Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas
Minutes
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday September 25, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Location
CASLV Central Office
8985 S. Eastern Ave #375
Las Vegas, NV, 89123
Posting of Agenda: This agenda has been posted at the following locations:
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas (“CASLV”) Central Office, CASLV website at www.caslv.org, and Nevada Public Notice website at http://notice.nv.gov.
Format / Procedures / Rules: This is a notice of a public meeting held pursuant to NRS Chapter 241. Members of the public are invited to be present.
Certain items may be removed from open/public consideration if permitted or required by Nevada law. The Board may also (i) take agenda items out of order; (ii) combine two or more items for consideration; (iii) separate one item into multiple items; (iv) table an agenda item to a future meeting; and/or (v) remove an agenda item.
Reasonable efforts will be made to assist and accommodate persons with physical disabilities desiring to attend the meeting. Please contact Ms. Shepard at ashepard@coralacademylv.org at least 48 hours before the time of the meeting, if possible, so that reasonable arrangements may conveniently be made.
Please also contact Ms. Shepard if you would like a copy of the agenda and any public reference materials relating to agenda items. Those materials will also be available at the meeting location. Those materials would provide you with greater context and clarity as to the matters under discussion.
By law, no one may willfully disrupt the meeting to the extent that its orderly conduct becomes impractical.
All items are action or possible action items if denoted as such.
Directors Present
Ann Diggins, Brin Gibson (remote), Chan Lengsavath, Dr. Carryn Warren, Elizabeth Kazelskis, Feyzi Tandogan
Directors Absent
Arlene Hayman
Guests Present
Amber Nhan, Academic Program Coordinator, Andrea Shepard, CASLV Executive Assistant, Dr. Ercan Aydogdu, CASLV Executive Director & CEO, Dr. Mustafa Gunozu, Chief Academic Officer, Hamze Cengiz, CASLV Director of IT, Ismail Kocabiyik, CASLV Windmill Principal, Mark Gardberg, CASLV Legal Counsel, Mia Nelson, CASLV Nellis AFB Principal, Nick Sarisahin, CASLV Chief Financial Officer, Omer Arikan, Director of Information Systems, Selim Tanyeri, CASLV Chief Operations Officer
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Public Comment
Mr. Gibson left the meeting at 6:37 p.m.
II. Consent Agenda
A.
August 24, 2024 Board Meeting Minutes (For Possible Action)
B.
September 20, 2024 Academic Committee Meeting Minutes (For Possible Action)
C.
Report of Purchases and Expenses Between $10,000 and $25,000 (For Possible Action)
D.
RTB Data & Counsulting LLC Agreement (For Possible Action)
E.
Amendment of Firewall Upgrade and Subscription Renewal Company(For Possible Action)
III. Information/Discussion Items
A.
Academic Committee Report and NSPF Performance Reports (Information)
Dr. Gunozu and Ms. Nhan presented the academic committee report, leading to an in-depth discussion with the board. Ms. Hayman submitted a letter regarding Nellis Campus Elementary School's Nevada Performance Framework (NSPF) star rating, which Dr. Warren reviewed. Dr. Gunozu outlined strategies for improvement, while Mr. Tandogan congratulated the team on successfully closing attendance gaps. Ms. Diggins remarked that, overall, the progress is excellent.
No action, information only.
B.
Executive Director’s Progress Report (Information)
Dr. Ercan discussed CASLV's accomplishments and important information regarding students and school clubs with the board.
- Dr. Ercan reviewed The NSPF results for the 2023/2024 school year.
- A Sandy Ridge student, Matthew B. has been selected as a student representative on the State Public Charter School Authority's (SPCSA) Board. Matthews's first meeting with the SPCSA will be on October 4, 2024.
- Teegan, a Sandy Ridge cross country team runner secured 5th place in her division and set a personal record for the 5k with a time of 20:35, while Phoenix took 6th place in his division at Red Rock Invitational.
- Four Sandy Ridge students, Johnathan A., Amir K., Vincent K., and Rehan P., are National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. Out of over a million entrants nationwide, these exceptional students are among the top 16,000 semifinalists.
- Nevada Schools Honored for Promoting Positive Behavior! Five CASLV campuses are recognized for their outstanding efforts in promoting positive behavior and
supporting student success. These campuses utilize the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) frameworks to create a positive, proactive, and inclusive learning environment for all students. Top Diamond recognition schools: CASLV Centennial Hills Campus, CASLV Tamarus Campus, CASLV Windmill Campus. Top Gold Recognition Schools: CASLV Eastgate Campus, CASLV Sandy Ridge Campus. The recognized schools will be honored at the Nevada Association of Positive Behavior Support conference in February 2025, where they will share their strategies and successes, helping to inspire other schools to embrace the MTSS framework. - Nellis Expansion Project (OLDCC Grant): We made the final approval and submitted our application through their portal. OLDCC staff will have a site visit to give us the authority to start the project. Our team proposed the top three architects to the board for consideration
and approval. We will negotiate with these architects starting from the top one. We aim to start construction in Spring 2025 and get the new facilities ready by the 2026-2027 School Year. - Dr. Ercan shared images from a Nellis AFB Honor Guard Team for visiting and training Nellis campus students.
- An image of Sandy Ridge's class of 2025 kicking off their senior year with a breathtaking sunrise was shared.
- Sandy Ridge CMLP members headed to Mckee Ranch for a day or volunteering and team bonding. Their first big volunteer event of the year!
- The Senior Leadership Team has been conducting campus visits. So far they have visited Cadence, Centennial Hills, and Eastgate campuses. Thanks to Dr. Warren for joining us for the Eastgate visit. Dr. Ercan shared the dates for the next visits.
- No Phone Policy, Teacher Comment: Dr. Ercan shared a comment from a Sandy Ridge campus teacher who said: "Happy Friday! Just here to say, it's interesting and cool to see so many students bringing cards and board games to play and interact with each other with this no cell phone policy in place."
- The Next Regular Meeting will be on October 29, 2024, at CASLV's Sandy Ridge Campus at 4:30 pm.
IV. Discussion & Possible Action Items- Contracts, Purchases, and Procurements
A.
Payment to Henderson Chamber of Commerce for Leadership Henderson Participation (For Possible Action)
Dr. Ercan recommends participation for Mr. Nick indicating it is an excellent leadership program.
B.
Redesigned Front Entry Architecture Full Drawing Set for Sandy Ridge, Windmill, and Tamarus campuses (For Possible Action)
Mr. Selim presented the complete architectural designs, highlighting that the board had previously approved only limited designs. Staff recommends KNIT Architects for the project. Work is set to be completed next summer, in time for the 2025/2026 school year. The board thoroughly reviewed the designs for each campus project.
Below are the amounts presented:
- Sandy Ridge: $33,060
- Tamarus: $72,700
- Windmill: $50,060
C.
Nellis AFB Campus Facility Improvements (For Possible Action)
Mr. Selim, Ms. Nelson and Dr. Ercan presented the following projects for approval:
Pre-K & Kindergarten Classroom Cabinets: Removing existing classroom cabinets and installing new upper cabinets. By doing this, it creates more usable space for students. The cost for this will be paid by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) Early Childhood Innovative Literacy Program (ECILP) grant.
Pre-K Restrooms Remodel: In two different areas of the pre-K hallway, create a doorway in between adjacent pre-K restrooms (A136+A140 & A138+A142) to conjoin them so that the two classrooms will then share a Jack & Jill style restroom with two stalls. The cost for this project will be paid by the NDE's ECILP grant.
Playground Landscaping Renovation: Clearing a current landscaped area and excavating the dirt to be 7 inches below the curb - making it ready for a playground to be installed. The cost for this project will be paid by the NDE's ECILP grant.
Selection of Playground Company: Installing a new pre-K playground in a new location north of the A Hallway. The playground will be ECERS-3 compliant and ADA-inclusive. The cost for this project will be paid by the NDE's ECILP grant.
The team addressed questions from the board regarding each item as they were presented.
Mr. Gardberg asked the minutes to reflect that Tridel is the lowest responsive bidder. Play It Safe is the only company that properly took into account wide accessibility for disabled students.
Selection of Architect for Campus Expansion: This is to select an architect for the Nellis campus expansion with the help of an OLDCC grant of $71M.
Mr. Selim gave an update regarding the project and the architect's bidding process. Nine architect firms submitted bids and five architect firms were invited to interview on Monday, September 23, 2024. The interviews consisted of a presentation and a question-and-answer portion.
The firms were evaluated on 6 key items:
- Presentation
- Team Member Experience
- Local School Design Experience
- Federal Projects Experience
- Design Approach
- Project Management Approach
Each interviewee ranked the architect firms from 5-to-1. 5 being their top choice and 1 being their lowest choice. The average scores were calculated and the highest scores determined the preferred rankings.
This will be a prevailing wage job and each applicant was interviewed with federal rules in mind.
D.
Landscaping RFP for 6 Campuses (For Possible Action)
Mr. Selim noted that there have been numerous complaints about the current landscapers. The request for proposal (RFP) attracted five bidders, and staff recommends selecting Green EL, the lowest bidder. This recommendation does not include the CASLV Centennial Hills campus, as its landscaping is managed through the HOA.
E.
CASLV End-of-Year Celebration (For Possible Action)
Dr. Ercan outlined the circumstances surrounding the event and informed the board that staff members are highly supportive of it. This occasion presents a valuable opportunity to recognize our dedicated teachers and staff. CASLV is seeking sponsorships, with the total funding to come from donations. The event will be free for staff members, while a fee will apply for significant others. Attendees can look forward to a lovely plated dinner, dancing, teacher and staff awards, and more. The event is scheduled for May 9, 2025, at 6 PM at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. Dr. Ercan also noted that a Gold level sponsorship has already been secured.
V. Discussion/Possible Action Items-Governance/Policies/Finance
A.
CASLV's Charter Renewal (For Possible Action)
Mr. Selim presented the draft charter renewal application, noting that the letter of intent has already been submitted. The CASLV Academic Committee reviewed the draft application and provided their feedback and recommendations. Board members are also encouraged to share any comments. The deadline for submitting the charter renewal application is October 15th, and this request will be for 10 years. A board representative should attend the State Public Charter School Authority approval meeting, scheduled for either their November 15th or December 13th board meeting.
B.
Literacy Rate of Improvement (For Possible Action)
Ms. Nhan said this is a statewide goal to improve by 15% from 50 to 65%. Ms. Diggins asked if the goal is realistic and if she has the necessary resources. Ms. Nhan informed the board we are capable and optimistic. It is possible, however, it is ambitious.
C.
AB 245 Power-Based Violence MOU (For Possible Action)
Ms. Nhan presented the AB 245 Power-Based Violence Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement involves the same organization as last year, which has a strong presence in the community. The terms remain unchanged, with no financial burden on CASLV.
D.
Amendment of Accounting Manual (For Possible Action)
Mr. Nick explained the edits made to the accounting manual to ensure compliance with federal grant requirements. Mr. Nick noted he would correct a few minor typos within the manual.
VI. Closed Session-Privileged & Confidential
A.
Attorney/Client Conference
The closed session was held from 6:44 p.m. to 7:05 p.m.
VII. Potential Action(s) (For Possible Action)
A.
Potential Action(s) (For Possible Action)
VIII. Public Comments (Information)
A.
Public Comment
Nyomi W., a CASLV middle school student, addressed the board about the restriction on middle school students wearing skorts to school. She presented a petition regarding this. The board thanked Nyomi for her attendance and commended her for presenting so effectively. It was noted that items not on the agenda cannot be voted on during board meetings. Ms. Diggins requested that a copy of the petition be sent to the board for review and indicated that the matter will be discussed with campus administration.
There were no public comments.