The Board Chair formally calls the meeting to order and confirms that a quorum is present, enabling the Board to conduct official business in accordance with South Carolina FOIA requirements.

Board member attendance is recorded, including members present, absent, and participating remotely (if applicable), for purposes of transparency, accountability, and quorum verification.

Governing Board – Rooted School South Carolina (C.R. Neal Academy)

Dr. Randall “Mack” Jackson – Board Chair

Clarence Davis, Esq. – Vice Chair

Felisa McDavid – Secretary

Board Members at Large

Marcus Neal – Board Member 

Dr. Angela Peters – Board Member

Provost Mary Anne Fitzpatrick – Board Member

Chris Eide Azevedo – Board Member

Thibaut Delloue – Board Member

Andrea Black Evans – Board Member

Rooted School Foundation
Lalay Radney - Executive Director
Steven Carney - Senior Director of Growth and Innovation

Motion to approve minutes from January 8th's meeting

We are now in the formal review phase with the following confirmed updates:

Capacity Interviews (Virtual): March 20th at 10:30AM- All board members are required to be present

• Interviews will occur multiple times during this window (at minimum twice per week).
• All board members are expected to actively engage in Command Center preparation.
• Each board member is asked to participate in at least one live preparation session per week to ensure readiness.

Public Hearing: April 16, 2026, at Voorhees University

• All board members are strongly encouraged to attend in person.
• Board members are asked to share hearing details within their personal and professional networks.
• Visible community support will strengthen the application.
• The statutory 90-day review window places the final authorization decision no later than April 23, 2026. No formal board action is required at this time beyond active preparation, engagement, and community advocacy.

Purpose:
Prepare the Governing Board for the sponsor’s capacity interview process by aligning on the application’s core design, confirming board readiness for governance and oversight, and establishing a preparation plan tied to the authorizer timeline.

Materials / Pre-Read:
• Charter Application (Full PDF)
• Command Center

We will conduct mock capacity interviews in preparation for the sponsor review, with Steven serving as moderator to simulate the authorizer experience and provide structured feedback. These sessions are critical to ensuring the Board demonstrates clear governance authority, independence, and readiness, as the sponsor will be evaluating our ability to oversee performance, finances, and accountability, not simply our support for the model. It is essential that we present as one cohesive voice, grounded in our shared understanding of the charter, our fiduciary duties, and our oversight role, so that our responses reflect disciplined governance rather than individual perspectives.

Objective

To ensure all board members understand:

• The legal authority of a South Carolina charter school board
• Fiduciary duties (care, loyalty, obedience)
• Board vs. management role distinctions
• FOIA and ethics obligations
• The board’s accountability under the charter contract

Background:

Under the South Carolina Charter Schools Act of 1996 (as amended), the board is the legal governing body of the charter school and holds ultimate responsibility for academic performance, financial stewardship, and organizational compliance.

Failure to understand governance authority and legal duties is one of the primary causes of charter school instability, audit findings, and renewal challenges.

Discussion Topics

1. Board Authority Under SC Law
   1. Role as public governing body
   2. Relationship to authorizer (SCPCSD or district)
   3. Public body obligations (FOIA/Open Meetings)
2. Fiduciary Duties of Board Members
   1. Duty of Care
   2. Duty of Loyalty
   3. Duty of Obedience
3. Board vs. CEO Roles
   1. Governance vs. operations
   2. Appropriate oversight boundaries
   3. Common micromanagement pitfalls
4. Charter Contract Accountability
   1. Academic performance expectations
   2. Financial health indicators
   3. Organizational compliance requirements

Expected Outcomes:

By the end of this session, board members will:

• Be able to articulate their fiduciary responsibilities
• Understand what decisions are board-level vs. management-level
• Recognize legal compliance risks (FOIA, ethics, conflicts of interest)
• Identify priority areas for future board development

Board members are reminded to complete the Skills and Demographic sections of their BoardOnTrack profiles prior to the next meeting. Accurate and complete profiles are essential for governance documentation, sponsor readiness, board composition analysis, and ongoing compliance. All members are asked to log in and update their profiles at their earliest convenience to ensure we remain aligned and fully prepared for upcoming authorizer engagements.

No board action required

Summary:
Formal conclusion of the Board meeting following completion of all agenda items.

Action:
Board Action Required – Vote to Adjourn

Proposed Motion:

Move to adjourn the meeting.