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Dr. Jennings shared that she had discussed the format of board meetings with Mr. Whalen and Dr. Ring.  Mr. Whalen had also offered to hold one-on-one conversation with any interested board member on RISE operations and question and answer sessions with teachers.

Mr. Escala shared that he would be stepping down from the Da Vinci Schools: L.A. County Board at the end of the calendar year.  He expressed his appreciation for the other board members and the work being done at RISE High.  Dr. Jennings thanked Mr. Escala for his service to RISE High.

Dr. Wunder thanked Mr. Escala, and introduced the reason for the night's meeting.

Dr. Ring thanked Mr. Escala for his service on the board.  She then informed the board that the special education assessments had begun, and that Dr. Delia Castillo of LACOE had a very positive visit to RISE High.

Dr. Wunder spoke about the RISE cost structure, which differs from the other Da Vinci Schools.  Dr. Wunder assured the board that the proposed changes are financially affordable, and that for equity's sake, it is desirable to keep the pay scales for RISE High and Da Vinci as similar as possible.

He noted the differences between districts and charter schools, saying that districts, having larger enrollments, typically enjoy greater economies of scale, and can take advantage of parcel taxes and bonds, whereas charters must pay rent for their facilities, and must stay solvent without bond measures and high teacher loads which generate more funds.

Dr. Hawn shared that benefit costs have increased consistently over the years, and Da Vinci absorbs those costs among others.  The team worked with Egility Consulting to compare the first 15 steps on the Da Vinci salary scale to those of 11 other L.A. charter schools of similar size, and Da Vinci compares fairly. The team also compared Da Vinci salaries to 11 other local districts in the county, and Da Vinci is on the low end of the comparison ratios for market competitiveness.  Health benefit comparisons with charters and districts reveal that Da Vinci's costs to the employee are higher than some other charters and districts, but are competitive when looking at health benefit comparisons with neighboring districts such as Wiseburn, Torrance, and El Segundo. The larger the district, the lower the costs to employees. 

Intangible factors such as teacher satisfaction, professional development, etc. were briefly discussed before Dr. Wunder moved on to recommendations being made to the Da Vinci Board.  Those recommendations were a 2% COLA for all staff, retroactive to July 1, 2020, additional adjustments to the pay scales, and ongoing compensation analysis.

Mr. Amato spoke about the affordability of the changes. Mr. Taylor inquired about the frequency of compensation discussions. Dr. Wunder responded that compensation is looked at yearly, although increases above the salary step increases may or may not be instituted.  Mr. Amato shared the teacher/counselor salary table for steps 1 through 15. 

Dr. Hawn went back to the charter and district comparisons using the proposed salary increases. Da Vinci would be in a more competitive market rate with the changes.  Dr. Wunder spoke of the ongoing analysis that would be undertaken in light of the State budget.  He reminded the board of the year's financial uncertainty as the State first indicated a 10% cut in school LCFF before moving to flat funding.

Dr. Johnstone commented that given the student population at RISE High, a revolving door of teachers is never desirable.  He feels that the compensation increases would contribute to a stable staff.  Dr. Jennings shared that she believes it important to be clear with staff the reason for the salary increases and managing their expectations for future salary changes.

Further discussion on the affordability and timing of the increases, and XQ funding characteristics ensued.