Connector: What’s the sport you think you’d have the best shot at being able to do in 2028 Olympics?

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.

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”

A motion is not required to approve the consent agenda, we just need to see if there is any discussion, questions or objections before the agenda is considered for approval. 

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.

Updates: 

• Accepted into SCSF cohort to work with Bellwether on strategic plan for years 6-10 of operation, saving the school ~$50,000 on what it would have cost to pay for strategic plan of this caliber independently. 
   

FY25 Governance Committee Goals: 

• Strategic plan: Develop and formally approve a community co-designed five-year strategic plan for years 6-10 of the organization by July 2025.
• Board leadership: Ensure board leadership succession plan by December 30.
• Board recruitment: Additional board members interviewed, recommended to full board, and approved annually by April. New Board Members recruited and onboarded to ensure minimum of 11 board members across diverse career experiences needed for the school's success.
• Board Development & Effectiveness: Improve and refine Board functions and effectiveness through training in best practices, role clarifications, and self-evaluations
• Board SCSC-Required Annual Training: Ensure board compliance with all training requirements annually by April (including all training requirements outlined in O.C.G.A. 20-2-2084(f))
• Board feedback: Conduct, analyze, and create response plan from board survey quarterly & self-evaluations by May 30 annually.

Updates: please see June financial presentation & detailed spreadsheet.

• FY24 grants 100% drawn down.
• Reduced spending in June increased year-end cash projections (ended the year above 60-days cash on hand requirement) 
• Uncategorized expenses were high in June due to the high volume of purchasing needed to launch the school year, and limited staff capacity during that time. Uncategorized is caught up for August and the board will see this in the green in future months. 
• In the September board meeting, the board can expect to hear about the year-end financials (unaudited actuals) and then hear a combined update on the July and August financials at the October meeting.
• Will work in August & September to transition treasurer duties from Chawn to Quentin. 

FY25 Finance Committee Goals:

• ** (top goal) Execute fiduciary responsibilities of duty, care, and loyalty for the current fiscal year, as well as creating a realistic, sustainable, and visionary five-year budget, which is approved by the governing board by May 31 annually.
• Ensure that if SCSC line items are "in the red" on the CFO financial dashboard to address/ mediate the item and bring back in line with compliance
• Ensure that all appropriate financial reports are sent to respective parties by the due date (i.e. financial reports, N990, audits, etc.)
• Review and recommend to full board for approval all RFPs for all procured contracts above $25,000/year by May annually.

Academic Committee Back on track and moving forward. 

FY25 Academic Committee Goals:

1. (Tareva leads) Develop "Indicators of Success" with a focus on academic and operational indicators [aligned to the annual SCSC Comprehensive Performance Framework (CPF) and charter contract goals] to guide continuing efforts for excellence, growth, and sustainability.
2. (Mesha leads) Middle school model: Develop and formally approve a community co-designed middle school model by July 2025.
3. (Curtis leads) Leadership team evaluation: Implement Head of School evaluation system in compliance with LKES.

Updates: Successful WNBA Atlanta Dream event on 8/17 with South DeKalb YMCA

FY25 Partnership Committee Goals: 

• Corporate sponsorship: 
  • (Toby Leads) Obtain training and/or recruit an incoming board member with the expertise to secure corporate sponsorships for the school of at least $50,000 by July 2025.
  • (Deonte Leads) Create database of potential partners and their funding mechanisms, source contacts through existing school relationships, complete cultivation and secure sponsorships for the school of at least $50,000 by July 2025.
• (Brittany leads) Fundraising events: the Partnerships committee will host a minimum of 1 fundraising event.
• Board individual fundraising: Have 100% giving board, with each board member reaching $1,500 give/get goal by June annually.
• Board individual PBL partner recruitment: At least two ‘community experts’ per class (32 total)have signed partner agreements at least one month prior to first coaching session date. 
  • Semester 1 Coaching - September
  • Semester 2 Coaching - February 

Updates:

• Finance Committee & Facilities briefed on detailed financing options. 
• Most favorable financing scenario moving from their credit committee to full underwriting. 
• Site diligence complete: phase I, risk hazard, traffic study & survey 
• Contract with May 1 completion date for DeKalb County sewer capacity timeline on Watershed Director’s desk for signature

Vote:

Move to approve or deny the Facilities Taskforce’s recommendation to to extend the PSA by August 21, 2024 allowing the $50k initial deposit to become non-fundable and committing to an additional ~$250k in non-refundable deposits and preconstruction spending* during the first extension period. 

*Note: expenses would be funded by the $500k predevelopment loan secured from the Facilities Investment Fund in June 2024.

See slides here. 

• Each committee makes an anchor chart - what is needed from the rest of the board to be successful?
• Gallery walk for others to add ideas/commitments to anchor charts on how they can support that committee in reaching their goals

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.

ADD SURVEY LINK

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.