), J. Singleton, Jackie Weatherspoon (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
II. Approval of Minutes
A.
Approve Minutes from June 23, 2026 Regular Board Meeting
III. Communications
A.
Welcome Community Members
B.
Initial Public Comment
The public comment procedures were read aloud, including the reminder that comments are part of the public record and must comply with FERPA. No public comments were offered.
IV. REPORTS, REQUESTS, AND COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS
A.
Reports, Requests, and Comments by Board Members
The Chair thanked directors for their continued engagement, noted the upcoming August board work session, and acknowledged the Executive Director’s outreach to donors and supporters as the school approaches the start of the year. No other board member reports or requests were made.
B.
Empowering the Board
The Executive Director reviewed upcoming events. An additional community market tabling opportunity is being scheduled for August or September and will be added to the calendar or shared by newsletter.
Upcoming events include the kickoff family barbecue on August 21 (to be discussed further at the August 7 work session, with board input on the family experience welcomed), Back to School Night on September 10, the first Rooted and Beyond Night (FAFSA Night) on October 2, and ASB events including the Fall Carnival. The Chair requested that the kickoff barbecue and first-day-of-school events be publicly noticed, since a quorum of directors is likely to attend; the Executive Director confirmed notices will be posted.
V. Consent Agenda
A.
Approval of Financial Disbursements and Payroll as Audited and Certified per RCW Regulations;
Certification of Payments (RCW 42.24.080 / RCW 42.24.090)
The following payments as audited and certified by the auditing officer, as required by RCW 42.24.080, and those expense reimbursement claims certified, as required by RCW 42.24.090, are approved for payment. In addition, payroll payments in the amount of $66,437.16 are also approved.
General Fund
Accounts Payable: Total electronic payments totaling $180,139.77 and check numbers N/A totaling $0.00
Non-AP Cash Disbursements: Total electronic payments totaling $8,623.54 and manual checks #N/A totaling $0.00
Payroll: Total electronic payments totaling $66,437.16 and payroll check numbers N/A totaling $0.00
B.
(B) the FY '27 TBIP Plan; (C) the FY'27 Hi Cap Plan (D) the FY'27 Financial Policies and Procedures Manual; (E) the FY' 27 Staff Handbook; (F) the FY'27 Student & Family Handbook; (G) the FY' 27 ASB Budget (H) Micro-Purchase Self-Certification, authorizing a $50,000 self-certified micro-purchase threshold for federally funded procurements No items were pulled for separate discussion.
VI. BOARD ACTION ITEMS
A.
26-27 Teacher Certifications
The Executive Director reported the school is fully staffed for the first day of school. Several staff members are pursuing the CTE certification route to expand course offerings in financial literacy, business math, and worksite readiness, and are enrolled in local certification programs. One teacher is pre-residency with Seattle Colleges and will teach one history class; the incoming humanities teacher has transferred his Oregon credential (English endorsement and ELL certification) and is teaching World History out of endorsement; and two additional teachers are continuing their certification sequences. Most teachers are returning and teaching within their certification areas, with some staff serving in multiple roles under the school’s staffing model.
B.
Compliance Dashboard (July)
C.
Budget Extension
D.
Revised Bylaws 2022>>>2026
The revisions simplify the bylaws to reflect the school’s current operations and align them with the Financial Policies and Procedures Manual. Key changes include a streamlined officer structure (chair and secretary); reducing committees to a Governance Committee and a Growth Committee, with all financial matters brought to the full board rather than a finance committee, consistent with current fiscal controls; and defined four-year terms with a maximum of two consecutive terms before sitting out one term. Following discussion of continuity and flexibility—including a removal provision allowing any trustee to be removed with or without cause by a two-thirds affirmative vote—the board edited the bylaws during the meeting to provide that term-limit maximums may be waived by board approval. The board also set officer elections to occur annually.
E.
Authorization to Deposit Public Funds and Transfer Private Funds — Heritage Bank Accounts
F.
26-27 Budget Adoption
The Executive Director presented the proposed FY2026–27 operating budget. Assumptions include enrollment of 100 students and an FY2025–26 ending position of approximately 131 days cash on hand ($930,000). Revenue changes include the loss of the $1,500-per-student levy equalization and the conclusion of implementation grants. Will end FY2026–27 with 83 days cash on hand, declining to 79 days at the end of FY2027–28—the lowest point of the five-year outlook—before rising as enrollment grows.
This will be the school’s first year serving all four grade levels, with its first graduating class. The staffing model includes three administrative staff, teachers, support staff, and two hybrid paraeducator/teaching roles, and does not include a school leader/principal position; the academic dean (a hybrid teaching role) will absorb coaching and curriculum responsibilities. The Executive Director identified a fundraising need of at least $180,000—ideally $300,000—to restore an administrator position in future years, and reported active fund development conversations.
The Chair noted the next two years are critical but characterized this as one of the stronger outlooks presented in her tenure.
Pursuant to RCW 28A.505.050, the board opened the public hearing on the proposed FY2026–27 budget, at which any person could appear and be heard for or against any part of the budget, the four-year budget plan, or any proposed changes to the use of enrichment funding.
No one signed up to speak, and the public hearing was closed.
VII. BOARD INFORMATION/DISCUSSION ITEMS
A.
Financial Update (as of June)
As of June, the school’s financial position is approximately 95 days cash on hand. The school received a second $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation (deposited in July), following the first $50,000 grant received in January, which strengthens year-end revenue. The year ended at 63 FTE against a budgeted 75, producing the negative net cash margin; expense reductions were limited by the required $400,000 grant spend-down.
B.
ED Report & School Improvement (preview for August 7th)
The Executive Director reviewed results against the school improvement plan, with targets met in nearly all areas.
MAP reading growth exceeded the goal of performance above the 50th percentile, a median growth percentile of 63.5.
Belonging increased.
On the SBAC, 77% of 10th graders passed ELA against a goal of 56%.
Math growth was positive but did not pace with reading; against a math SBAC goal of 26% (from a prior-year baseline of 16%), more students are passing, with continued progress needed.
The school’s two school-specific goals submitted to the Commission (reading growth and belonging) were both met, and a Quality School Review (QSR) with Commission staff will follow.
The board discussed stretch versus realistic targets for reading growth and belonging, and directors favored realistic targets that staff can meet and exceed. The goals will be taken to staff when they return the week of August 17 and will come back to the board for a final vote in September ahead of Commission submission;
VIII. Executive Session
A.
Executive Session
Pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(1)(g), the board recessed into executive session at approximately 7:28 PM to review the performance of a public employee. The session was announced to last approximately 10 minutes, reconvening at approximately 7:40 PM. The board reconvened in open session at 7:40 PM. No action was taken in executive session.
B.
Board Action
IX. Closing Items
A.
Reminder and Important Dates
The board work session/retreat is scheduled for Friday, August 7, 2026 at Rooted School Vancouver, in person, with a social gathering to follow.
A. Mason will follow up with D. Nerenberg regarding her interest and possible attendance at the retreat. Directors with agenda requests should contact the Chair.
The next regular board meeting is August 25, 2026.
A. Mason spoke to welcoming the community.
B. Introduction of Guest
The Executive Director introduced Dana Nerenberg of Stand for Children. Ms. Nerenberg has served as a principal and district leader in Portland Public Schools, led accelerated learning at the district office, currently coaches principals across Oregon on early literacy, and serves as board chair of EdReports. She expressed interest in Rooted’s mission and approach to preparing students for their post-secondary futures.