Mission: The Leadership School exists to grow our students’ leadership capacity through earnest engagement in an academically rigorous, culturally relevant, and relationship-oriented environment.

Roll Call Vote

Marr & Co Auditors Clark Hanner and Ben Gruenke

Status: Goal #10 - Board Engagement

• Average meeting attendance YTD: 83%
• Giving YTD: $2206

ACTION ITEMS

Mid-Year Board Report

• Goal: Dec. 31, 2025 - draft completed, input needed
• Early/mid-January distribution to stakeholders
• Discuss at late January Board/Community coffee

Attend 

• PTO on 12/16
• Dudes with Donuts (12/19)
• Board/Community Coffee - January

Volunteer to bring snacks to Jan 7 Board Meeting

Winter Retreat

• Jan 24 with Greenhouse E3 facilitator: Foundation Building for Charter Renewal. Please RSVP if you haven't yet.
• Jan 31 with Kent Peterson: Strategic Plan Development for Charter Renewal. Please RSVP if you haven't yet.
• Both sessions at TLS from 9 - 4 PM

• Welcome prospective board members Stacey Myton and Shinita Jones.
• Fulfill commitment to Giving Tuesday, if not already done.
• RSVP to 1/24/25 Retreat: Gary, Tanisha
• RSVP to 1/31/25 Retreat: Aaron, TC, Gary, Tanisha
• Sign Board Conduct Policy: Gary, TC, Tanisha
• Contribute to Mid-Year Board Report
• Who would like to bring snacks for January 7?

Committees Report on Monthly Activity

School-Based Fundraising 

• Reviewed status of planning for Skating for Change (11/29)
• Aaron will check-in with Marilyn McCarthy re: flyers for Christmas in the Kitchen (12/9) and generating support at the SFC event.

Capital Campaign for Naturescape/Outdoor Classroom

• Courtney will work on this in earnest starting in January
• Let the Board know how to support

November TLS Events / Opportunities for Board Engagement

• Coffee with Grandfriends (11/11)
• Family University (11/18)

Grants

• Keisha submitted a grant application for $3.5M from the St. Louis Children's Fund to start a community Wellness Center at TLS and fund wellness programming for students and staff.
• Awards will be announced in the spring.

ACTION ITEMS

• Attend PTO 12/16 Meeting (all)
• Attend Dudes with Donuts (just the men) (12/19)
• Attend Mid-Year Board / Community Coffee - late January 
• Attend Skating for Change - Jan 24

Monthly Financials

• KPIs: 71% Days of Cash; 7% Gross Margin; 20% Fund Balance
• Revenue: $49K under forecast for Oct. due to not adjusting for enrollment and summer school enrollment
• Expenses:  Reduced due to elimination of one position and coverage of one position with stipends to two current teachers; reduction in cost of contracted subs (now covered with permanent in-house subs)

Financial Operations

• Have set up protocols for tagging deposits and credit card expenditures
• Need to tag items in Divvy when a CSP expense
• Keisha will complete the Title IIA application; then those funds will be available when reimbursements are made.

Policy

• Discussed possible revisions to the Signature Policy. 
• Action Item: Board review of recommended changes.

Annual Audit

• One flag:  We were late last year publishing the audit in the local paper
• Still reviewing CSP expenditures; believe everything is in order
• Marr & Co  present a draft of the Annual Audit Report at the December board meeting

Prep for Next Year's Audit

• Need greater clarity on who owns which pieces of the Provided by Client (PBC) list to ensure timely processing/review.
• By end of May, list of items, where located, point person for the item, e.g., who owns the Cashapp?
• Need a solid process for managing income:  Deposits, fund-raising amounts, gifts-in-kind, donations in check form
• Need an end-of-year check-list:  Last date by which transactions in Anybill are authorized; invoices re: transportation.

Facilities

• Discussed facilities expansion planning timeline

ACTION ITEMS

• Discuss monthly financials
• Review Authorized Signature Policy

Committee Governance

• Members reviewed the draft SP committee charter to make any additional updates
• Approval of the Charter will be needed at the Dec board meeting

Reporting

• Summaries and analyses of internal assessments (iReady, Eureka Squared, Wayfarer SEL data) are due to ReportWell on 11/29/25.
• Reviewed the Quarterly Review Slide Deck template for ED reporting on SP goal-related initiatives.

Goal 1 - MAP Achievement

• Noah Divine (MSCPA) has released the 2025 Annual Performance Report (APR) data for regional charter schools.
• TLS has made significant growth over the preceding year in MAP achievement which has raised its APR.
• Courtney is working on a visual to add to the report; then will share with the board.

Goals 2 & 4 (Progress Monitoring/Growth)

• Reviewed the ELA progress monitoring data for Gr. 3 - 5 based on the EL curriculum.
• Next month Rebecca will share data for Gr. K - 2 based on the CKLA Skills curriculum.

Goal 5 - Attendance

• Discussed the benefits of sending written "Good News" notices in addition to positive calls home and reports from within Class Dojo.

Goal 6 - Student Leadership:  

• Keisha presented three draft documents re: Student Leadership Development:  Student Wellness, Restorative Practices Rollout Plan and the TLS15-minute Restorative Circle: Community Building Plan.
• Committee will provide additional feedback by Nov. 21.
• Keisha will integrate the feedback and present the completed plan at the Dec. board meeting.

Goal 7 - Family Satisfaction

• Fall Family survey engagement/satisfaction) data will be shared at the Dec board meeting

Goal 9 - Staff Satisfaction

• Culture of Learning domain on the Teacher Development rubric now contains content related to Restorative Practices; teachers are being asked to ID two areas where they could easily integrate RP now.
• Fall TNTP Instructional Insight survey data will be shared at the Dec board meeting

ACTION ITEM

• Review Goal 6 - Student Leadership Development Plan  - Keisha

New Policy Adoptions & Required Revisions of Existing Policies

• Two policies need editing based on the state required Model Policy release in July:  Get the Lead out of School Drinking Water Policy and Active Shooter and Other Emergency Training and Drills Policy.
• Eight (8) new policies need to be adopted:  Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan, Cardiac Emergency Response Policy, Stop the Bleed Act Policy, School Safety Coordinator Policy, Anti-Intruder Lock Policy, Student Enrollment and Behavioral Threat Assessment and Personal Safety Plan Policy, Zero Tolerance Disciplinary Policy, Activity and Participation of Non-Students Policy
• Courtney and Keisha will review with staff; oversee updating of Handbooks and websites.
• Courtney will present the revised new policies-aligned Comprehensive School Safety plan to the board in December.

Annual Existing Policy Review

• Discussed cadence for when to review which policies
• This meeting: Responsibility for board self evaluation (Article III. Directors "Evaluate itself annually and develop itself through orientation, ongoing education, and leadership succession planning," p. 25); Get the Lead out of School Drinking Water Policy (p. 304), Authorized Signatures Policy (p. 90).

Board Self Evaluation

• Revised questions to reflect this year's Board Engagement goals
• MOY and EOY surveys to run concurrent with the ED Evaluation cycle (12/1 - 12/5 and 4/27 - 5/1, respectively)
• Results to be reviewed at the  12.9.25 Gov Comm meeting and shared with the Board on 1.6.26

Board Retreat

• 2 board members still need to RSVP for Jan 24
• 4 board members still need to RSVP for Jan 31

Exit Interviews 

• Stephanie is working on questions for board members when they leave the board.

ACTION ITEMS:

• Review Get the Lead out of Drinking Water Policy
• Roberts Rules Lesson:  Handing Discussions

Reports on:

Goal 1 - APR Report

Goals 2, 3, 4 - Data will be shared in January

Goal 5 - Attendance, tardies, discipline data

Goal 6 - Student Leadership MOY Survey data

Goal 7 - Family Satisfaction - MOY Survey data

Goal 8 - Student Enrollment status

Goal 9 - Staff Satisfaction MOY Survey - Data will be shared in January

Goal 11 - KPIs for November

Goal 12 - Compliance in Reporting status for November

1. October Financials

2. November Development Committee Meeting Notes

3. November Governance Committee Meeting Notes

4. November School Performance Committee Meeting Notes

5. School Performance Committee Charter 2025 - 2026

6. ED Evaluation Cycle 2025 - 2026

7. July 2025 Required Model Policy Additions/Revisions 

Motion needed: "I move that this meeting be closed, and that all records and votes, to the extent permitted by law, pertaining to and/or resulting from this closed meeting be closed under Section 610.021.2 "Leasing, purchase or sale of real estate by a public governmental body where knowledge of the transaction might adversely affect the legal consideration therefor."

Respond by sharing your response to one or more of the following: (*include evidence, practical examples)

The TLS Board furthered our school mission tonight by ...

* spent____ of our time in the here & now, and ____ planning for the future by... 

* was engaged and stayed on track by ...

* participated in the meeting by ... 

* demonstrated examples of strength during our meeting by ...

* demonstrated opportunities for growth during our meeting by ...

1. If not already done, please consider making a monthly donation to TLS via GiveButter. 

2. To promote enrollment and fundraising, if you haven't yet, please post this TLS promotional flyer on your social media and share within your personal networks.

3. TLS Board Professional Development:

• Professional Development Opportunities for Board Committees 
• Professional Development Tracker for TLS ED & Board Members 

Upcoming Board Meetings:

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025  - *Special Online Meeting

 Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - Regular Board Meeting