None

Dr. Webber commented that she had been in Washington DC with the National Science Foundation, and there is a focus on AI in education. Many of the initiatives and programs revolve around teachers using and teaching the use of AI usefully and responsibly. She is working with a nationwide research network, an NSF initiative, and she thinks Da Vinci would be a good use case.

Ms. Schaefer complimented Mr. Bravo and his facilities team that works the morning drop off rush, saying that the team pays attention to each student and moving the cars around safely. As a parent and a board member, she is impressed and appreciative.

Mr. Santiago welcomed the students, teachers, and staff back for the school year.

Dr. Wunder noted that all signs point to a great school year.

He thanked the members who will be joining two ad hoc committees: one to look at long-term sustainability, with Mr. Santiago, Mr. Meath, and Ms. Schaefer, and the other for goal setting, with Mr. Santiago, Mr. Ochoa, and Mr. Meath.

Ms. Rodriguez noted that Da Vinci has partnered with Edgility for a compensation study.

Dr. Wunder shared that thanks to Ms. Rodriguez' efforts, this is the first year we're totally staffed and fully credentialed. There are 180 certificated teachers at Da Vinci Schools.

Mr. Amato shared that with the closure of RISE High as of June 30, there are wrap-up year-end and compliance items that the Da Vinci Board will handle. The RISE assets have transferred to Da Vinci, and the RISE Board has dissolved. He shared the RISE High balance sheet, saying that all bills will be settled, receivables collected, etc. and $1.74M will be left to Da Vinci to use for RISE students and RISE future needs.

Grant funds from three private foundation grants (Children's Partnership, XQ, and Boeing) were not fully used, and were allowed to be kept. Ms. Schaefer inquired about funding left on the table by the closure. Unused Career Technical Education (CTE) funds ($188K) must be returned to the State. 

Mr. Amato went on to speak about the impact of RISE on Da Vinci. In the 2026-27 school year, RISE students are now located at RISE Above at DVC, LifeLaunch, DV Flex/Connect high school, and DVC and DVD. The RISE Above program is the main program for former RISE students. They generate revenue for DVC and DVD (~$600K). The personnel expense of $1.4M is more than you would see for this number of students (60), as all of the RISE staff were retained.

None of the expense for this had been factored into the budget.

Ms. Schaefer inquired about the team's thoughts on balancing the budget with the RISE personnel costs. Dr. Wunder reminded the Board that many of the RISE students stayed for the staff. Four RISE teachers transferred to other Da Vinci sites after going through the normal hiring process and symposium, one teacher left, and one classified staffer moved out of the area. Some RISE staff went to LifeLaunch, DVC, and Levitt Lab.

Dr. Wunder thanked Ms. Lara for her work in assisting RISE students manage the changes. He shared the team's work to get RISE authorized, saying that the team considered the Orange County Office of Education, and Wheatland High School District. The president of the Small School Districts' Association is the Wheatland Superintendent, and at a recent conference, part of her address concerned serving the type of student population that RISE has served.

Ms. Schaefer commended the team's work to honor the RISE staff and work through the transition, saying that it signals to the entire Da Vinci staff the commitment to Da Vinci's people. She recommended a project manager to provide staff the support so that in a year we're not in the same spot. In a year, it would be a startup again, and the reserve funds shouldn't be relied on exclusively to stand up a new school. Dr. Wunder acknowledged that the team would work to recognize a person with an objective viewpoint. Mr. Amato added that if the budget plays out the way he predicts, there will be just over $370K for the future RISE. He and his team will be closely monitoring expenses this year.

Mr. Amato went on to discuss Da Vinci year-end results, saying that the results are positive. Differences between current and prior year are due to timing of accounts payable and receivables. Overall, cash balance remains steady.

Da Vinci ended the year with a surplus of $586K. The projection was $242K. The difference between actual and projections is due to Mr. Amato's conservative approach to grant funding to support LifeLaunch and The Levitt Lab. More grants came through than expected.

Reserves are $13.08M, about $200K less than Mr. Amato predicted. Maintenance expenses were high this past year, compared to the 1% contribution to deferred maintenance. Economic uncertainty reserves are 20% of budget. ERC funds have remained the same. Leftover undesignated funds at $244K. Overall it's been a healthy, positive year with just a few differences from what Mr. Amato expected.

The coffee bar came in under budget, $280K, about $100K less than expected. Part of that was conservative budgeting with a healthy contingency fund.

The Banc of California line of credit renewal is for emergencies. Mr. Amato increased the amount from $2.5M to $3M. Payroll costs are higher, and one month of payroll is the amount he uses to determine the emergency fund amount. The interest rate is also better.

Mr. Bravo introduced Mr. Ovidio Toro, Jr., the new Lead Safety Officer, to the Board.

The cafe construction and inspection were completed.

New parking permits with QR codes have been issued to students. The codes will allow the safety team to scan them for information about the vehicle and to prevent fraud. A lottery was used to assign student parking, with priority given to senior students. The team is working to secure additional spaces at two offsite locations.

The Grand Avenue drop-off location on the back side of the 201 campus is open to take pressure off the main parking lot drop-off traffic. Mr. Bravo thanked the El Segundo Police Department and the City of El Segundo for their assistance with opening the second drop-off location.

Girls' flag football has been brought onboard at a minimal cost due to donations from the L.A. Chargers and Snoop & Housh, and the budget juggling accomplished by Athletic Director Nick Davidson.

The 550 Continental Blvd. construction to add two learning spaces and two Socratic/conference spaces was completed after hours to minimize the impact on the building's other tenants. Dr. Wunder noted that Mr. Bravo has been working with strategist David Herbst and the City to convert additional space within the building to B Occupancy for educational purposes. B occupancy does not afford the city the same tax revenue that businesses do. The landlord, the City of El Segundo is supportive, but the City is undergoing master planning that is complex. Mr. Meath inquired about the amount of the tax loss to the City. Ms. Schaefer suggested paying it at a declining rate over time. Dr. Wunder noted it is a complex situation that will take several months. 

Mr. Bravo shared that the revised Facilities and Grounds Use policy is on the agenda. The item on the agenda is actually a draft for review; the item will be brought back for approval. The fees, which have not been raised since 2020, have been reviewed and adjusted to allow for proper maintenance of the facilities for all users.

Brief discussion on calendar year vs. semester in the policy. Mr. Bravo stated that language aligned with CIF conventions.

Closed session convened at 8:38 a.m.

Public session reconvened at 9:15 a.m.

Mr. Santiago noted that no action had been taken in Closed Session.