Da Vinci Schools
Minutes
Da Vinci Schools Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday April 24, 2019 at 6:00 PM
Location
Board Room, 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
Da Vinci Schools ("DV") welcomes your participation at its Board meetings. The purpose of a public meeting of the Board of Directors ("Board") is to conduct the affairs of DV in public. Your participation assures us of continuing community interest in our schools. To assist you in speaking/participating in our meetings, the following guidelines are provided:
- Agendas are available to all audience members at the door to the meeting.
- "Request to Speak" forms are available to all audience members who wish to speak on any agenda items or under the general category of "Public Comments," which is time set aside for members of the audience to raise issues not specifically on the agenda. However, due to public meeting laws, the Board can only listen to your issue, not respond or take action. These presentations are limited to three (3) minutes and total time allotted to non-agenda items will not exceed fifteen (15) minutes. Non-English speakers who use a translator shall have six (6) minutes in which to address the Board.
- The Board may give direction to staff to respond to your concern or you may be offered the option of returning with a citizen-requested item.
- The chair will recognize such individuals who wish to speak on a specific agenda item at the appropriate time. When addressing the Board, speakers are requested to adhere to the time limits set forth, and to not repeat remarks made by those who preceded them.
- Any public records relating to an agenda item for an open session of the Board which are distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the Board members shall be available for public inspection at 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245, during Business Office operating hours.
Trustees Present
B. Meath, D. Brann, I. Mora, J. Morgan, K. Brown
Trustees Absent
R. Bañuelos
Trustees who arrived after the meeting opened
B. Meath
Guests Present
A. Wohlwerth, Aileen Harbeck, C. Levenson, Carina Noyola, Chris Howell, Da Vinci Design students, Frank Solis, K. Parsons, Katherine Simon, M. Mayotte, M. Ring, M. Wunder, N. Morrison, S. Wallis, V. Bravo, Y. Saldaña-Bautista
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
D. Brann called a meeting of the board of trustees of Da Vinci Schools to order on Wednesday Apr 24, 2019 at 6:00 PM.
Mr. Kenneth Brown was sworn in as a new member of the Da Vinci Board of Trustees by Dr. Donald Brann.
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Public Comments
None
II. Information
A.
From the Board
Ms. Morgan spoke about the information handed out at a previous meeting and asked if it would be discussed further.
Mr. Mora briefly spoke about the Finance Committee meeting, thanking Mr. Mayotte for his work, and adding that information will be discussed with the Board soon.
Dr. Brann mentioned the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the Ronald Reagan National Library from May 24 to September 8, 2019. He also read an excerpt of the minutes of an August 31, 2008 Da Vinci Schools Board meeting, quoting Mr. Chet Pipkin's words on the "Grand Plan" for creating world class high schools.
Mr. Mora briefly spoke about the Finance Committee meeting, thanking Mr. Mayotte for his work, and adding that information will be discussed with the Board soon.
Dr. Brann mentioned the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at the Ronald Reagan National Library from May 24 to September 8, 2019. He also read an excerpt of the minutes of an August 31, 2008 Da Vinci Schools Board meeting, quoting Mr. Chet Pipkin's words on the "Grand Plan" for creating world class high schools.
B. Meath arrived.
B.
From the CEO
Dr. Wunder spoke about a parent proposal for a full-time basketball coach and program, and about being cautious of prohibitive costs and potential inequities among the schools and the programs. He suspects the program would necessitate budget cuts if it were to be accommodated. Dr. Wunder and Mr. Bravo will be meeting with the parents. Mr. Bravo said that significant changes will be made in the Da Vinci athletics program, no matter the decision on the basketball program.
Mr. Mora warned that Da Vinci coaches have to be careful about not selecting only club athletes for the school teams, reflecting that a program that tries to be "the best of the best" results in a different program and culture.
Mr. Brown wanted to see the proposal, the existing program's history, funding, and process, saying that the community may not be aware of the situation.
Dr. Brann requested a report on the athletics program from Mr. Bravo.
Ms. Morgan spoke of her appreciation in the work Mr. Bravo is doing in keeping in mind equity, the big picture, the community, and facilities usage.
Mr. Mora warned that Da Vinci coaches have to be careful about not selecting only club athletes for the school teams, reflecting that a program that tries to be "the best of the best" results in a different program and culture.
Mr. Brown wanted to see the proposal, the existing program's history, funding, and process, saying that the community may not be aware of the situation.
Dr. Brann requested a report on the athletics program from Mr. Bravo.
Ms. Morgan spoke of her appreciation in the work Mr. Bravo is doing in keeping in mind equity, the big picture, the community, and facilities usage.
C.
Da Vinci Design Presentation
Ms. Kate Parsons introduced Ms. Katherine Simon, Architecture teacher at Da Vinci Design and several 11th and 12th grade students.
Ms. Simon spoke about the Architecture Pathway and the Coffee Bar/Grab N' Go project.
The Grab N' Go Bar is an multi-grade level, multi-disciplinary project. 9th graders drew design concepts by hand, the 10th graders added further multimedia design work and merchandise design, and the 11th graders measured the spaces and analyzed the design work the 9th and 10th grade students created. The 11th grade Intermediate Architecture students then converted the designs into digital 2D and 3D models using Floor Planner software. The 12th grade Advanced Architecture students used AutoCAD Revit to build construction plans, renderings, and structural engineering and building systems.
Three students used the project as their Senior Project, working collaboratively on marketing plans, design work, and creating an app for cashless point of sale,. The project is supported by industry partners Gensler and Chartwells.
Ms. Parsons also spoke of exploring a two-year rollout of a new Entrepreneurship pathway for 2019-20 that would dovetail with the Grab N' Go Bar, so that by 2021, 11th grade students would be able to select from one of three pathways: Architecture, Graphic Design, or Entrepreneurship.
A brief discussion on finances ensued before Mr. Brown asked about the peer review aspect of the design process. The student response was that they could see the vision in each of the many designs, and the critiquing process entailed making suggestions to align the designs with the environment and the real world.
On May 17th, Da Vinci Design students will present the top five Grab N' Go Bar designs from each grade level in the Black Box Theater. Calendar invitations will be sent.
After the students departed, Mr. Mora asked about the coding pathway at Da Vinci Communications, saying that he believes each school needs to offer coding courses.
Ms. Simon spoke about the Architecture Pathway and the Coffee Bar/Grab N' Go project.
The Grab N' Go Bar is an multi-grade level, multi-disciplinary project. 9th graders drew design concepts by hand, the 10th graders added further multimedia design work and merchandise design, and the 11th graders measured the spaces and analyzed the design work the 9th and 10th grade students created. The 11th grade Intermediate Architecture students then converted the designs into digital 2D and 3D models using Floor Planner software. The 12th grade Advanced Architecture students used AutoCAD Revit to build construction plans, renderings, and structural engineering and building systems.
Three students used the project as their Senior Project, working collaboratively on marketing plans, design work, and creating an app for cashless point of sale,. The project is supported by industry partners Gensler and Chartwells.
Ms. Parsons also spoke of exploring a two-year rollout of a new Entrepreneurship pathway for 2019-20 that would dovetail with the Grab N' Go Bar, so that by 2021, 11th grade students would be able to select from one of three pathways: Architecture, Graphic Design, or Entrepreneurship.
A brief discussion on finances ensued before Mr. Brown asked about the peer review aspect of the design process. The student response was that they could see the vision in each of the many designs, and the critiquing process entailed making suggestions to align the designs with the environment and the real world.
On May 17th, Da Vinci Design students will present the top five Grab N' Go Bar designs from each grade level in the Black Box Theater. Calendar invitations will be sent.
After the students departed, Mr. Mora asked about the coding pathway at Da Vinci Communications, saying that he believes each school needs to offer coding courses.
D.
Co-Director Position
Dr. Wunder spoke about the upcoming staffing changes: Ms. Parsons is moving to the East Coast with her family; Ms. Yolanda Saldana-Bautista is resigning; Dr. Scott Weatherford is leaving his position as Principal of Da Vinci Communications, and Mr. Adam Eynon is moving with his family to Northern California.
Dr. Wunder proposed changing the administrative staffing model to one using Co-Directors to share the administrative load. He would hire from within for one year as a pilot program in order to support school culture; acknowledging the risks of moving faculty into an administrative role. The Chief of Student Services, Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Wallis and Ms. DeSouza would support the new co-directors. Dr. Wunder verified this proposal would be brought back to the Board in the future for approval.
Mr. Meath said that he and Mr. Mora had discussed the idea with Dr. Wunder at the Finance subcommittee meeting.
Mr. Mora said that he was comfortable with the idea and the element of offering growth to current faculty.
Mr. Brown spoke of needing to see what the training model would look like, as well as the fiscal impact, and mentioned not wanting to "burn out" staff.
Ms. Morgan asked for clarity on Dr. Weatherford's employment. Dr. Wunder responded that Dr. Weatherford will be working with the Alder Graduate School of Education program for the first half of the 2019-20 year, then will be working remotely the following semester. In 2020-21, he will be director of the Alder program at Da Vinci. Ms. Morgan is concerned about the turnover, citing the four key people who are leaving. She wants to ensure that the model is vetted, that salary is not the reason for the departures, and that the Board is making the right decisions.
Dr. Brann spoke briefly about the cost of living in Los Angeles, as well as the importance of making the sharing of responsibility clear to all. He appreciates Dr. Wunder's desire to promote from within, but he would not rule out picking experienced people from the outside for the positions; saying that to promote less qualified people from within would be a mistake.
Dr. Brann asked about the other partners in the Alder Graduate School of Education program. Dr. Wunder listed ICEF, WISH, Environmental Charter, El Segundo, and Wiseburn. Dr. Brann also spoke of the Board's approval of the Alder GSE program's Planning Year One, but said that the Board had not approved Dr. Weatherford for the Director position. Dr. Brann stated that he does not know how he feels about giving the position to someone who will be gone for half of the year. Ms. Morgan agreed. Dr. Wunder said that he would bring the Directorship back to the Board for approval.
Dr. Wunder proposed changing the administrative staffing model to one using Co-Directors to share the administrative load. He would hire from within for one year as a pilot program in order to support school culture; acknowledging the risks of moving faculty into an administrative role. The Chief of Student Services, Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Wallis and Ms. DeSouza would support the new co-directors. Dr. Wunder verified this proposal would be brought back to the Board in the future for approval.
Mr. Meath said that he and Mr. Mora had discussed the idea with Dr. Wunder at the Finance subcommittee meeting.
Mr. Mora said that he was comfortable with the idea and the element of offering growth to current faculty.
Mr. Brown spoke of needing to see what the training model would look like, as well as the fiscal impact, and mentioned not wanting to "burn out" staff.
Ms. Morgan asked for clarity on Dr. Weatherford's employment. Dr. Wunder responded that Dr. Weatherford will be working with the Alder Graduate School of Education program for the first half of the 2019-20 year, then will be working remotely the following semester. In 2020-21, he will be director of the Alder program at Da Vinci. Ms. Morgan is concerned about the turnover, citing the four key people who are leaving. She wants to ensure that the model is vetted, that salary is not the reason for the departures, and that the Board is making the right decisions.
Dr. Brann spoke briefly about the cost of living in Los Angeles, as well as the importance of making the sharing of responsibility clear to all. He appreciates Dr. Wunder's desire to promote from within, but he would not rule out picking experienced people from the outside for the positions; saying that to promote less qualified people from within would be a mistake.
Dr. Brann asked about the other partners in the Alder Graduate School of Education program. Dr. Wunder listed ICEF, WISH, Environmental Charter, El Segundo, and Wiseburn. Dr. Brann also spoke of the Board's approval of the Alder GSE program's Planning Year One, but said that the Board had not approved Dr. Weatherford for the Director position. Dr. Brann stated that he does not know how he feels about giving the position to someone who will be gone for half of the year. Ms. Morgan agreed. Dr. Wunder said that he would bring the Directorship back to the Board for approval.
E.
Board Retreat
Dr. Brann said that there must first be an agreed-upon date.
Dr. Wunder said that depending on the date, Mr. Chet Pipkin offered his cabin in Big Bear, which would necessitate a two-day retreat. Ms. Morgan proposed a local one-day meeting to start with. Other board members spoke of their summer commitments.
Alison promised to send a Doodle poll to the Board to determine if a common date can be found.
Joint board meeting dates with Wiseburn (June 8, September 14, and December 14) will also to be sent out.
Dr. Wunder said that depending on the date, Mr. Chet Pipkin offered his cabin in Big Bear, which would necessitate a two-day retreat. Ms. Morgan proposed a local one-day meeting to start with. Other board members spoke of their summer commitments.
Alison promised to send a Doodle poll to the Board to determine if a common date can be found.
Joint board meeting dates with Wiseburn (June 8, September 14, and December 14) will also to be sent out.
F.
Financial Update
Dr. Wunder and Mr. Mayotte presented the update.
An ADA vs. enrollment discussion ensued. If a student enrolled at a school is absent five days due to illness, his ADA is lower than his enrollment, since he's enrolled but absent for those days.
Reserves, cash flow and a line of credit were briefly discussed. Cash is deposited into a LACOE account before Da Vinci can request the funds, creating a lag.
Anticipated ongoing revenue and costs for 2019-20 were discussed, such as COLA revenue, enrollment, the lack of one-time costs as compared to the 2018-19 year; step-and-column increases and possible subsidies to health benefits and increased contributions to retirement for classified employees were introduced.
An ADA vs. enrollment discussion ensued. If a student enrolled at a school is absent five days due to illness, his ADA is lower than his enrollment, since he's enrolled but absent for those days.
Reserves, cash flow and a line of credit were briefly discussed. Cash is deposited into a LACOE account before Da Vinci can request the funds, creating a lag.
Anticipated ongoing revenue and costs for 2019-20 were discussed, such as COLA revenue, enrollment, the lack of one-time costs as compared to the 2018-19 year; step-and-column increases and possible subsidies to health benefits and increased contributions to retirement for classified employees were introduced.
III. Approval of Minutes
A.
Minutes of the April 5, 2019 Regular Board Meeting
J. Morgan made a motion to approve minutes from the Da Vinci Schools Board Meeting on 04-05-19 Da Vinci Schools Board Meeting on 04-05-19.
I. Mora seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
IV. Consent Agenda
A.
Officers of the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees
Dr. Brann called for a nomination for Board Vice President.
I. Mora made a motion to nominate Jennifer Morgan as Vice President of the Board.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Resignation of Arthur Lofton, Da Vinci Schools Board Trustee
B. Meath made a motion to accept the resignation of Art Lofton from the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C.
Approve Kenneth Brown as New Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees Member
(This item was conducted first on the agenda.)
Dr. Brann conducted the swearing in of Mr. Kenneth Brown as a new member of the Board of Trustees of Da Vinci Schools.
Dr. Brann conducted the swearing in of Mr. Kenneth Brown as a new member of the Board of Trustees of Da Vinci Schools.
D.
Resolution to Approve Amended and Restated Bylaws and Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
B. Meath made a motion to approve and adopt the Resolution.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
E.
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Da Vinci Schools
B. Meath made a motion to approve the Amended and Restated Bylaws of Da Vinci Schools.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
F.
Check Register - March
Discussion on various items
B. Meath made a motion to approve the March check register.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
G.
Pacific Premier Bank $1.4MM Line of Credit
B. Meath made a motion to approve the Pacific Premier Bank $1.4MM Line of Credit.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
H.
Approve Use of the Garden Grove USD Piggyback Contract for Modular Buildings
B. Meath made a motion to approve the use of the Garden Grove Unified School District Piggyback Contract for Modular Buildings.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
I.
SKC Company Proposal for Used Modulars
B. Meath made a motion to approve the SKC Company Proposal for Used Modulars.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
J.
Academic Agreement Renewal Between Southern New Hampshire University and Da Vinci Extension
B. Meath made a motion to approve the renewal of the Academic Agreement between Southern New Hampshire University and Da Vinci Extension.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
K.
Employment Agreement with Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.
B. Meath made a motion to approve the employment contract with Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
L.
Salary Level Increase
B. Meath made a motion to approve the salary level increase proposed by management.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
M.
New Positions Within Student Services and Special Education Departments
B. Meath made a motion to approve the requested new positions within the Student Services and Special Education departments.
K. Brown seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
N.
Student Success Coordinator Position
Ms. Morgan asked about this new, one-year position. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) funds are meant to improve graduation rates, but cannot be used for permanent positions. Mr. Mayotte and Dr. Ring responded that this position dovetails nicely with the purpose of the ESSA. Dr. Ring spoke of the schools' looking at the WASC reports and working with the Director of Employee Support Services to create the position.
J. Morgan made a motion to approve the creation of the Student Success Coordinator position.
I. Mora seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
O.
Resignations of Yolanda Saldaña-Bautista and Katherine Parsons
Dr. Brann spoke of his appreciation for Ms. Yolanda Saldaña-Bautista's work in helping to launch Da Vinci Schools ten years ago, saying that it is with reluctance that he accepts her resignation.
Dr. Brann thanked Ms. Parsons for her contribution to Da Vinci Schools in creating the school culture and for her wonderful work with the students.
Dr. Brann thanked Ms. Parsons for her contribution to Da Vinci Schools in creating the school culture and for her wonderful work with the students.
D. Brann made a motion to accept the resignations of Yolanda Saldana-Bautista and Kate Parsons.
I. Mora seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
V. Closed Session
A.
Conference with Legal Counsel
Closed entered at 8:20 PM
VI. Closing Items
A.
Reconvene for Public Session & Closed Session Reporting
9:15 PM No action taken
B.
Adjourn Meeting
B. Meath made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
J. Morgan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
A. Wohlwerth