Da Vinci Schools
Minutes
Da Vinci Schools Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday November 17, 2021 at 6:00 PM
Location
Zoom videoconference
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:
- Teleconferencing will be conducted through Zoom. Join Zoom meeting at https://zoom.us/j/95698067585, Meeting ID: 956 9806 7585, or dial (669) 900-6833.
- Agendas are available to all audience members on the Da Vinci Schools website at www.davincischools.org.
- Audience members who wish may 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 each and total time allotted for public comments is subject to the Board Chair's discretion. 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. Please contact the CEO's office at 310-725-5800.
Trustees Present
B. Meath (remote), D. Brann (remote), J. Morgan (remote), J. Webber (remote), R. Ochoa (remote), R. Santiago (remote)
Trustees Absent
D. Boston
Trustees who left before the meeting adjourned
J. Webber
Guests Present
A. Johnson (remote), A. Wohlwerth (remote), Anthony Pur (remote), B. Silvers (remote), C. Levenson (remote), Carisma De Anda (remote), Daniela Torres (remote), J. Hawn (remote), L. Rodriguez (remote), Leilah Harper (remote), M. Amato (remote), M. Denniston (remote), M. Rainey (remote), M. Wunder (remote), Mathew Silver (remote), Noah Chan (remote), R. Stoll (remote), S. Wallis (remote), V. Bravo (remote), Zirak Engineer (remote)
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 Nov 17, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Special Board Action - Approve and Adopt Board Resolution for Teleconference Board Meetings Pursuant to Special Rules in Government Code Section 54953(e)
J. Morgan made a motion to approve and adopt the Resolution for Teleconference Board Meetings Pursuant to Special Rules in Government Code Section 54953(e).
B. Meath seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
D.
Approval of Agenda
R. Santiago made a motion to approve the agenda.
R. Ochoa seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
E.
Public Comments
None
II. Information
A.
From the Board
Mr. Santiago thanked everyone for the support the Girls' Volleyball team received during their season. Mr. Meath thanked Mr. Santiago for his comments.
Dr. Brann commented that the original Dana Middle School's demolition has triggered many memories. He also commented on athletics and the move to the CIF Pioneer league.
Mr. Santiago thanked Athletic Director D.R. Moreland and Mr. Vicente Bravo for their efforts during the girls' volleyball season; Mr. Moreland was at every volleyball game during a busy athletic season.
B.
From the CEO/Superintendent
Dr. Wunder shared that a Da Vinci team went up to the Bay Area earlier in the week for a series of meetings with Charter School Growth Fund, The Arena (Claire Fisher), XQ Institute and Jobs for the Future (JFF), in order to make connections and to line up funding for Da Vinci Connect, RISE High and other programs supporting students.
C.
Student Board Member Update
Dr. Hawn introduced the Student Board Members and Coordinator Carisma De Anda.
Leilah Harper, Design Senior, shared the November 30 UC and CSU college application deadline, the Día de Los Muertos ofrenda students built in the Atrium honoring loved ones, and the Grade-level Hub decorating competition.
Noah Chan shared that Science held a Community Dialogue, created a Día de Los Muertos ofrenda, and has a Student Cohesion Team that allows students the opportunity to give feedback and input on certain school operations. Also of note: the display of students' artwork inspired by Latino and Spanish artists, the STEM tutoring that RRISE UP and UC graduate students provide after school, and the Leadership team's Gratitude Challenge.
Mathew Silver spoke of Spirit Week at Connect High School and the move into the new 550 Continental campus in January, dependent on safety test results. 65 core college classes have been completed by Connect High students so far.
Zirak Engineer presented the update for Connect TK-8, saying that school safety drills were held in October, and students are preparing for Exhibition.
Daniela Torres shared that Communications students enjoyed a fun and successful Spirit Week, and Community Dialogue (CD), which is a combination assembly and pep rally.
Dr. Brann thanked the student board members.
D.
Presentation: CTE Studio Update
Mr. Steve Wallis spoke of the CTE Studio process, beginning with the RFP/Q process, where architecture firms were evaluated by stakeholders. The selected firm is being presented for board approval, and will also be presented to the Wiseburn Unified School District Board at its next meeting.
14 firms attended the mandatory job walk, 7 firms submitted a proposal, 3 firms were interviewed, and the result is that SVA Architects, Inc. are recommended for approval.
Dr. Webber inquired about the permit process.
Bob Simons of SVA Architects shared that he believes the project can be in the Division of State Architects (DSA) in about five months, and approval for the project would take about two more months. The challenge, he shared, is in increased construction costs, both materials and labor, and the quicker the project can be begun, the better.
SVA Architects has been in existence for 19 years; most of their work is in K-12 education up and down the State. They are currently working with the Hermosa Beach School District.
Mr. Santiago asked about resource issues since the firm has multiple large projects underway at once. Mr. Simons replied that the firm has 55 staffers, and does not bid for projects that they are not prepared to accomplish.
Dr. Brann commented that Wiseburn Unified is the owner of the building at 201 N. Douglas Street, and will want to weigh in on the architect and the project. Dr. Brann asked about the demolition planned for the site. Further brief discussion on the project site ensued.
Mr. Amato spoke of the CTE grant Round 6 funding and the 1:1 matching funds Da Vinci must provide. Further discussion on the project costs, grant funds secured, and matching funds Da Vinci must provide, ensued. [OMIT THE BRACKETED TEXT? Total project cost is $2,387,682. CTEFP grant funding total is $1,628,537. Da Vinci must provide a further $564K for construction. A $195K equipment grant with a 1:1 match means that Da Vinci must also provide $195K for equipment costs.] Dr. Brann spoke of the risk of the project cost going above the half million in funding for the match.
Dr. Brann also commented on the need for a project manager, the cost of which could possibly be shared by the District over a range of projects.
Mr. Meath commented that he looks forward to the seeing the exciting project completed. Dr. Brann appreciated that Mr. Wallis carefully planned the project, and he thanked Mr. Simons and Ms. Cheng. Mr. Simons commented that SVA Architects, Inc. has a good relationship with DSA.
E.
Financial Update
Mr. Amato commented that the First Interim results are due and the October financials are part of those results; the results will be presented at the next Board meeting in December.
Mr. Amato shared the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) Dashboard created by Ms. Gloria White and Mr. Chris Miller, Data and Accountability Director and Coordinator, respectively. ADA has improved; total ADA is 96.0%. Ms. Morgan commented that the ADA is outstanding considering other schools' and districts' COVID status.
Dr. Wunder thanked Mr. Amato, Dr. Hawn, and Ms. Rainey's work with Charter School Growth Fund to secure funding.
Dr. Brann asked Mr. Miles Denniston about the optimistic Office of the Legislative Analyst's 2022-23 outlook in Sacramento. Mr. Denniston agreed; during the early days of the pandemic, the State was conservative, but given the tax revenue exceeding projections last year, one would assume the State would subsequently be less conservative. The State is giving out the money in one-time programs, rather than as part of the Local Control Funding Formula, which schools and districts would prefer.
F.
Operations Update
Mr. Bravo shared that the 550 Continental site is undergoing fire, safety, plumbing and electrical testing.
He went on to speak of the new El Segundo Fire Chief Deena Lee's visit to the 201 campus.
WattStoppers is working to find efficiencies to reduce electrical costs.
Gym rentals are back online. Start times for rentals have been pushed back until 7 p.m. in order to accommodate both renters and Da Vinci student athletic practices.
Coffee Bar and Grab n' Go project is back on track.
Meal service breakfasts have been popular, with up to 90 students being served daily. Over 12,000 meals have been served thus far over all Da Vinci sites. Chartwells and Da Vinci staff have been working to maintain the caliber of the increased number of meals.
Ms. Morgan asked why breakfasts are popular. Brief discussion ensued on the free meal service.
III. Special Presentation
A.
Presentation: Educator Effectiveness Block Grant for Da Vinci Communications
Mr. Amato shared that this is a new State grant allocated on the basis of an equal amount of full-time certificated and classified equivalent staff; the funds may be spent over a five-year period and utilized in 10 different ways.
Ms. D'Souza, Principal of Da Vinci Communications, spoke of using the funds on the Grant's Focus Area #1, which supports teachers by providing funding for instructional coaching and mentoring to retain teaching staff. There aren't many grants that focus on instructors. Communications will use their total grant of $124,510 in this area.
B.
Presentation: Educator Effectiveness Block Grant for Da Vinci Design
Mr. Russell Stoll, Principal of Da Vinci Design, spoke of using the funds for Focus Area #1, coaching and mentoring teachers, and Focus Area #5, creating systems to support a positive school climate (Positive Behavior Interventions, or PBIS, and Multi-Tiered System of Support, or MTSS, strategies). The total Design grant of $122,215 will be split between these two focus areas over two years.
C.
Presentation: Educator Effectiveness Block Grant for Da Vinci Science
Mr. Steve Wallis, Principal of Da Vinci Science, shared that their grant funds ($117,142 total) will be spent over four years on Focus Area #1 ($38,662 over four years), coaching and mentoring of staff and on Focus Area #8 ($78,480 over four years), creating new professional learning networks for educators not already in an education-related professional learning network. Funds would be used to hire consultants who are experts in their fields to provide coaching and support for teachers.
D.
Presentation: Educator Effectiveness Block Grant for Da Vinci Connect
Ms. Michelle Rainey, Executive Director of Da Vinci Connect, shared that Connect's grant funds ($103,734) will be spent over four years on Focus Area #1, emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and equity, trauma-informed practice, learner centered education, student engagement, MTSS, and integration of professional partners and workplace skills.
E.
Public Comments on the Educator Effectiveness Grants
None
F.
Board Comments/Questions on Educator Effectiveness Block Grants
Dr. Webber commented that she appreciates the Principals' plans to use the funds to support the teachers, especially in DEI work.
Dr. Brann commented that he appreciates the efforts to retain staff.
IV. Approval of Minutes
A.
Approval of Minutes of the October 27, 2021 Regular Da Vinci Schools Board Meeting
B. Meath made a motion to approve the minutes from Da Vinci Schools Regular Board Meeting on 10-27-21.
J. Webber seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
V. Consent Agenda
A.
Accept Da Vinci Schools Payment Register - October 2021
B. Meath made a motion to accept the October 2021 Da Vinci Schools Payment Register.
J. Morgan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
B.
Approve Final Settlement Agreement for Special Education Services
B. Meath made a motion to approve the Final Settlement Agreement for Special Education Services.
J. Morgan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
C.
Approve Recommendation for Architect for CTE Studio
B. Meath made a motion to approve the Recommendation for the Architect for the CTE Studio.
J. Morgan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
D.
Approve and Adopt Revised Behavioral Interventions for Special Education Students Policy
B. Meath made a motion to approve and adopt the Revised Behavioral Interventions for Special Education Students Policy.
J. Morgan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| J. Webber |
Aye
|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
VI. Closed Session
A.
Conference with Legal Counsel
Closed Session entered at 7:22 p.m.
J. Webber left at 7:22 PM.
VII. Closing Items
A.
Reconvene for Public Session & Closed Session Reporting
Public Session was reconvened at 9:05 p.m.
Dr. Brann reported that the board took no action in Closed Session.
B.
Adjourn Meeting
J. Morgan made a motion to adjourn.
R. Ochoa seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| R. Ochoa |
Aye
|
| J. Morgan |
Aye
|
| D. Brann |
Aye
|
| D. Boston |
Absent
|
| J. Webber |
Absent
|
| R. Santiago |
Aye
|
| B. Meath |
Aye
|
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:07 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
A. Wohlwerth