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

Board Chair and Committees Report on Monthly Activity

Events:

• On 2/13 at the Executive Directors' request, I represented TLS at a meeting of the Community Impact Network and learned about the various initiatives that have received grants from the Network to fund Early Childhood education, healthcare access, community gardening, Back-To-School readiness and more.  The growing immigrant population in the 24:1 footprint was a particular focus for this meeting, with the pro bono legal and housing support available through MICA (Migrant and Community Action) highlighted.

• On 2/18, Carrie and I attended a Board on Track webinar titled, "Board Engagement Unlocked:  The Impact of Committees." Two of the key takeaways were the importance of Committees being the real site for work getting done and the value of reporting by each committee at every board meeting to help everyone understand each other's work and how to support it as a group.

• On Saturday, 4/26, from 6 - 9 PM, TLS will hold a fundraiser called "New Skool Educates Ole Skool" at the Legacy Center, 6850 Normandale Drive, St. Louis, MO 63121. It will involve creative presentations by students and adults.  If you have a special talent, consider showcasing it at this fun event that includes adult and soft beverages, hors d'oeuvres and kid-friendly bites. This is another opportunity to support TLS's goal of funding iPads for Kindergartners and building a playground. Please mark your calendar and plan to invite your friends and family to this very enjoyable fundraiser!  Link to the Give Butter campaign.

• On Tuesday, 3/18, from 11 - 12 is the next Board on Track webinar and addresses "Measuring What Matters: Strategies for Effective CEO Evaluations."  If you can attend, please do, as we are gearing up to conduct these evaluations this spring.

• On Wednesday, April 2, from 4 - 8 PM at the Delmar Divine is the next TLS Board Retreat. Please mark your calendars..  

Personal Financial Disclosures:

• Before May 1, all of us need to file our Personal Financial Disclosures with the Missouri Ethics Commission for 2024.  Here are directions and here is the form.

Board Recruitment:

• Gary and Tanisha will be sharing the names of several candidates from The Opportunity Trust's Board Fellowship program who are looking to join a school board.
• The Governance Committee's work on Board Succession planning, which is one of the documents we'll review at the Retreat, clarifies the role Boards play in interviewing and vetting prospective members.
• Courtney and Keisha have graciously agreed to take prospective candidates out to lunch.  Would anyone be willing to represent the board at one or more of these lunches?
• If you graduated from high school in St. Louis, consider reaching out to your alumni association to promote your ties to TLS and put out feelers for potential recruits from among recent retirees.

Board Norms

• Any revisions? Shall we adopt these?  

Board Engagement

• 77% average meeting attendance
• We have met about 1/3 our financial commitment as a board, with 2/7 giving monthly through Give Butter.
• QR code to donate is below.

• Presentation of the Financials for January 2025
• 2/24/2025 Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting Report
• Employee Theft Insurance Policy
• 990 for 2023

• 2/3/2025 Development Committee Meeting Report 
• "Ole Skool Educates New Skool" event at the Legacy Center, 6 - 9 PM
• Trivia Night, tentatively, June 21
• Grants Preparation Work Team Update

• 2/17/2025 Governance Committee Meeting Report
• PD on Sunshine Laws

• 2/10/2025 School Performance Committee Meeting Report

• MOY School Performance and Instructional Plan
• Climate Goals
• Attendance, Tardies, and Discipline Data and Reporting of Data

1. TLS January 2025 Financials

2. February 2025 TLS Board Committee Meeting Reports

3. Commercial Property Insurance Coverage for 2025

4. TLS 2023 990 Tax Document

5. MCPSC 2024 Annual Report for TLS

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, subsection 2, RSMo, for the purpose of leasing, purchase, or sale of real estate by a public governmental body where public knowledge of the transaction might adversely affect the legal consideration therefor."

Questions from Board on Track:

1. What did we do tonight to further our mission?

2. How much of our time was spent reporting on the past vs planning for the future?

3. Did we stick to the agenda?

4. What there equal participation by board members?

5. Was this meeting effective?  Why or why not?

6. What could be done to improve the board meeting?

1. Please complete your Personal Disclosure Form for the Missouri Ethics Commission for 2024 by May 1, 2025. Here are the directions.

2. If not already done, please consider making a monthly donation to TLS via GiveButter. Any amount is welcome and will help us reach our Board giving goal of $10K.

3. 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.

4. Please continue your personal board professional Development:

• Committee-Based Opportunities for Professional Development Resource 
• TLS Board Member and Executive Director Professional Development Tracker 

5. If you graduated from high school in St. Louis, consider reaching out to your alumni association to promote your ties to TLS and put out feelers for potential recruits from among recent retirees.

Next Board Meeting:  March 25, 2025