The August 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 3 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”

Partnerships: PEACH tax credit

Finance: FY27 financials to date + FY26 audit

Academics: baseline data + literacy plan

Governance: strategic planning + renewal

See slides here. 

Snapology STEM Enrichment Services Contract

Staff Recommendation: Approve Everoak Creative Solutions, LLC d/b/a Snapology of Atlanta East to provide core-day STEM enrichment instruction for the remainder of the 2026-27 school year.

DBA originally budgeted for a part-time enrichment teacher. After being unable to identify a qualified candidate, staff explored contracted enrichment providers and contacted six organizations aligned to student interests. Snapology was the only provider able to meet DBA’s staffing and scheduling needs. 

DBA piloted Snapology’s services during August and September before recommending a longer-term agreement. During the pilot, staff observed strong student engagement, classroom and behavior management, and effective service to both general education and special education classes. 

The contract is within the enrichment staffing amount already included in the Board-approved FY27 budget and represents a shift from personnel expense to contracted instructional services, rather than an additional program expense.

Suggested motion: I move to approve a contract with Snapology for enrichment instructional services at a cost not to exceed $63,000 for the year, replacing the budgeted part-time enrichment teacher position. This expense is already reflected in the FY27 forecast and is offset by savings from the eliminated position.

Suggested motion: I move that the Board adopt the DeKalb Brilliance Academy Unified Literacy Plan as presented, authorizing its submission to the Georgia Department of Education in satisfaction of HB 1193, and directing that the plan be reviewed annually and brought back to the Board with academic performance reporting.

Suggested motion: I move that the Board adopt a high school transition strategy based on placement partnerships - directing the leadership team to pursue formal partnership agreements with high schools (subject to board approval) aligned to scholars' pathways, and affirming that DBA will not pursue operating its own high school during the next charter term.

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.

• Apply for PEACH: Complete your application at gfpe.org and designate DBA.
• Site visit readiness: Prep calls for attending board members ahead of October 14.
• SCSC site visits October 14  & 20 
• October 26 board meeting
• Hold 11/21 for retreat: November board retreat - in person, full attendance.

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.