The board took a break from 7:00 PM - 7:34 PM. 

Dr. Warren left the meeting from 6:23 PM - 6:28 PM. 

Public Comment 1: 

Ms. Cervantes commented regarding an elementary Spanish teacher position not filled at CASLV Cadence campus. Mr. Ercan indicated a Spanish teacher has been hired and will start on December 1st. Another concern Ms. Cervantes expressed is she thinks anyone can just walk into the school building. Ms. Cervantes also said she has witnessed emergency vehicles not knowing how to enter the school multiple times due to the building being located in a newly developed area and she added this is concerning if there is an emergency. 

Ms. Diggins said the board, working with school leadership, commissioned a complete safety study from Homeland Security for all campuses including CASLV Cadence and that the board is hearing detailed recommendations in a closed session at the end of the meeting today. She indicated she anticipates the board making decisions, working with leadership, and allocating resources and they will definitely keep this in mind. 

Public Comment 2: 

Ms. Vigil commented regarding some students not being able to sit with their friends at lunch due to staggered class schedules. 

Ms. Diggins informed Ms. Vigil for public comment items that are not on the agenda, the board listens and takes public comments in and they will have a further discussion to see if it is appropriate for the board to proceed (by including it on a future agenda) and that typically these sorts of campus level decisions are handled by campus leadership.  

This item was tabled. 

Mr. Ercan introduced the new Nellis AFB Principal, Ms. Mia Nelson, and indicated that the board approved this amendment request previously and that the State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) recommended it be taken to their board on Friday, November 18th. After internal discussion, we recommend postponing the high school at Nellis. We also discussed this with the leadership at Nellis AFB and they are in agreement. Ms. Diggins asked for discussion from the board and everyone agrees it is best to postpone. 

Mr. Ercan explained he sits on the Hendeson Chamber of Commerce board of directors, therefore he is seeking board approval. The invoice is $800 more than last year due to the new CASLV Cadence campus addition. The total amount of the invoice is $4,300.00.

Mr. Nick explained there is a need for more providers. The current providers have some shortages and can't meet the schools' needs. The fees are fairly comparable to other providers. Mr. Gardberg is very close to finalizing the agreement. It was noted that the special education population has doubled with the new Cadence campus. 

Mr. Nick indicated this is another special education services agreement to help provide additional services. Ms. Peevy gave an explanation of the fees. Mr. Gardberg confirmed he has reviewed the agreement and it is acceptable. 

Mr. Alarcon, the Senior Project Manager with CORE Construction, gave a detailed explanation of the construction contingencies while answering various questions from the board. Mr. McGinty with KNIT explained this is regarding balancing the allowances, and he thinks this is fair and within the scope of the contract. 

Ms. Diggins explained that the board understands the amount of work and professionalism that has gone into this project, and none of this is to be interpreted that there is doubt those preconstruction services did not occur. The board has some internal questions regarding both processes and the content of those services so they can make an informed decision. 

This item was tabled so the board can review the information further. 

Mr. Vu explained the Sandy Ridge campus has had several issues with hallway doors and entrance/exit doors. The campus principal requested doors similar to the doors at Cadence since they are perfect for campus safety. Three quotes were obtained and the recommendation is Vortex, the lowest bidder, in the amount of $47,125. 

Mr. Vu indicated this came about because the current vendor is raising fees. CASLV issued a request for proposal (RFP) in October, and five bids were received. One vendor is very small and could not bid on Nellis AFB and Cadence due to their capacity; however, we like their work. We currently use them at our Windmill campus, and they are their preferred vendor. The recommendation is AC Plus for five campuses (Windmill, Tamarus, Sandy Ridge, Eastgate, Centennial) and EMCOR for two campuses (Nellis AFB and Cadence). 

Mr. Nick presented the financial highlights from the audit report, stating that there are no audit findings.
 

Mr. Nick stated that the increase in current assets is primarily due to additional funding from the ESSER grant. Current liabilities decreased. A slight decrease in enrollment constituted a decrease in the revenue from state sources. CASLV has also received grant funds through the CARES Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (the ESSER Fund). Other sources increased because of the full in-person instruction and loan forgiveness.

Expenses for regular instruction, general administration, school administration, operation/maintenance, student transportation, and food services increased. Student support and instructional support decreased due to in-person post-Covid related instruction model changes. Unallocated depreciation increased due to the acquisition of assets from previous years.   
 

Mr. Nick presented near-term financial indicators and sustainability indicators. He informed the board that CASLV had 265 days of unrestricted cash-on-hand and a 2.04 debt service coverage ratio as of June 30, 2022 (vs. a bond requirement of 1.10:1:00). For the fiscal year 2021-2022, CASLV meets all financial standards. Mr. Nick presented all federal award amounts, and he also stated that CASLV is in a strong financial position. 

Mr. Nick reviewed the budget timeline, enrollment numbers, and budget amendment in detail while answering questions from the board. Chair Diggins noted that certain Board members continue to monitor this year's financial situation and are working with Mr. Nick on concrete ways of improving performance. Chair Diggins and Mr. Ercan noted certain factors that point to this being a one-year challenge (e.g. increased housing in that area). 

Mr. Ercan presented two calendar options for the 2023-2024 school year and indicated that CASLV administration including all seven campus principals, assistant principals, and deans prefer the August 14, 2023 start date. This will allow for more professional development days for teachers. 

Mr. Ercan indicated the policy is exactly the same but since we have had staff changes at some campuses, the contact information needed to be updated.  

Mr. Ercan reviewed the amendment changes in detail with the board. 

Mr. Jacob Thompson, CASLV Sandy Ridge campus Dean of Students presented and noted the benefits/advantages of sports programs including improved academics. It was discussed that stipends are increased for coaches, tiered by increased hours. 

Mr. Gunozu, CASLV Chief Academic Officer, reviewed School Report Cards for 2021-2022 SY for all campuses in detail providing a thorough explanation for achievement and growth indicators. This year the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) did not issue star ratings but just released index scores for each school in the state. With the released index scores, all elementary, middle, and high school campuses would have received 5 stars except Sandy Ridge middle school and Nellis AFB elementary and middle schools. Even though some campus index scores dropped, all campuses had improved their test scores in math. Some English scores decreased, and science scores are gradually improving as compared to the previous year. He discussed actions taken to maintain high scores. Interventions are planned at all campuses. The root causes of all changes were explained. In general, chronic absenteeism and growth are the two main causes of low performance for Nellis AFB elementary and middle schools and Sandy Ridge middle school. Sites will present their action plans, and we will continue monitoring the progress. Our current plan proposes tutoring, parent involvement, and teacher professional development.

1. Nellis Campus Action Plan presented by Ms. Mia Nelson
 

Math and ELA proficiency are higher than pre-Covid. Prior interventions have improved results despite overall academic proficiency declining. Because some of the index changes year-on-year for students, we have so many new students each year at Nellis AFB. There are still problems with chronic absenteeism. Key areas to improve are academic achievement and student growth indicators.
 

The SPCSA is recommending monitoring/oversight. More details will come on Friday. It may be more of a hindrance than a help if it’s simply increased reporting.
 

2. Sandy Ridge Campus Action Plan presented by Ms. Tanya Markley
Middle School Campus index score decreased. The achievement score is perfect. Problems discussed are chronic absenteeism (Ms. Markley described an action plan) and discussed student growth targeting the lowest performers.
 

Ms. Diggins said she would like to know what will be required from staff for the additional monitoring. She would like a focus group to visit Nellis in December/January and indicated that whatever resources Nellis needs should come back to the board.
 

Mr. Paul Khoury with DMS Finacial Consulting reviewed the October financials in detail and indicated the organization as a whole is as strong as ever. The cash ratio and current ratio continue to grow which are all good signs. CASLV's unrestricted cash on hand as of October 31 is $21 M. There is $4 M invested in CDs. CASLV is on track for an even budget this year. Mr. Khoury indicated the debt covenant ratio could be an issue but it is still early in the year. The debt covenant requires a certain ratio to the overall bond payments. Mr. Khoury also pointed out that the supplies budget is $5.2 M and CASLV has spent $4.1 M due to the new school being set up. Mr. Khoury stated that 78% with 34% of the year gone is a high ratio. Overall the organization is very healthy.  

Mr. Vu reviewed the suspension and expulsion report with the board and the SWIS data report was also reviewed in detail. It was noted that some staff members are still learning SWIS so some data is skewed on that report. Ms. Diggins said this is good data and it is helpful. The board thanked Mr. Vu for the detailed reports. 

Mr. Ercan discussed CASLV's accomplishments and important information regarding students and school clubs with the board. 

• The application window is open for the 2023-2024 school year. Mr. Ercan reviewed the application numbers since November 1, 2022. 
• Boosting Cadence campus enrollments: Various advertisements and videos were shared. 
• The Cadence campus open house was discussed and images were shared. 
• Open house dates for each campus for the 2023-2024 school year were reviewed. 
• Mr. Ercan discussed information regarding the top 10 charter elementary schools and middle schools in Nevada comparing CASLV to other districts. 
• The top 3 charter school high school 5-year graduation rates were reviewed, and CASLV Sandy Ridge received a 100% graduation rate. 
• The top 10 charter high schools in Nevada proficient math percentages were reviewed. 
• The top 10 charter high schools in Nevada proficient science percentages were reviewed. 
• The top 10 charter high schools in Nevada proficient ELA percentages were reviewed.
• CASLV Sandy Ridge achieved the rank of #1 "Best Charter High School" in Nevada. 
• Centennial Hills campus received the purple star schools award from the Nevada Department of Education. 
• CASLV seniors Vito D. and Jacqueline S. were named 2023 National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 
• Centennial Hills 3rd-4th grades Cross Country Team got second place at NCSAA Cross Country Championships. 
• Sandy Ridge students competed at the first speech and debate competition of the year at Desert Pines. They took 2nd place in small school sweepstakes overall. 
• Cadence student Ayla took 3rd place in Nevada for 5th grade. 
• CASLV Aim High professional development day for all 7 CASLV campuses' teachers and staff at the Cadence campus was reviewed. 
• Mr. Ercan shared images from the Veterans Day assembly at Nellis AFB campus. Brigadaire General Troy Armstrong was the guest speaker. 
• Windmill campus STEM pep rally details and images were shared. Henderson Mayor-Elect Michelle Romero was a guest speaker. 
• The Clark County fire department visited Tamarus campus to talk to 3rd-grade students about fire safety and fire gear. 
• Literacy night at Tamarus campus was a success! Mr. Ercan shared images of the event with the board and thanked CASLV's wonderful teachers, staff, parents, and the Tamarus community. 
• CASLV participated in the East Las Vegas Community Center grand opening. 
• Windmill campus hosted a Girl Powered workshop in STEM. In celebration of International day of Girls, female students interested in STEM were invited to join for a fun-filled morning of hands-on activities. 
• Great shakeout earthquake drills: Safety is the highest priority of all staff and admin, and to ensure student safety it is vitally important that we regularly hold drills that cover diverse scenarios. 
• Operation Coral Cares activities: As part of Operation Coral cares, two officers from the 432d Wing at Creech AFB came and spoke to students about what it is like to be deployed overseas. 
• The Harvest/Fall festival at Centennial Hills campus was a success and images were shared. 
• The Halloween drive-by parade at Nellis AFB was a success and images were shared. 
• The first trunk-or-treat at the Cadence campus was a success and images were shared. 
• The costumes and smiles at the trunk-or-treat at the Tamarus campus were endless. 
• The trunk-or-treat at the Eastgate campus was a success and images were shared. 
• Aviation Nation STEM Festival at Nellis AFB was a spectacular event. 
• The Windmill community came together to celebrate the Day of the Dead celebration. 
• Math teams competed in the mathleague.org qualifying round contest and the results for each campus were shared. 
• The Sandy Ridge campus Women in STEM Club invited Dr. Carryn Warren to learn about the career pathway to a mathematics professor. 
• The Women in STEM club was at the UNLV campus for a wonderful opportunity with NDE Superintendent Ebert.
• Chris Andres from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection visited the Women in STEM Club. 
• SPCSA Cadence site visit: The SPCSA will conduct its site visit on December 1st. 
• Next meeting: January 28, 2023, at the Cadence campus. 

The closed session was held from 8:25 PM - 9:20 PM. 

Ms. Diggins said the board received the closed session information and there are two action items. 

1. The change order request from CORE Construction is being sent to the Finance and Facilities subcommittee for further reporting, review, and consideration after they receive more information from administration. 

2. The ERC funding application is being analyzed further and will also go to the Finance and Facilities subcommittee for consideration and recommendations from the leadership teams. 

There were no public comments.