Board discussed methods to encourage public participation during the monthly Board Meetings. 

Parent Board Members and Scholars will be encouraged and welcomed to attend and provide public comments in the future Board Meetings. 

Staff Member: Oluwadara Ogunbo 

Provided brief history of time at Pharos Academy Charter School 

Discussed the challenges due to COVID learning loss and the practices she has been using to overcome them.

Define extenuating circumstances for Board remote attendance. 

Discuss the language to put in place and how it will coincide with the open meeting guidelines. 

Written procedures must be available and posted. Board will need to consider the language to use. 

Suggestion to approve tonight to solidify that something is in place and this topic can be recirculated at the next meeting if required. 

Board reviewed and discussed the language presented in the resolution draft copy related to Board meeting attendance. 

The language would be that the Pharos Academy Charter School authorizes its members who are unable to be physically present at any such meeting location due to experiencing extraordinary circumstances , disability, illness , care giving responsibilities or any other

significant or unexpected factor or event which precludes the member’s physical attendance at such meeting.

The Board has resolved to basically copy the draft resolution as the resolution for permitting virtual attendance.

Finance Committee met and discussed the financial position of the school. 

Financial trending is on track with all numbers falling within the budgeted values. 

Projection is still on track with an estimated surplus value. 

School is currently operating mask optionally and 100% in-person  

Tests are available for Staff and Scholars and testing programs can be done if required or suggested. 

Board members encouraged random testing and the concerns around Holiday Breaks, Weather related illnesses and if there is inventory of take home test this would be helpful to support the random testing and self reporting. 

School will continue to allow staff and scholar to random test and self police the testing procedures. Holiday and frequent travelers are recommended to test.  

DOE approach has changed recently, with less Situation room responses. 

DOE School Nurse responsibilities discussed and Board would like to review and discuss further.  Nurse supports the day to day basic services. 

Board Suggestions: 

1.  Mandatory testing around Holidays (Thanksgiving & Winter Break) for Scholars and Staff Members 

2.  If Board will be returning in person, testing should be done before the Board meeting.  Board is willing to be tested and this should be in place for the upcoming Board Meetings. 

Culture Committee did not meet but will schedule a meeting in the near future to discuss school community Board  attendance and establish dates that the Culture Committee can visit the School in person. 

Failure to release the State Data,  School level data was released but they have not released the data the school needs to make accurate comparison planning.  

Data erected the next couple of weeks.  School does not know where we stand on comparison to the State. 

Highest ELA results throughout the pandemic.  

Data not currently available and should be up within the next couple of weeks to repair to the Board and for the school do some deep planning. 

Request at the next Board Meeting.  Principal Brown would like to have the floor for an hour to allow the Board to understand the process and have the Board kick the tires on the pricess. 

Principal Brown would like to present the academic structure, procedures and results to the Board. 

Board 100% in agreement to allow this presentation at the next Board meeting. 

Start of the school year, enrollment is strong, 

Key Teacher Vacancies: 

1.  6th Grade ELA Teacher

2.  10 Grade ELA Teacher 

3.  Calculus 

Board approved one of the preferences of Staff children 

Principal has enrolled his son and thanks the Board for the preference. 

Enrollment inquiry - Why are our numbers in enrollment strong. 

The scholars want to come here- Sports, Music, Marketing Activities.

Uptick in the number of parents who are enrolling their scholars, removing them from Catholic/Private Schools. 

7-12  Uniform has been enhanced 

Pharos Academy Charter School will be moving away from NY Edge and bringing in Fencing, Karate, Dance Tennis, and other training skills. 

Sports approach is getting the kids active Sports and support scholarship activities. 

Scorecard for Principal needs to be updated. 

Board will work on a new job description that is co-developed by the Board and The Principal. 

Document shared illustrating a sample job description. 

No new facility activities to report.  All current projects are moving along as anticipated. 

Board entered into Executive Session at 8:10 PM 

Board exited out of Executive Session at 8:34 PM

Personnel matter discussed