Aurum Preparatory Academy

Minutes

December Board Meeting

Date and Time

Thursday December 16, 2021 at 6:00 PM

Location

Meeting ID: 449 267 1102 Passcode: 12345

Directors Present

A. Kingsley (remote), C. Davis (remote), M. Knutson (remote), V. Hayes (remote), V. Toke (remote)

Directors Absent

J. Huddle

Guests Present

D. Hardin (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Call the Meeting to Order

V. Toke called a meeting of the board of directors of Aurum Preparatory Academy to order on Thursday Dec 16, 2021 at 6:08 PM.

B.

Roll Call -- Establish Quorum

C.

Approval of the Agenda

V. Toke made a motion to Approve Agenda.
V. Hayes seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

D.

Public Comment

II. Consent Items

A.

October Board Meeting Minutes

V. Hayes made a motion to approve the minutes from October 28, 2021 as posted October Board Meeting on 10-28-21.
A. Kingsley seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
A. Kingsley
Aye
M. Knutson
Abstain
V. Toke
Aye
C. Davis
Aye
V. Hayes
Aye
J. Huddle
Absent

B.

Board findings pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e)(3)

M. Knutson made a motion to Move to continue to allow remote attendance at the board meetings.
A. Kingsley seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

III. Information and Discussion

A.

Working Group Meeting Reports

  • Governance--did not have the opportunity to meet. No items to report
  • Financials--just completed debrief. How to project attendance and get a fall class of 75 students?
  • Academic--how to help with teaching training on handling difficult conversations/conflict. 

 

B.

Executive Director's Report

GOALS:

  • Academic Goals--Students will pass at 75% in t1; 1.5 years growth in math and english
  • Culture--reading 10 books/demonstrate a love of reading

 

ACOE MATERIAL REVISION

  • Quite laborious
  • In February with Public Hearing
  • Last material revision was for independent study--so students can log in online (the student can still long on and access class)
  • Material enrollment is due to revision...because it is out of 10% of its enrollment projections--why? what impact is on financials? 
  • We are about 16% lower than what we projected. 80% of all ACOE authorized schools are in the same place. 
  • Will be a lot of work
  • Vijay: Last material revision, we used a grant writer...are we budgeting for that now?
  • David: Will handle this time--far less complex...as long as Bryan is helping with accounting
  • Anne: Where did students go?
  • David: Families left Bay Area--and moved to other places where the cost of living was lower
  • Vijay: When is it due? 
  • David: Material revision due in Feb. Hearing in Feb. And then, reviewed by March/April.

WWW CELEBRATION

  • Week without wall celebration
  • 6th grade--students did social justice/super hero --made super hero figurines with boron crystals, ratios of super hero, poems, and historical impact report
  • 7th grade--Ran a mock election for 7th grade--tiktok videos, exposition and election for different candidates, primary election, etc. Learned about electoral process, on STEM side, students had to look at the ratio/mathematics of how they voted
  • 8th grade project--students had to design bridges with 250 toothpicks, autocad--learned about different shapes, design bridges, explain/argue why it will work, stacked books for a contest, 

Educator Effectiveness Grant 

  • Recruiting and retaining quality staff is imperative
  • Grant provides supplemental funds to do so
  • Reviewed plan to expend funds for quality teachers

 

ACTS GOSPEL

  • Good relationship with church
  • Lease extension so long as the board is OK
  • Vijay: unless there is time imperative, we should vote on it in Feb board meeting (renewing in 2022)
  • Toy drive this weekend
  • Saturday street team--100 people assisted in door hanging

TEACHERS

  • New hire for English
  • Science teacher out on family leave with replacement/sub lined up

 

C.

Financial Update

  • Turned into the county
  • Showing what we are predicting for next year
  • Enrollment is down--predicted 183 but went down to 164 (daily attendance 156 about 95% attendance). 
  • We are projecting surplus of 6,000 approximately helped by cutting expenses in personnel
  • Ending fund balance is 1.2 million, and that is 44% of current year expenses (healthy is 20%, so we are more than healthy). We are in good shape. Built up fund balance by 717,000...
  • This year, we will be flat because we don't have as much one time money.
  • We will have approx. 1,000,000 in cash balance at end of the year...
  • Staffing metrics--cut administrative headcount--teacher salaries are a little bit down 63,000 rather than 66,000 average. 
  • Enrollment metrics--incoming 6 graders at 45
  • This year, ESSER Funding, Building Funding.
  • Total revenue 3.1 million
  • Changes/unexpected--teacher out on family leave
  • Audit should be done at end of January and in time for February board meeting
  •  

IV. Action Items

A.

Vote on First Interim Report

M. Knutson made a motion to Approve the Aurum financial summary for December 2021 and Aurum income statement for December 2021 (submitted to ACOE).
V. Hayes seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
V. Toke made a motion to Approve the plan for the Educator Effectiveness Grant.
M. Knutson seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

V. Closing Items

A.

Board Comments

Vincent:
  • 2nd interim report due in March and will need to be approved by March 15th
  • Feb or March meeting may need to be moved around to accommodate.

 

 

B.

Next Board Meeting

January 27, 2022, 6 PM

C.

Adjourn Meeting

V. Hayes made a motion to adjourn meeting.
C. Davis 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 6:54 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
A. Kingsley