Roll call + connector: when your name is called, please share one word that reflects your hope or intention for our work this year.

The February meeting 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”

• ALL board members attended SCSC governance training!
• Launching FY27 board officer and new board member recruitment

Finance Committee Update

• January financial (presentation + details).
• Days cash on hand in strong position

24-25 Comprehensive Performance Framework: Finance

• Were not able to get any additional points in appeal for 24-25 Comprehensive Performance Framework
• Met with EdTec to align on a close checklist to make sure there is clear visibility 
• 25-26 Financial indicators on CPF tracking to be in the green 

TImeline Overview for FY27 budget process:

• FInance Committee currently reviewing draft/assumptions
• Preview to board in March
• Public budget hearings in April
• Official board vote in May 
• Budget officially goes into effect July 1

Academic Dashboard and Response Plan

• Corrected scope and sequence misalignments to ensure alignment to assessed standards
• Implemented weekly quizzes and schoolwide data analysis cycles to monitor mastery and adjust instruction in real time

Full academic dashboard available here. 

• Only 4 months left to reach your fundraising goal!
  • All board members have an annual give/get commitment of $1,500 by June 30th.Thank you for the fundraising work you do for our school - it is crucial to reach our goals for our students. 
  • If you are a new board member, please go to our fundraising page and click "start a fundraiser". Follow the prompts to create your fundraising page. 
  • If you are a returning board member, because this year's fundraiser is focused on the same goal (we're halfway to our playground fundraising goal), you do *not* need to make new fundraising pages. Instead, please:
    • 1. Go to your fundraising page and click "edit page"
    • 2) increase your amount to include the $1,500 goal for this year (e.g. increase from $1,500 to $3,000). 
  • 3) Reach out to your previous donors (list here) and ask - "Last year you helped get us to the halfway point on the money we need for a playground. Can I count on you to give again this year to get us to the finish line?"

Both - use our marketing kit to help you craft emails and/or posts to get the link to your fundraising page out to your audience. 

See slides here. 

charter amendment board resolution and supporting documentation

Why We Need a Charter Amendment

Current Enrollment Cap =  588 students

This number no longer reflects our school. When the cap was set it did not account for self-contained special education classrooms.

As an LEA, we are legally required to serve enrolled students - including those who require self-contained placements. We have already opened 3 self-contained classrooms and may need more.

Beginning next year (2026–2027 school year), our projected enrollment will exceed 588.

We need our charter to match our reality and our legal obligations.

What We Are Requesting & What SCSC Requires

Proposed New Cap: 805 Students

• 28 students × 3 classes × 9 grades = 756
• Up to 4 self-contained classes × 12 students = 48
• Maximum possible = 804

Timeline

• By April 1: Submit amendment request
• April 29: SCSC Board vote
• Effective: 2026–2027 school year

What SCSC Requires

• Board resolution + minutes
• Specific charter language change
• Rationale
• Enrollment projections
• Financial viability
• Facility capacity documentation
• Evidence of community demand

Suggested motion language: I move that the Governing Board of DeKalb Brilliance Academy approve the Resolution Authorizing Submission of a Charter Amendment Request to the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia to increase the school’s enrollment cap from 588 students to 800 students, effective for the 2026–2027 school year.

draft FY27 calendar

2026–27 Calendar Development Process

1. State Requirements: Under Georgia law:

• Schools must provide a minimum of 180 instructional days
• SCSC requires brick-and-mortar instruction for 180 days, with limited virtual flexibility (up to 5 pre-approved virtual days annually)

1. District Alignment (Family Stability): We align closely with DeKalb County School District for school breaks/closures. When our calendar is misaligned student attendance drops. Alignment supports attendance and family predictability.
2. Academic & Operational Layering: We then layer in:

• Balanced academic quarters
• State testing windows (MAP, Milestones, etc.)
• Built-in weather flexibility
• Weekly early release days for 90-minute instructional planning blocks
  1. Without early release, teacher planning time is fragmented (<40 min blocks). Analogy - preparing to lead six different meetings each day, with only two 30-40 minute time chunks to do so. 
  2. This structure directly supports our academic results by creating one 90-minute block per week protected time for data analysis, intervention alignment, or PBL design

Community Input & Final Structure

Early Release Day Vote Results: 99.1% voted for Fridays (vs. changing to different day)

Key Calendar Highlights

• First Day: August 3, 2026
• Last Day: May 31, 2027
• 180 instructional days
• Aligned breaks with DCSD
• Early Release: Fridays (per community vote)

Recommended Motion:

“I move that the Board approve the 2026–27 DeKalb Brilliance Academy School Year Calendar as presented in alignment with Georgia law, SCSC guidance, and community input.”

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.

• Required SCSC virtual training: Sharicka, Jenea, & LaKenya 
• Fundraising: Set up your donation page & make progress toward your $1,500 goal. Only 4 months left to reach your fundraising goal!
  • All board members have an annual give/get commitment of $1,500 by June 30th.Thank you for the fundraising work you do for our school - it is crucial to reach our goals for our students. 
  • If you are a new board member, please go to our fundraising page and click "start a fundraiser". Follow the prompts to create your fundraising page. 
  • If you are a returning board member, because this year's fundraiser is focused on the same goal (we're halfway to our playground fundraising goal), you do *not* need to make new fundraising pages. Instead, please:
    • 1. Go to your fundraising page and click "edit page"
    • 2) increase your amount to include the $1,500 goal for this year (e.g. increase from $1,500 to $3,000). 
  • 3) Reach out to your previous donors (list here) and ask - "Last year you helped get us to the halfway point on the money we need for a playground. Can I count on you to give again this year to get us to the finish line?"
  • Both - use our marketing kit to help you craft emails and/or posts to get the link to your fundraising page out to your audience. 
• March Board Meeting: Monday, March 23, 2026 

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.