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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. 

• Approve September board meeting minutes
• FY24 Audit approval
• FY24 executive team bonus approval ($5,000 per Kedra, Eva, and Jocelyn)
  • FY24 merit bonus language: Employee shall be eligible for a merit bonus in an amount up to $5,000 at the Board’s sole discretion if the School is at least 85% staffed and 85% of its enrollment targets are met by the end of the Term. Any merit bonus will be paid within fifteen (15) days of the end of the Term.
  • FY24 merit bonus measures: school was 95% staffed by June 30, 2024 and 105% enrolled by June 30, 2024. 

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: 

• Strategic planning focus groups with families, students, board members, and staff complete
• November board meeting will focus on board strategic planning discussion

Updates: 

• Completed transition of treasurer duties from Chawn to Quentin. 
• Review September financial (presentation and details)

Updates: Each committee member meeting with DBA staff 1:1 to move forward their projects:

• (Tareva leads) Develop "Indicators of Success" dashboard 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.
  • Draft dashboard ready for board review (details)
• (Mesha leads) Middle school model: Develop and formally approve a community co-designed middle school model by July 2025.
  • Design session scope & sequence scheduled for 10/29
• (Curtis leads) Leadership team evaluation: Implement Head of School evaluation system in compliance with LKES.
  • Pre-eval conference scheduled for 10/29

Updates: 

• Corporate sponsorship: conversations started with Porsche and Georgia Power at corporate level, and at Chick-fil-a and Walmart at store/grassroots level. Expect calls in the next week from Partnerships Committee members to tap your networks on corporate sponsors. 
• Fundraising events: Silent Auction will be planned for summer 2025
• Board individual fundraising: Launching board member pages today, and then will do mid-point check on fundraising goal in January. 
• Board individual PBL partner recruitment: See school newsletter for information on recruiting project partners. 

Updates:

• Secured lender with more favorable rate (5.75% compared to 6.5% for next best lender), freeing up an additional $3M that can be dedicated to classroom build outs (as opposed to interest). 
• Comprehensive vetting by our legal team at Parker Poe, EdTec, and Levelfield to ensure we are receiving the best possible terms.

Business Terms Discussion:

• Lender: The Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF) was created with the sole purpose to provide high-quality charter schools with permanent, long-term financing at better rates and terms than they would otherwise be able to access.
• Loan amount: $22,900,000. To be secured by the property as collateral
• Interest rate/term: 
  • 4.75% fixed interest rate
  • 5 years
  • Loan will amortize calling for a capitalized interest period up to 12 months, followed by eighteen months of interest-only payments (for a total interest-only period of 30 months), followed by monthly principal and interest payments for the remainder of the term of the Loan, based on a 30-year amortization schedule beginning at date of close.
• Fees: 1% origination fee and $110,000 in legal fees

Vote needed: Consent Resolution

See slides here. 

Create fundraising pages & launch fundraiser

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.

Fill out survey here

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.