Da Vinci Schools
Minutes
Da Vinci Schools: L.A. County Board Meeting (RISE High)
Date and Time
Wednesday February 26, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Da Vinci Schools: L.A. County ("DVLAC") 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 DVLAC 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:
- Teleconferencing options are being explored by administration in collaboration with Da Vinci Schools: L.A. County authorizer LACOE.
- 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
A. Montes-Rodriguez, B. Freiberg, J. Morgan, P. Escala
Trustees Absent
L. Jennings, N. Whiteman, T. Johnstone
Guests Present
A. Wohlwerth, K. Croft, M. Ring, M. Wunder, Miles Denniston, R. Robertson, Sabrina Ayala
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
J. Morgan called a meeting of the board of trustees of Da Vinci Schools to order on Wednesday Feb 26, 2020 at 6:30 PM.
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Approval of Agenda
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the agenda.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
D.
Public Comments
None
II. Information: Board Comments and/or Administrative Reports
A.
From the Board
None
B.
From the CEO
None
C.
RISE High Update
Ms. Croft's presentation began with February demographics.
Enrollment has grown to 188 as of 2/26/2020, which is 14 more students than in January.
She showed the raw enrollment numbers for various categories: current and former foster youth; homeless youth; current and former probationary youth; students with IEPs, and English Language Learners.
Discussion ensued on the metrics used. The majority of students fall into more than one category. Ms. Croft is also tracking other categories like out-of-school, pregnant/parenting, gang-affiliated, and credit deficient youth.
There are 17 Free & Reduced Lunch (FRLM) applications outstanding due to the number of newly enrolled students. For all students, the percentage of FRLM students is 81.3%; however, looking at those who have submitted forms, the percentage is 90%.
Regarding attendance, there was an increase in ADA from December to January, and the expectation is that the February numbers will be even higher than January's.
Ms. Croft spoke of alterations in the 2020-21 calendar which reflect attempts to solve the low attendance figures in months with holidays, etc.
Mr. Denniston spoke of the funding for Fall. FRLM data informs funding, therefore getting the FRLM numbers up in advance of the census day would increase that funding.
Ms. Croft commented on the Attendance and Enrollment Coordinator's work which she hopes will result in higher ADA in Fall 1 of the 2020-21 school year.
Ms. Croft commented on field trips the RISE High students took to the California African American Museum and a play called "And Then They Came for Me." She also showed the board a school-wide photo revealing the large number of students currently enrolled at the APCH site.
Upcoming events:
Exhibition for both sites together will be held on May 28, with a project focus called "Your Voice Matters" (civic engagement) The project will be hosted on DreamSeeDo. The PBL consultant from High Tech High helped the faculty craft this project.
Ms. Croft gave an update on the third RISE High site and potential partner, New Earth, located in Culver City. New Earth is aligned with RISE High in terms of mission and vision, and already provides many of the wraparound services and staff that RISE High would need.
Ms. Freiberg asked about where the Hawthorne site finds students. Ms. Croft responded that there has been minimal outreach due to space constraints. Students come to RISE through word of mouth from the Children's Law Center, probation officers, government agencies, CASA of L.A., etc.
New Earth currently has a school partner which is entirely virtual; they would like to have a more hands-on, holistic approach, and are hoping to make a switch in partners. New Earth is affiliated with YouthBuild, and so can serve youth up to age 25. Da Vinci legal counsel is helping to look into whether or not RISE High's charter would allow that affiliation to extend to RISE High.
Ms. Montes-Rodriguez asked how Ms. Croft discovered New Earth. Ms. Croft responded that she had visited New Earth when she was a Da Vinci Fellow. Consultant Dr. Jennifer Ralls helped to identify the opportunity.
New Earth demographics were shown. Ms. Croft commented that the partnership would be similar to the APCH relationship: New Earth would provide wraparound services; RISE High would provide education services.
Enrollment has grown to 188 as of 2/26/2020, which is 14 more students than in January.
She showed the raw enrollment numbers for various categories: current and former foster youth; homeless youth; current and former probationary youth; students with IEPs, and English Language Learners.
Discussion ensued on the metrics used. The majority of students fall into more than one category. Ms. Croft is also tracking other categories like out-of-school, pregnant/parenting, gang-affiliated, and credit deficient youth.
There are 17 Free & Reduced Lunch (FRLM) applications outstanding due to the number of newly enrolled students. For all students, the percentage of FRLM students is 81.3%; however, looking at those who have submitted forms, the percentage is 90%.
Regarding attendance, there was an increase in ADA from December to January, and the expectation is that the February numbers will be even higher than January's.
Ms. Croft spoke of alterations in the 2020-21 calendar which reflect attempts to solve the low attendance figures in months with holidays, etc.
Mr. Denniston spoke of the funding for Fall. FRLM data informs funding, therefore getting the FRLM numbers up in advance of the census day would increase that funding.
Ms. Croft commented on the Attendance and Enrollment Coordinator's work which she hopes will result in higher ADA in Fall 1 of the 2020-21 school year.
Ms. Croft commented on field trips the RISE High students took to the California African American Museum and a play called "And Then They Came for Me." She also showed the board a school-wide photo revealing the large number of students currently enrolled at the APCH site.
Upcoming events:
- MAP testing will be paired with Student-Led Conferences on March 2-5. MAP testing will occur in the morning, and SLCs in the afternoon, to encourage testing and family participation
- Joint Staff Professional Development with Da Vinci Science will occur on March 6
- Intersession will occur on March 23-April 1, featuring courses like Test Prep, Writer's Workshop, Math Intensive, Social Studies Intensive, Science Learning, and World of Work at the Huntington Gardens and Live Nation
- Staff XQ Exchange with Washington Leadership Academy on March 24-26
Exhibition for both sites together will be held on May 28, with a project focus called "Your Voice Matters" (civic engagement) The project will be hosted on DreamSeeDo. The PBL consultant from High Tech High helped the faculty craft this project.
Ms. Croft gave an update on the third RISE High site and potential partner, New Earth, located in Culver City. New Earth is aligned with RISE High in terms of mission and vision, and already provides many of the wraparound services and staff that RISE High would need.
Ms. Freiberg asked about where the Hawthorne site finds students. Ms. Croft responded that there has been minimal outreach due to space constraints. Students come to RISE through word of mouth from the Children's Law Center, probation officers, government agencies, CASA of L.A., etc.
New Earth currently has a school partner which is entirely virtual; they would like to have a more hands-on, holistic approach, and are hoping to make a switch in partners. New Earth is affiliated with YouthBuild, and so can serve youth up to age 25. Da Vinci legal counsel is helping to look into whether or not RISE High's charter would allow that affiliation to extend to RISE High.
Ms. Montes-Rodriguez asked how Ms. Croft discovered New Earth. Ms. Croft responded that she had visited New Earth when she was a Da Vinci Fellow. Consultant Dr. Jennifer Ralls helped to identify the opportunity.
New Earth demographics were shown. Ms. Croft commented that the partnership would be similar to the APCH relationship: New Earth would provide wraparound services; RISE High would provide education services.
D.
Facilities Update
Dr. Wunder spoke of the Jonas E. Salk facility option that Mr. Bravo was working on, but reported that the option fell through. Currently, Mr. Bravo and Dr. Wunder are working on the issue with the Wiseburn Unified School District, as well as other sites.
Mr. Bravo is hoping to use a modular system to save time.
Mr. Escala asked about contingency plans. Dr. Wunder responded that he will work on this and send the Board the information.
Mr. Bravo is hoping to use a modular system to save time.
Mr. Escala asked about contingency plans. Dr. Wunder responded that he will work on this and send the Board the information.
E.
Financial Update
Mr. Miles Denniston of CSMC gave a presentation on the Second Interim Financial report. This report will go to the County, not the State, unlike the First Interim report.
LACOE (and the State) requires the report to be submitted in Standard Account Code Structure format.
Mr. Denniston's report shows a surplus through January and a projected surplus of $150K. XQ has been flexible in the amount of funds RISE annually takes from its grant, so year-end adjustments may be made if necessary.
Section F. 1) b) of the report will be altered due to the transfer of funds from the old RISE entity to the new RISE entity; LACOE would like to see the number on that report line reflect when the old entity dissolved, as opposed to when the funds actually hit the new entity's books.
Mr. Denniston will continue working on next year's budgeting using a different budget calculation spreadsheet, including FRLM, personnel, ADA, demographics, enrollment, and expense estimates that inform the budget.
Ms. Morgan thanked Mr. Denniston.
Dr. Wunder asked Ms. Ayala to share the conversation held with XQ and the Emerson Foundation as it relates to the funding determination. Ms. Ayala spoke of meeting with Mr. McClung of XQ Institute, who will be a regular contact for the team, and discussing the 80% of the funding spent on instruction. XQ was open to ensuring that the XQ grant would not affect RISE High's funding determination. Dr. Wunder spoke of working closely with LACOE and having them approve the funding. He commented that the rules exist to prevent bad actors from using independent study as a profit center, but theose rules didn't take into account the need to use independent study for students who require wraparound as well as academic services. The rules work against RISE High, but the team is working within the system to provide what the students need without triggering the 15% funding determination penalty.
LACOE (and the State) requires the report to be submitted in Standard Account Code Structure format.
Mr. Denniston's report shows a surplus through January and a projected surplus of $150K. XQ has been flexible in the amount of funds RISE annually takes from its grant, so year-end adjustments may be made if necessary.
Section F. 1) b) of the report will be altered due to the transfer of funds from the old RISE entity to the new RISE entity; LACOE would like to see the number on that report line reflect when the old entity dissolved, as opposed to when the funds actually hit the new entity's books.
Mr. Denniston will continue working on next year's budgeting using a different budget calculation spreadsheet, including FRLM, personnel, ADA, demographics, enrollment, and expense estimates that inform the budget.
Ms. Morgan thanked Mr. Denniston.
Dr. Wunder asked Ms. Ayala to share the conversation held with XQ and the Emerson Foundation as it relates to the funding determination. Ms. Ayala spoke of meeting with Mr. McClung of XQ Institute, who will be a regular contact for the team, and discussing the 80% of the funding spent on instruction. XQ was open to ensuring that the XQ grant would not affect RISE High's funding determination. Dr. Wunder spoke of working closely with LACOE and having them approve the funding. He commented that the rules exist to prevent bad actors from using independent study as a profit center, but theose rules didn't take into account the need to use independent study for students who require wraparound as well as academic services. The rules work against RISE High, but the team is working within the system to provide what the students need without triggering the 15% funding determination penalty.
III. Approval of Minutes
A.
Approve Minutes of the January 22, 2020 Regular Board Meeting
P. Escala made a motion to approve the minutes from Da Vinci Schools: L.A. County Board Meeting (RISE High) on 01-22-20.
A. Montes-Rodriguez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
IV. Action Items
A.
Accept January 2020 Check Transactions Per Management
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to accept the January 2020 Check Transactions per Management.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Fiscal Policies and Procedures
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the Fiscal Policies and Procedures.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C.
Accept the Second Interim Financial Report as presented by Management
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to accept the Second Interim Financial Report with one correction of $200K audit line item per Miles Denniston.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
D.
Accept the Nonclassroom-Based Funding Determination Letter as presented by Management
Ms. Montes-Rodriguez asked when the vote occurs.
Mr. Denniston : CDE staff reviews and makes a recommendation to the state's Advisory Council on Charter Schools in April. The State Board of Education would then approve in their May meeting.
Ms. Montes-Rodriguez asked if it was the second year that we would apply for the waiver.
Dr. Wunder responded that it is the first year that the organization is seeking the waiver, that RISE High qualifies for more than one required element to obtain the waiver, but that we will have to await the Board of Education's decision.
Mr. Denniston : CDE staff reviews and makes a recommendation to the state's Advisory Council on Charter Schools in April. The State Board of Education would then approve in their May meeting.
Ms. Montes-Rodriguez asked if it was the second year that we would apply for the waiver.
Dr. Wunder responded that it is the first year that the organization is seeking the waiver, that RISE High qualifies for more than one required element to obtain the waiver, but that we will have to await the Board of Education's decision.
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to accept the Nonclassroom-Based Funding Determination Letter as presented by Management.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
E.
Approve the Updated Da Vinci RISE High Comprehensive School Safety Plan
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the Updated Da Vinci RISE High Comprehensive School Safety Plan.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
F.
Approve the Condom Availability Board Policy and Instruction
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the Condom Availability Board Policy and Instruction.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
G.
Accept the 2018-19 School Accountability Report Card as presented by Management
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to accept the 2018-19 School Accountability Report Card as presented by Management.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
H.
Approve English Language Learners Master Plan Update
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the English Language Learners Master Plan Update.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
I.
Approve 2020-21 School Calendar
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to approve the 2020-21 School Calendar.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
J.
Accept Resignation of Board Member
Ms. Freiberg spoke of her admiration for the work at Da Vinci, but at this time, with her commitments, she feels that she cannot give the work the attention that it deserves.
Ms. Morgan thanked Ms. Freiberg for her work on the Board.
Ms. Morgan thanked Ms. Freiberg for her work on the Board.
A. Montes-Rodriguez made a motion to accept the Resignation of Board Member Brenda Freiberg.
P. Escala seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
V. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
Dr. Mary Ring introduced Dr. Emily Green, the Da Vinci school nurse, who worked on item F, and was present in case of questions. Dr. Green spoke of the Health Department's enthusiasm for working with RISE High.
Ms. Morgan thanked Dr. Green for her work.
Ms. Morgan thanked Dr. Green for her work.
J. Morgan made a motion to adjourn.
P. Escala 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 7:23 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
A. Wohlwerth