Brighten Academy
Minutes
Brighten Academy Governing Board Meeting
Date and Time
Monday October 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location
Brighten Academy Media Center
The Brighten Academy Governing Board will meet on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 6:00 pm, in the media center..
Directors Present
E. Hammonds, J. Smith, L. Bryant, M. Vitale, R. Coffee, T. Cabrera
Directors Absent
None
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
R. Coffee
Guests Present
D. Davis
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
C.
Adoption of Agenda
Amendments as followed:
- 25/26 Audit Results Vote
- Avalon Contract 26-27
- Absence Management Software
- Agenda and Minutes from 9/28
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Coffee |
Absent
|
| E. Hammonds |
Aye
|
| T. Cabrera |
Aye
|
| M. Vitale |
Aye
|
| L. Bryant |
Aye
|
| J. Smith |
Aye
|
D.
Approval of Minutes
with changes to add there was a vote for an additional SPED teacher and grammatical error for TEKS and LKES
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| L. Bryant |
Aye
|
| E. Hammonds |
Aye
|
| J. Smith |
Abstain
|
| M. Vitale |
Aye
|
| T. Cabrera |
Aye
|
| R. Coffee |
Absent
|
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| M. Vitale |
Abstain
|
| L. Bryant |
Aye
|
| T. Cabrera |
Aye
|
| E. Hammonds |
Aye
|
| R. Coffee |
Absent
|
| J. Smith |
Aye
|
II. Executive Committee
A.
Strategic Plan Update
B.
Board Retreat Compact
All recommended revisions to the Board Governance Compact have been incorporated and forwarded to Kenya for review. The compact serves as a shared governance framework that establishes board expectations, strengthens accountability, clarifies governance and operational boundaries, and promotes alignment in support of Brighten Academy's strategic goals and charter renewal success.
Part 2 of Retreat will be on November 5th virtually from 5pm-6pm - Information was emailed.
C.
Bylaws Revisions
The Board agreed that revisions are needed to the Bylaws and that future reviews will proceed section by section during upcoming Board meetings. The review began with Sections 1 and 2. A few revisions and additions were made to Section 1, and minor adjustments were made to Section 2. Section 3 will be reviewed at the next Board meeting on November 2.
D.
Branding & Marketing
The Board discussed conducting a branding and marketing workshop to review several components, including design, implementation, and strategy. The Board agreed to hold the workshop on a Saturday and to collaborate closely with school leadership throughout the process.
III. Finance Committee
A.
Finance Committee
Avolon Contract for FY26/27
The Board discussed the Avolon contract and identified several concerns that must be addressed prior to approval. The Board agreed to table the item until the next meeting.
Red Rover – Absence Management Software
The Board reviewed the Red Rover software, which is designed to streamline management of teacher absences, substitute scheduling, and related coverage needs. The anticipated cost of the software is less than $5,000.
Implementation of Red Rover would replace the School’s current manual process and reduce the staff time required to coordinate teacher absences and substitute coverage. The Board agreed to table this discussion until the next meeting, when school leadership will be present.
B.
Audit Update
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Smith |
Abstain
|
| E. Hammonds |
Aye
|
| L. Bryant |
Aye
|
| R. Coffee |
Aye
|
| M. Vitale |
Aye
|
| T. Cabrera |
Aye
|
IV. School Leadership Report
A.
Information Only
No official school leadership report was shared
Items of Note:
- Congratulations to students on winning the Scarecrow Contest!
- Currently 807 students
- Coach Gray was approved to serve in the role of Full‑Time Special Education staff.
B.
Staff Updates: Areas of Function
V. Governance Committee
A.
Policies for Vote
B.
Info Only
F36: Staff Telework
F36-E1: Staff Telework Agreement
F37: Staff Participation in Political Activities
F38: Staff Protections
F40: Code of Ethics for Staff
G7: Athletic Student Health Requirements
G7-E1: Athletic Student Health Forms
VI. Other Business
A.
Announcements
Reminder: Board Financial Training on Monday Oct 26th, information was sent via email, this training will be virtual.
Progress to Date The Strategic Planning Workgroup met on September 23 to review and begin refining Priority 1 (Academic Excellence) and Priority 5 (Culture, Climate & Community). We also discussed how future enrollment growth and facility expansion will be integrated across all five strategic priorities rather than treated as a standalone goal.The strategic planning process remains on schedule. Priorities 1 and 5 are in the refinement phase, supported by baseline academic and climate data, and the workgroup is preparing to transition into financial, operational, and governance planning.