El Camino Real Charter High School
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday September 10, 2024 at 5:30 PM
Location
El Camino Real Charter High School - Grieb (Little) Theater
5440 Valley Circle Woodland Hills CA 91367
Meeting can also be seen and heard at:
North Campus - 7401 Shoup Ave. West Hills CA 91307
15892 Standish Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
ANNUAL MEETING AND REGULAR BOARD MEETING
For board meeting materials, please go to the school's main office, or call (818) 595-7500. Some board meeting materials are also posted on the school's website (https://ecrchs.net - click the ECR Board tab).
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRESENTATIONS TO THE BOARD BY PARENTS AND OTHER MEETING ATTENDEES: El Camino Real Alliance (“ECRA”) welcomes your participation at ECRA’s Board meetings. The purpose of a public meeting of the Board of Directors (“Board”) is to conduct the affairs of ECRA in public. Your participation assures us of continuing community interest in our charter school. To assist you in the ease of speaking/ participating in our meetings, the following guidelines are provided:
PUBLIC COMMENTS
1. Agendas are available to all audience members at the door to the meeting.
2. “Request to Speak” forms are available to all audience members who wish to speak on any agenda items or under the general category of “Public Comments.” “Public Comments” is set aside for members of the audience to raise issues that are not specifically on the agenda. However, Due to public meeting laws, the Board can only listen to your issue, not respond or take action during the Public Comments periods. The Board may give direction to staff to respond to your concern or you may be offered the option of returning with a citizen-requested item.
NOTE: Public Comments, effective with the March 24th, 2022, Regular Board Meeting, are limited to two (2) minutes and total time allotted to all agenda and non-agenda items will not exceed thirty (30) minutes.
A member of the public who requires the use of a translator, in order to receive the same opportunity as others to directly address the Board, shall be permitted twice the allotted time to speak. The Board may give direction to staff to respond to your concern or you may be offered the option of returning with a citizen-requested item.
3. You may also complete a “Request to Speak” form to address the Board on Agenda items. With regard to such agenda items, you may specify the item(s) on your “Request to Speak” form and you will be given an opportunity to speak for up to three (3) minutes before the item is addressed, and total time allocated to agenda items will not exceed six (6) minutes for a Discussion item and nine (9) minutes per Vote item. A member of the public who requires the use of a translator, in order to receive the same opportunity as others to directly address the Board, shall be permitted twice the allotted time to speak, and the total allocated time shall be appropriately increased as well.
4. When addressing the Board, speakers are requested to state their name and adhere to the time limits set forth. In order to maintain allotted time limits, the Board Chair may modify speaker time allocations or the total amount of allotted time for an item.
5. Any public records relating to an agenda item for an Open Session of the Board which are distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the Board members shall be available for public inspection at 5440 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills, California, 91367.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENTS: Effective September 2022, public comments presentations at all ECRA Regular and Special Board Meetings and at Committee Meetings must be made in person. There is no obligation on the part of the school to have a school official read public comments during inperson Board Meetings. Powered by BoardOnTrack 2 of 4 A member of the public is welcome to appear at the Board meeting to make a public comment or make arrangements with another person in attendance to speak on the person's behalf.
Consent Agenda: All matters listed under the consent agenda are considered by the Board to be routine and may be approved/enacted by the Board in one motion in the form listed below. Unless specifically requested by a Board member for further discussion or removed from the agenda, there will be no discussion of these items prior to the Board votes on them. The Executive Director recommends approval of all consent agenda items.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and upon request, El Camino Real Alliance may furnish reasonable auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with disabilities. Requests for disability related modifications or accommodations shall be made 24 hours prior to the meeting to David Hussey, in person, by email at comment@ecrchs.net, or by calling (818) 595-7500.
Directors Present
Alexandra Ramirez, Brad Wright, Gregg Solkovits, Sebastian Winter, Steven Kofahl (remote)
Directors Absent
Danielle Centman, Ronald Laws
Guests Present
Ryan Guinto
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America (USA)
D.
Public Comments
There were no public comments
E.
Executive Director Update
Mr. Hussey expressed gratitude to students, staff, teachers, and parents for a smooth start to the 2024-2025 school year, noting that it is now in its fifth week and progressing well. He acknowledged Ryan Guinto for securing a $33,000 reimbursement from the emergency connectivity fund.
The state has approved the J13A request for the February 5th hurricane, following last year’s application for a drop in attendance.
Campus improvements: The PA system is nearly complete, with new audio installed in the gym and emergency audio in the stadium. The media center's audio system is expected to be finished next week, lighting upgrades have been completed, and the tennis courts have been redone. Additionally, the woodshop received new equipment, the student store was repainted, the music lab was upgraded, and new clocks and emergency systems were installed in all classrooms.
Mr. Hussey highlighted the success of the first home game, which drew over 1,000 students and 700 parents, and the positive impact of having home games back on campus. He thanked Richard Russell and Mr. Camp for their efforts in managing the past two years without a home field. He also acknowledged the counselors and school-based therapists for their involvement in World Suicide Prevention Day.
F.
Chief Business Officer Update
Mr. Wood provided the update highlighting the following:
Enrollment: The school is in week five of the academic year. As predicted, enrollment has dropped to 2,949 students, down by 204 compared to the previous year, but this decline was accounted for in the budget. Revised budget numbers will be presented at the September board meeting.
Cafeteria: It was noted that high temperatures have affected meal service, with only cold food served the previous day, and three food service employees falling ill, leaving only four staff members available.
Issues with the extractor fans were reported, which may need replacing at the school’s expense. Mr. Wood reminded the Board that such expenses have been budgeted for - $15 million had been set aside for deferred maintenance to address such issues and to ensure compliance with OSHA standards while protecting employees.
Funding: There are no major updates since June, and the school hopes to stay within budget for the items approved in June. More updates will be provided at the regular September meeting.
Mr. Solkovits requested a report on the enrollment of nearby schools by the October meeting while Mr. Wright asked for an analysis of the reasons behind the enrollment decline, expressing interest in whether this is a broader trend affecting other schools or specific to El Camino
G.
Board Chair Update
The Board Chair expressed gratitude to Ms. Daniela Lopez-Vargas for her three years of volunteer service on the Board, as she has decided to step down. The Chair also thanked Scott Schmerelson for his efforts in securing permits for the football field and other necessary projects around the school.
Additionally, the Chair acknowledged Mr. Hussey for his leadership, particularly during last summer’s graduation, and for his ongoing dedication to maintaining the school grounds and his overall commitment to the school.
II. Governance
A.
Discussion and Vote to install one (1) Community Representative Board Position
The board voted to install one (1) Community Representative Board Position. Term to start Sept 10th, 2024 and end June 30th, 2027.
B.
Discussion and Vote to install one (1) Classified Representative Board Position
The board voted to install one (1) Classified Representative Board Position. Term to start Sept 10th, 2024 and end June 30th, 2027
C.
Elect 2024-2025 Board Chair
The Board nominated Brad Wright to be the Board Chair
D.
Elect 2024-2025 Board Vice-Chair
Brad Wright nominated Alexandra Ramirez to be the Board Vice-Chair
E.
Elect 2024-2025 Secretary
Brad Wright nominated Mr. Winter to be the 2024-2025 Secretary
F.
Elect 2024-2025 President
Brad Wright nominated David Hussey to be the 2024-2025 President
G.
Elect 2024-2025 Chief Financial Officer
Alexandra Ramirez nominated Greg Wood as the 2024-2025 Chief Financial Officer
H.
Discussion and Vote on Establishment of Board Committees
Possible committees included the following:
* Executive Director Evaluation (Standing)
* Finance & Investment (Standing)
* Capitalization Projects (Ad-Hoc)
* Safety (Ad-Hoc)
* Technology (Ad Hoc)
* Travel (Ad Hoc)
* Other (TBD)
I.
Discussion and Vote on Board Committees' General Membership and Chairpersons
Based on the establishment of one or more standing or ad hoc board committees, the Board nominated and voted to elect each committee's general membership and chairperson.
* Executive Director Committee (Standing)
Brad Wright nominated Gregg Sokolvitz as Chair, and Alexandra Ramirez and Steven Kofahl as members
Sebastian Winter made a motion to approve Gregg Sokolvitz as Chairperson and Alexandra Ramirez and Steven Kofahl as the Executive Director Committee General Members.
Steven Kofahl seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
* Finance & Investment Committee (Standing)
Brad Wright nominated Alexandra Ramirez as Chair and Gregg Sokolvitz and Steven Kofahl as members
Gregg Sokolvitz made a motion to approve Alexandra Ramirez as Chairperson and Gregg Sokolvitz and Steven Kofahl as the Finance & Investment Committee General Members
Sebastian Winter seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
* Capitalization Projects (Ad-Hoc)
Brad Wright nominated himself as Chair and Alexandra Ramirez and Steven Kofahl as members
Alexandra Ramirez made a motion to approve Brad Wright as Chairperson, and Steven Kofahl and Alexandra Ramirez as the Capitalization Projects Committee General Members.
Steven Kofahl seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
* Safety (Ad-Hoc)
Brad Wright nominated himself as Chair and Steven Kofahl as a member. A third member to be nominated and approved on a later date
Sebastian Winter made a motion to approve Brad Wright as Chairperson and Steven Kofahl as the Safety Committee General Member
Steven Kofahl seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
* Technology (Ad Hoc)
Brad Wright nominated himself as Chair and Sebastian Winter as a member. A third member to be nominated and approved on a later date
Steven Kofahl made a motion to approve Brad Wright as Chairperson and Steven Kofahl as the Technology Committee General Member
Sebastian Winter seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
* Travel (Ad Hoc)
Brad Wright nominated Steven Kofahl as Chair and Brad Wright and Sebastian Winter as a members
Steven Kofahl made a motion to approve Steven Kofahl as Chairperson and Brad Wright and Sebastian Winter as the Travel Committee General Members
Brad Wright seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
J.
Discuss Executive Director Evaluation Process
Mr. Solkovits outlined the timeline for the Executive Director Evaluation process as follows:
- October 25th: Surveys will be sent to various stakeholder groups, with templates already finalized and subject to minor adjustments by the committee before distribution.
- November 21st: This is the deadline for the surveys, just before Thanksgiving break, allowing the team to compile the information during the break.
- Mid-December: The results of the surveys will be shared with the board of directors. These will serve as data points rather than a complete evaluation at this stage.
- Mid-January to end of January: Committee members and the executive board will conduct observations of Mr. Hussey, following standard practices for evaluating certificated employees.
- February: The evaluation team will meet with representatives of the stakeholder groups to gather feedback, building on the surveys conducted in the fall.
- March 27th: During an executive session, the preliminary findings from the evaluations and surveys will be discussed.
- April 11th: The evaluation will be finalized based on input from the executive board.
- April 14th: A meeting will be held with Mr. Hussey to review the evaluation before it is presented to the board.
- April 15th: The final evaluation will be presented to the board for a vote, and Mr. Hussey will sign it.
Mr. Solkovits noted that the timeline is flexible but while it is flexible, the goal is to ensure every step of the process is given adequate attention.
III. Consent
A.
Approve Minutes of June 27, 2024 Regular Board Meeting
B.
Approve Minutes of June 17, 2024 Finance and Investment Board Meeting
IV. Investment
A.
Investment Update August 2024
Gregory Wood, ECRCHS CBO provided the Investment Update August 2024.
OPEB account: The OPEB account closed the year with $30.8 million, a significant increase from the starting balance of $25.3 million. Throughout the year, payments of $440,000 was invested directly into retiree accounts from the OPEB, bringing it to a total of $2.6 million in contributions. Investment gains were over 13%, and combined with the contributions, the OPEB account grew by 21.7%.
General investments: The total stood at $7.6 million, with a 4% return.
By the end of August, the OPEB account had grown further to $31.3 million. During July and August, $102,000 was paid directly to retiree accounts, and the account saw $1.2 million in gains.
According to the actuary report, the account is now fully funded, so no new contributions are planned.
The General investment account remained at $7.6 million, with a continued performance gain of about 2% over the first two months. He praised the investment advisor for maintaining strong performance within policy ranges.
Beacon Pointe/Mr. Breller report: Beacon Pointe follows specific criteria for managing the OPEB investments. As shown on page three of the report, the total OPEB investments amount to $30.8 million, with a 13% return for the year. During the year, some underperforming advisors were switched based on investment metrics.
At the bottom of the page, the report detailed the allocation of investments across various categories, including US equities, international equities, fixed income, alternatives, and cash. The investments are distributed in line with the board’s investment policy, with all allocations being within 1% of the target levels. The investment advisor is responsible for managing these allocations and making adjustments when necessary, following board policy without needing a full meeting.
On page seven, Mr. Wood noted that the General investment account holds $6.8 million and had a 9% return for the year. This account is more conservatively managed, with a focus on fixed income. The investments remain within policy ranges, with some differences slightly exceeding 1%, but still aligned with the board's guidance.
B.
Discussion and Vote on OPEB Account Actuary Review as of 6/30/24
Prior to the vote, Mr. Wood CBO and Brett Schwab presented the Actuary Review.
Mr. Wood noted that Brett Schwab, the school's actuary with 30 years of experience working with educational and governmental entities, would present the report. Schwab has been conducting annual valuations and projections for El Camino since it began funding the OPEB in 2016.
Funded percentage: Mr. Schwab explained that the OPEB funded percentage had increased by 12.1% over the past year, reaching 105.2%, compared to 93.1% the previous year. This marks the first time the benefit obligation (APBO), which represents the present value of future benefits expected to be paid to participants, has been fully funded.
The APBO increased from $27.2 million last year to $29.3 million due to additional years of service from active employees and the fact that participants are closer to receiving benefits, reducing the discounting needed. The discount rate for 2024 was set at 5%, up from 4.85% the previous year, which contributed to lowering the APBO.
Asset value: Assets have increased by $5.5 million, with $2.64 million coming from cash contributions during the fiscal year. Starting in October 2023, premium payments for benefits began being paid directly from the OPEB trust, resulting in $441,000 being paid out of the trust.
Investment returns also added $3.3 million, resulting in the APBO being fully funded for the first time, with future returns and premium levels determining next year's status.
When asked by Mr. Wood about the percentage of charter schools that have fully funded OPEB accounts, Mr. Schwab replied that most of the districts and charter schools he works with do not fund their OPEB accounts, leaving their funded percentage at zero. However, a few, including some in the local area, have reached 100% this year, though their investment strategies differ-favoring fixed income or bonds over equities. Schwab praised the organization for achieving full funding in under 10 years, calling it a significant accomplishment.
V. Finance
A.
Review and Vote on June and July 2024 Check Registers
Prior to the Vote to approve, Ms. Arleta Ilyas, reviewed the June and July 2024 check registers
ASB checking account: Ms. Ilyas began by reviewing the ASB checking account for June 2024, detailing various checks issued, their sources, and purposes, with a total amount of $47,957. These items are usually discussed in finance and investment committee meetings. She then moved on to the July ASB check register, presenting a total of $7,865.
ASB trust balances: Campus groups like clubs and teams held accounts, with a total trust balance of $585,988 at the end of the previous year. ASB income, generated by the student store through snack and merchandise sales, amounted to $157,177, while related expenses, such as inventory and services, totaled $76,332, leaving a general fund balance of $80,000. The final ASB balance after all income and expenses was $666,834.
In response to a question about ASB spending $11,000 on consultants, Ms. Ilyas clarified that the expenses were for various services, such as flowers and balloon arches, rather than traditional consultants. These expenses were classified as "consultants" in the books because they involved external vendors providing services, not the purchase of supplies.
Vendor YTD June and July: Payments made in June totaled $2,055,136, with a YTD total of $22,864,603. For July, vendor payments amounted to $1,542,047, which was also the YTD figure as it was the first month of the school year.
General account June and July: This covers recurring payments such as benefits and payroll deductions. The grand total for June was $617,732, while the total for July, excluding OPEB contributions, was $570,715. It was noted that Charter Safe, the school’s insurance provider, received a 20% deposit in the first month, with monthly billing to follow thereafter.
Fund raising account: Account had a total of $4,626 by the end of July, which was utilized to cover payments for teacher appreciation, and items like coffee and bagels.
Checking Register: This register is used for most expenses such as legal bills, utilities or Amazon supplies. The total for June was $1,389,448, while July's total, including textbooks and supplies to start the school year, was $958,840.
B.
Review and Vote on June and July 2024 Credit Card Statements
Prior to the vote, Mr. Wood and Arleta Ilyas, reviewed the June and July 2024 bank statements.
June and July credit cards: The credit card is typically used when vendors do not accept checks. The transactions were categorized by vendor, purpose, requester, and budget category. The total for June was $36,097, while July's total amounted to $93,929.
C.
Review and Vote on 2024-2025 Proposition 30 EPA Budget
Prior to the vote, Arleta Ilyas, presented the Proposition 30 EPA Budget and answer any questions.
The Proposition 30 Education Protection Act (EPA) is part of the school's LCFF revenue. The school is required to show how much it’s projected to receive and how it plans to spend it.
The projected total revenue is $6,564,700, with $4,350,000 allocated to Certificated Salaries and $2,214,700 allocated to Employee Benefits.
In response to a question on how they determine which certificated salaries are being paid for
Versus the entire staff, Ms. Ilyas explained that Certificated EPA technically counts an Unrestricted fund. This means it could be anybody, as long as it fits within the amount allocated.
D.
Approve new Bank Account for Arbiter Pay
Mr. Wood explained that Arbiter Pay is a system used by many school districts to pay referees and requires opening a trust account at Cache Valley Bank. He vouched for the bank's charter-friendly nature and noted that the funds would be held in the school's name, with an estimated trust balance of $10,000.
The athletic director would manage referee payments, and the business office would oversee the trust account, ensuring full accounting.
Arbiter Pay handles tax reporting and referee prequalification through CIF, and other schools such as Birmingham and Granada are already using the system. Although the system costs $2,000, it reduces the workload of manually generating checks and could be terminated at any point if necessary.
Mr. Solkovits questioned the need to pay an external service to process checks and expressed frustration that the board had not been previously informed of any issues regarding referee payments. He stated he would not support the proposal since it was the first time the board had heard of the problem.
Mr. Wright acknowledged the system's potential benefits but asked if the $2,000 cost would result in actual savings. Mr. Wood responded by explaining that the system could save time by reducing the need to rush checks at the last minute and address union requests for quicker referee payments. He emphasized that the system could be piloted for one year and terminated if it did not prove beneficial.
VI. School Business
A.
Discussion and Vote on Revisions to ECRCHS Employee Handbook for 2024-2025
Prior to the Vote, Vania Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources, led the discussion on revisions to the ECRCHS Employee Handbook for 2024-2025.
Ms. Rodriguez presented the revisions to the ECRCHS Employee Handbook for the 2024-2025 school year, highlighting changes marked in red.
Policy 3.3: Now requires that employees be given written notice regarding wage overpayments and the opportunity to respond before any recoupment action. If the employee disputes the overpayment, the school must initiate legal action before proceeding.
Policy 4.3: Effective January 1st, recreational cannabis use outside of work is now a protected class, and discrimination based on this is prohibited.
Additionally, the language was added to clarify that any harassment, discrimination, or abusive conduct is against policy, even if it is not unlawful.
Policy 4.14: Now includes a "Workplace Violence Reporting Form" under appendix C for reporting workplace violence.
Policy 6.2: The correction was made to include 14 paid holidays.
Policy 6.5: Updated to grant part-time employees one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours per year, with accrued and unused sick leave carrying over to the following year and will be capped at 80 hours.
Policy 6.7: Updated to limit employees to one designated person per 12 month period.
Policy 6.10: Update to reproductive loss leave, allowing employees five days per reproductive loss, with up to 20 days per year, covering multiple events like failed adoptions, surrogacy, miscarriages, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction. This leave must be used within three months of the loss.
Mr. Solkovits raised a concern about how the use of 20 days of reproductive loss leave might affect employee evaluations. Ms. Rodriguez clarified that employees are protected from evaluation penalties when using this leave.
Ms. Rodriguez concluded by mentioning that both the classified and certificated unions were consulted and had provided feedback, particularly regarding the cannabis policy, and that their questions were addressed.
Mr. Wright asked for clarification about the definition of "under the influence" for employees using cannabis outside of work. Mr. Scott responded by acknowledging the challenge, noting that there are no specific guidelines at the moment, which complicates matters given state law.
B.
Discussion and Vote on Revisions to ECRCHS Parent and Student Employee Handbook 2024-2025
Item was tabled to give the legal, other stakeholders and the Board enough time to go over the changes.
C.
Discussion and Vote on Request for One Period Coach Authorization During 2024-2025
Prior to a vote, Mr. Hussey, Executive Director, led the discussion on the Request for One Period Coach Authorization During 2024-2025, including verification of request and consent for the following sports/courses and authorized Teachers/Coaches:
* Camille King - Cross Country, Track & Field
* Eric Choi - Girls Golf, Girls Soccer, Boys Golf
* Jason Sabolic - Football
* Jason Camp - Water Polo, Aquatics
This authorization would allow full-time permanent or probationary teachers without PE credentials to coach a sport for which students can receive PE credit. Similar requests have been made in previous years to ensure that students participating in these sports would still receive PE credit.
D.
Annual Performance-based Charter School Division Oversight Visit Report for 2023-2024
Mr. Hussey, Executive Director, provided a summary of the report
Summary of ratings: The report was received in late June. Governance received a score of 4 (accomplished), student achievement a 3 (proficient), organization management programs a 3 (proficient), and fiscal operations a 4 (accomplished). He credited Ms. Rodriguez, the director of HR, for improving the organization management score from 2 to 3, and applauded the team for an excellent ESSA grade.
Student achievement: Mr. Hussey explained the school's plan to focus on professional learning communities and collaborative teams. The English Learner (EL) group, whose scores were below the state average, would be a key focus area. To address this, the school plans to hire an ELD teacher. The school's English Language Arts (ELA) scores were better than math scores.
Some areas where performance dropped, such as students with disabilities, Asian students, and those of two or more races, although African American students showed slight improvement. Some of the struggles in math were attributed to learning loss from the first year of the COVID pandemic and Mr. Hussey highlighted efforts to improve math performance, including a 24/7 online tutoring program and in-person tutoring during the school day, with support from CSUN to boost results.
E.
Discuss and Vote on the Declaration of Need for an annual requirement of LEAs to obtain an emergency and limited assignment permit.
Prior to the vote, Vania Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources, presented the Declaration of Need. An annual requirement for LEAs to obtain emergency and limited assignment permits.
These documents allow qualified individuals to teach while they complete their credential requirements.
The Declaration of Need is an annual requirement for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to obtain emergency and limited assignment permits. This would allow the school to secure provisional permits, short term staff permits, language and academic development permits, and variable term waivers for the academic year. She mentioned that the school anticipated needing two permits, which would have to be approved this school year.
In the "Areas of anticipated need for fully qualified educators," she estimated the need for two individuals with Bilingual Authorization and possibly two for Single Subject.
Once approved, the school would submit the request to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), seeking at least two permits, including one local assignment permit and one ELA.
Meeting went into closed session at 7:26 PM
VII. Closed Session
A.
Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated Litigation
B.
Conference with Labor Negotiators
VIII. Reconvene to Open Session
A.
Report on Actions Taken in Closed Session, If Any
Reconvened to Open Session at 8:04PM. No actions were taken.
Mr. Delgado led the Pledge of Allegiance.