Mission: A.C.E Academy will equip students from all backgrounds to succeed in the college and career of their choice by driving academic excellence, developing strong character, and instilling an entrepreneurial mindset.

We respectfully urge that public commentary remain exclusively related to the topics outlined in the present agenda. This protocol promotes a concentrated and productive dialogue.

Shannon Martin provided an overview of the child nutrition program updates. She shared that we adopted the Child Nutrition program in 2017. The program transitioned to a federal school breakfast and lunch system in 2022, abandoning previous catering arrangements. This transition resulted in a significant surge in participation. By August 2023, A.C.E. Academy received approval for the Community Eligibility Provision, empowering us to provide free meals to all students, regardless of their financial status. Ms. Martin reported that the program is expanding rapidly, committing to delivering top-quality services to our students. In preparation for an upcoming audit by the Department of Education in December, the board is reviewing all plans, procedures, and regulations. It was noted that the procurement plan has not been updated since 2017 and needs revision in line with federal guidelines. Ms. Martin proposed raising our micro-purchase threshold from five thousand to ten thousand. The procurement plan now includes new provisions on how contractors or goods are awarded, a service component, and a micro-purchase tracking form for better expense management. A requirement for suppliers to promptly notify us of any changes was also added. Ms. Martin sought the board's approval for these changes. However, the board opted to postpone the vote to the next meeting, allowing for a comprehensive review of the revised procurement plan.

 Laila Minott reported that our enrollment progress is proceeding as planned, nearing its set targets. The current enrollment stands at 430 students. She provided a comprehensive breakdown of enrollment numbers across all grade levels. Ms. Minott also assured the board that the enrollment process would persist over the forthcoming weeks to accommodate additional students.

Laila Minott has recently delivered a thorough report on staffing to the board. Despite the fact that we are currently operating at maximum staffing capacity, there is a need for an Exceptional Children (EC) teacher. The process of finding and hiring suitable educators, especially EC teachers, is notably challenging due to high demand in the education field. In addition, Ms. Minott highlighted the importance of strategically hiring an additional five to six educators, with an emphasis on increasing the number of male staff. This strategic adjustment is expected to positively impact the educational experience of our students.

Laila Minott has informed the board about the ongoing process of renewing our charter, which typically takes two to three years. She emphasized that the renewal committee is now accepting data from subgroups in schools, including ELL students, EC students, and students with disadvantages. The subgroup data derived from A.C.E. Academy's testing will be contrasted with data from local school districts in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg county, as well as nearby schools, to determine if our subgroup performance exceeds theirs. She reported that according to Dr. Reese, all three subgroups have shown improvements, which is a significant step forward. Ms. Minott has also provided tentative dates for the board to reserve in the fall for presentation purposes, promising to confirm the exact date in due time. She asked that all board members be present at the presentation.

Laila has informed the Board that she will present the latest quarterly financial report at either the September or October board meeting.

 In addition, Ms. Minott shared that a staff member is recuperating from an injury and will be on leave for an unspecified period.

Quarterly Finance Review & Credit Card Statements

To prevent the disclosure of information that is privileged pursuant to the laws of this State or the United States or not considered a public record within the meaning of Chapter 132 of the General Statutes, a Motion is made to go into closed session. A motion was made to go into a closed session.