There were no public comments.

The board chair chose to defer remarks to the Governance Committee Update listed later on the agenda.

I. Connell reviewed STAR testing and reasons for the adoption of STAR as an organization-wide assessment.  He summarized important measures and highlighted the goal of returning to pre-COVID-19 student performance levels.  J. Dent provided additional information concerning student scores and growth.  He also described the Panorama Survey (utilized to gauge social-emotional learning) and its implementation across school sites.  Staff and board members discussed the merits of the survey.  I. Connell congratulated educators at school sites for the high levels of student growth achieved during the latest round of STAR testing.

V. Paredes-Colonia informed the board that the next meeting of the committee would occur on February 16, 2022.  K. Sved provided a list of topics that would be addressed by the committee, including budget projections, potential salary increases, annual audit, and mid-year Local Control and Accountability Plan updates.

J. Flaherty reported that the next meeting of the committee would occur on February 16, 2022. He described several key topics the committee intends to explore in an effort to research and optimize organizational effectiveness.  He also mentioned the development of an internal mechanism (aligned to the Brown Act) to enhance organizational communication.  Accompanying this effort, the committee will consider key data points and formats to promote shared understanding across multiple segments of the organization.

B. Moeller explained the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) and how its required data was collected.  He recommended that the board approve the SARC for each Navigator school.

K. Sved shared COVID-19 data utilizing two dashboards, focusing on student and staff infection rates, attendance, and enrollment numbers for independent study programs.  Staff members answered clarifying questions asked by board members pertaining to the subject.  

K. Carr shared a presentation summarizing recent activities to promote school safety as it involves a neighboring property. She provided a history of the issue and a process toward resolution involving collaboration between multiple community entities. She reviewed a detailed chronology of next steps.

S. Martin provided a preliminary overview of the upcoming annual Form 700 submission process. 

K. Sved introduced Neena Goswamy, CEO of Hayward Collegiate Charter School (HC).  He reviewed a memo addressing the merger and highlighted related insights from the Merger Sub-Committee.  He reviewed five-year financial projections based on a potential merger, recent HC Proposition 39 developments, and invited the board chair to facilitate further discussion. 

The board discussed school structure (classes per grade level); political climate and advocacy; donor research and development; facilities; and model and mission alignment.  J. Flaherty proposed an amendment to the text of BR 2022-03 to highlight the mission of Navigator Schools.  The motion was seconded and approved. 

Members discussed next steps of the merger process, and General Counsel provided information on corporate structures pertaining to the potential merger. Members commended K. Sved for proactive steps taken to inform and support the discussion, expressed support for the proposed merger, and shared appreciation of the HC story as presented by N. Goswamy.

K. Sved provided a summary of the report and explained the requirement of its inclusion on the agenda.

K. Sved listed key topics necessitating a special board meeting.  Members chose to convene on February 28, 2022, at 2:30 PM.