Connector: if you could be instantly good at anything, what would it be and why?

The [MONTH] meting of the DeKalb Brilliance Academy Governing Board is called to order at [TIME].

Anyone that is here for public comment, please indicate by signing up on the clipboard in the back OR in the chat in zoom by X:10 PM if you would like to make a comment. We will have two minutes for each speaker, in the order in which we receive the request to comment.

Our mission: With unwavering commitment to exceptional academics, leadership development, and community collaboration, DeKalb Brilliance Academy prepares all Kindergarten-8th grade students to thrive in high school and college, have fulfilling careers, and become impactful leaders in our communities.

Our vision: Each child will know and leverage their unique brilliance to critically analyze the world around them and to design a better and more equitable future.

• Build excellence: We know that an excellent school starts with an excellent founding team. We come to our time together well-prepared, fulfill our commitments, and generate new ideas to accomplish our goals.
• Stay engaged: We stay engaged by “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue.”
• Embrace disagreement: We value disagreement and agree to bring issues into the open. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, that we grow as a team to best serve our students.
• Take responsibility for intent and impact: We assume best intent, and also take responsibility for the impact of our actions.
• Process, not the people: We know that everyone is working hard for the team, and look first at how to change the process, policies, or plans when we don’t reach our goals.

If people sign up:

• Transparency: Board meetings are a public forum to provide transparency into the governance of the school. Engagement from the community is strongly encouraged and vital to that governance. We value and appreciate the input from our community members. As we proceed with public comments, we would like to remind everyone of the following guidelines:
• Time Limit: A total of 30 minutes shall be set aside for public comment.  Each speaker will have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak.  A speaker may not sign up to speak more than once during the same public comment period
• Board Action: The board cannot respond to public comment in the meeting, and in general needs to listen, and then follow up after the board meeting, this is because the board acts through policies and votes as a governing body, not through individuals, so we cannot respond until the board has the information to respond as a group (as opposed to individually), as applicable. We understand this can feel awkward, but please know that we are taking careful notes and take all feedback to the board seriously. The board will direct an appropriate committee or the Head of Schools to engage in responding at a later time as necessary and appropriate.
• Scope of discussion: Please be aware that certain topics cannot be discussed during the public comment period. These include, but are not limited to, pending investigations or legal matters, personnel matters, confidential student information and matters, and issues that are subject to ongoing grievance or complaint procedures. Any attempt to discuss these topics during public comment will not be permitted.
• Discourse: Speakers are encouraged to maintain decorum and present their comments in a civil manner.  The Governing Board reserves the right to request any speaker engaging in defamatory comments to cease. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in adhering to these guidelines.
• Any disruptive members of the public will be asked to cease their disruption to allow the Board meeting to continue. If the disruption continues, the disruptive member will be asked to leave the meeting.
• Start public comment: “the order we have for public comment is XYZ”

If people do not sign up: “seeing no requests for public comment, we will move to the next section of our agenda”

• Present June financial (presentation + details). Closed fiscal year with full points on SCSC financial framework.
• Finance reports combined for July & August (board will see in September meeting). This will be very important to help us understand what spending does/does not need to be adjusted for remainder of year. Closely monitoring some bills we should *not* have to pay ($12K residual water bills + $100K property taxes). Will alert full board if advocacy/support needed. 
• Mike secured generous offer of office furniture!
• Working through final sections of closeout in new building - RTUs, floor glue, and playground
• Purchase of adjacent land parcel completed, insurance policies active, etc. 

See slides here. 

Minutes 1–5: Review:  Skim your committee’s draft FY26 goals. What’s aligned? What’s missing?

Minutes 6–15: Adjust:  Revise and refine together. Aim for 1–3 clear, measurable, high-impact goals.

Minutes 16–20: Submit in BoardOnTrack: One member logs into BoardOnTrack

Need help? Flag down Jocelyn or Tiayana.

Align shutouts to board agreements:

• Build excellence: We know that an excellent school starts with an excellent founding team. We come to our time together well-prepared, fulfill our commitments, and generate new ideas to accomplish our goals.
• Stay engaged: We stay engaged by “remaining morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue.”
• Embrace disagreement: We value disagreement and agree to bring issues into the open. It is through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, that we grow as a team to best serve our students.
• Take responsibility for intent and impact: We assume best intent, and also take responsibility for the impact of our actions.
• Process, not the people: We know that everyone is working hard for the team, and look first at how to change the process, policies, or plans when we don’t reach our goals.

• Meeting feedback survey: https://forms.gle/ti4WRQRLBW44rzFF9. Includes committing to one semester 1 event to attend :)
  • Sept 26 (3-4 PM): Salsa dancing Hispanic Heritage celebration with families
  • Oct 3 (8-9 AM): K-2 Chant Off
  • Oct 10 (8-9 AM): 3-5 Chant Off
  • Oct 20-24 (volunteers needed during school day): Fall Book Fair
  • Nov 15 (Saturday!): Fall Fest
  • Dec 10-11 (4-6 PM): Celebration of Learning Showcases
• Next meeting: September 22, 2025 
• Save the Dates:
  • November 5–6: Required SCSC training (Macon)
  • December 18 (evening): Staff/board holiday celebration
  • February 11–12: Required SCSC training (Atlanta)
• Complete board action items:
  • Background Check
  • Board Commitment, Confidentiality & Conflict of Interest Forms
  • Complete “All About You” survey

Connect with fellow board members on LinkedIn & add DeKalb Brilliance to your volunteer section on your LInkedIn profile

Now we will adjourn our board business. 

As a reminder, we don’t need a motion to close - I will just ask if there is any further business, and if there is none, we can adjourn board business. Do we have any further board business to discuss? 

<Pause> 

Seeing none, I adjourn official board business.