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KIPP TULSA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

Minutes

KIPP Tulsa Public Charter Schools - Regular Board Meeting

April 28, 2026

Date and Time

Tuesday April 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM

Location

KIPP Tulsa University Prep High School

541 S. 43rd W. Ave.

Tulsa, OK, 74127

Members of the public shall be allowed to submit requests to address the board of directors. To expedite requests to comment, the public may send those requests to the board at kfinley@kippok.org at least 1 hour prior to the start of the meeting. The final determination of whether an item will appear as a public comment will be at the discretion of the board chair. Comments will take place in the order they were received via email, will be limited to three (3) minutes, and must be related to an agenda item or topic. Your comment can be heard when the Board Chairperson acknowledges you. A spokesperson must be selected when several people wish to address the same subject. The Board Chairperson may interrupt and terminate any comments that do not meet these criteria. Board members may not respond directly to speakers’ comments. 

 

Board Members:

Jacob Odom, Dewayne Dickens, Michael Epps, Darnell Blackmon, Brett Krieg, Kim Boyd, Kyara Smith, Jumoke Akingbola 


 

School Representatives:

Donterrio Marzett, Superintendent; Keet Finley, School Operations Support; Mayra Burke, Finance Specialist; Sienna Scott, Director of Teaching and Learning; Janey Nemard, Development Director; Tioa Bowman, Principal; Melanie Rathod, Principal; and Bill Hickman, Legal Counsel


 

Access to the board agenda will be posted on the KIPP Tulsa Website: https://www.kipptulsa.org *Click on the KIPP Tulsa drop-down menu, then click on Tulsa Board of Directors, and scroll down to Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes of scheduled meetings for the agenda.


 

Official action can be taken only on items that appear on the Agenda. The KIPP Tulsa Board of Directors may adopt, approve, ratify, deny, defer, recommend, amend, strike, or continue any agenda item. When more information is needed to act on an item, the Board or the Chair may refer the matter to the Superintendent or Legal Counsel. The Board may also refer items to staff or committees for additional study. Under certain circumstances, items are deferred to a specific later date or stricken from the agenda entirely.

Directors Present

Darnell Blackmon, Dewayne Dickens, Jacob Odom, Jumoke Akingbola, Kim Boyd, Kyara Smith

Directors Absent

Brett Krieg, Michael Epps

Directors who arrived after the meeting opened

Jumoke Akingbola

Ex Officio Members Present

William Hickman

Non Voting Members Present

William Hickman

Guests Present

Donterrio Marzett, Janey Nemard, Melanie Rathod

I. Opening Items

A.

Call the Meeting to Order

Dewayne Dickens called a meeting of the board of directors of KIPP TULSA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS to order on Tuesday Apr 28, 2026 at 12:10 PM.

B.

Welcome

C.

Roll Call

D.

Agenda Review

II. Board Committee Reports

A.

Finance Committee

Jacob mentioned that the overall cash looks good. We are still looking for a potential shortfall this year, as we projected.

B.

Academic Committee

Dr. Dickens mentioned that the schools have been doing simulations and are on par with their goals for the end-of-year OSTP.

 

Mrs. Rathod mentioned that today is the last day for scheduled testing with 8th-grade science. Afterward, we will do make-up testing. Mrs. Rathod stated they have been conducting pump-up rallies to pump students up for testing.

 

Students have been doing Simulations for the upcoming testing

 

KIPP Tulsa has had a lot of growth. (Wants students to be college & career ready)

Jumoke Akingbola arrived.

C.

Development Committee

Janey communicated that the event was a success. We are approximately $36,000 away from the goal. Board members stated that it was an excellent event.

 

  • Had AYSTAK Event last week: Raised over $150,000
  • $963,023.44 (Strategy to raise remaining is to apply for the Ruth Nelson Grant)
  • Reapplying for Coretz, whom we were denied last year.
  • Event expenses: $45, 200* (Under Budget)
  • Wants to have 2 Signature Events: AYSTAK & Possibly KIPP STAR

D.

Governance Committee

Discussion on the possible purchase of the high school facility.

 

  • Someone else bid at a lower price for the HS
  • Buy with our cash, or see if KLS will support us
  • Completed a Facility Needs Assessment

III. Executive Director Report

A.

Compliance & Operations Update

Mr. Marzett spoke about the preliminary accreditation report of each school being accredited with no deficiencies and the district being accredited with one deficiency due to math testing results from 2025.

B.

Executive Director Updates

Mr. Marzett spoke about the student transportation for next year and the possible building purchase of the high school facility.

IV. Consent Agenda

A.

Approve March 31, 2026 Regular Board Meeting Minutes

Kim Boyd made a motion to approve the minutes from KIPP Tulsa Public Charter Schools - Regular Board Meeting on 03-31-26.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

B.

Approval of the March Financial Reports

Kim Boyd made a motion to Approve the March financial reports.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

C.

Approval of General Fund Purchase Orders

Kim Boyd made a motion to Approve the general fund purchase orders.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

D.

Approval of Activity Fund Purchase Orders

Kim Boyd made a motion to Approve the activity fund purchase orders.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

E.

Approval of Building Fund Items

Kim Boyd made a motion to Approve the building fund items.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

F.

Routine Staffing Items

Kim Boyd made a motion to Approve the routine staffing items.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

V. Action Agenda

A.

Approval of FY27 Oklahoma Consulting and Accounting Services, LLC

Darnell Blackmon made a motion to approve the agreement with OCAS.
Kyara Smith seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

B.

Approval of Legal Services Engagement with Hickman Law Group, PLLC (FY27)

Jumoke Akingbola made a motion to Approve the agreement of the legal services engagement with Hickman Law Group, PLLC for FY27.
Jacob Odom seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

C.

Approval of Legal SylogistED (FY27)

Jumoke Akingbola made a motion to approve the use of Sylogist.
Kim Boyd seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

D.

Activity Fund Transfer

Darnell Blackmon made a motion to Approve the intra-transfer within the activity fund.
Jacob Odom seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

E.

Gifts Fund transfer to KIPP Tulsa Facilities, LLC.

Kyara Smith made a motion to Approve to transfer $15,000 from the gifts fund to the KIPP Tulsa Facilities, LLC, for the earnest money for the high school facility.
Darnell Blackmon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

VI. Closing Items

A.

Announcements

The next board meeting will be on May 26th at KTUP. The board retreat will be on June 12th from 9am-3pm. The location is to be determined.

B.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 12:59 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Donterrio Marzett

This agenda was posted by Mayra Burke at kipptulsa.org and at the front entrances of KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory and KIPP Tulsa University Prep on May 26, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. in compliance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.


 

Regular Meeting, April 28, 2026