Anser Charter School Board of Directors

Minutes

Anser Charter School Board of Directors Annual Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday June 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Location

Anser Charter School 

Anser's Mission is to educate the whole child in a collaborative learning community where individuals are inspired to be self-motivated and to feel a sense of connection and responsibility to the world.

 

Anser's vision is to foster learning that imagines a better world and works toward realizing it; set high academic standards; promote creativity, discovery, reflection and balance; embrace diversity; and use developmentally appropriate practices and real-world experiences to educate within a climate of collaboration, community, character, and compassion.

 

Directors Present

Brian Whitney, Erik Moncada, Hannah Read Newbill, Jessica Budzianowski (she/her), Katie Hanson (remote), Lynne Funke, Roger Stewart, Sarah Butler, Sasha Rojas Zaragoza, Suzanne Gregg

Directors Absent

Victor McCraw

Guests Present

Annie Edwards, Heather Dennis, Renee Bade

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

Brian Whitney called a meeting of the board of directors of Anser Charter School Board of Directors to order on Tuesday Jun 10, 2025 at 6:02 PM.

C.

Approve Agenda and the Minutes of the Prior Meetings (Action)

Suzanne Gregg made a motion to approve the minutes from May 20, 2025 Board Meeting.
Erik Moncada seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

D.

Opening Crew

Since this was Heather Dennis' last Board meeting, members took turns thanking her for her many years of service to Anser.  After this, the Board and Heather welcomed the new Executive Director, Renee Bade, who was in attendance.  

II. Finance

A.

May 2025 Budget Summary (Action)

Brian Whitney made a motion to approve the May 2025 Budget Summary.
Sarah Butler seconded the motion.

Annie Edwards from Bluum presented the budget summary.  Transportation reimbursement from the state remains up in the air.  Heather and Annie continue to discuss the issue with the state trying to move to a resolution that results in Anser receiving the amount of transportation dollars that aligns with the transportation program at Anser.  

Annie reported that the special education program has stabilized over the past several months regarding staffing costs. Anser has been undergoing, during the past two years but especially the 2024-2025 school year, a restructuring of the special education program resulting in reduced costs.  The efforts have been successful and the stabilizing of the budget attests to this.  

Medicaid funds are arriving as expected and are meeting goals for the 2024-2025 year.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

B.

Public Hearing on the FY26 Anser Charter School Budget

Brian Whitney formally opened the public hearing for the FY26 budget at 6:29 pm.  

 

Annie and Heather presented the FY26 budget. The budget reflects progress towards completion of strategic goals for Anser as it continues working through the expansion process. Based on the proposed budget, Anser will meet its loan covenants next year even after having given raises to all certificated and non-certificated staff. Importantly, fall enrollment and average daily attendance throughout FY26 remain critically important for Anser to be able to meet the FY26 revenue requirements.  

Erik asked what the attendance target is for next year.  Heather responded that it is 95.5%. 

Jessica clarified with Annie that the loss incurred for 2024-2025 was around the $170,000 point that had been previously stated as the most likely outcome for the year.  

 

Brian closed the hearing at 6:45 pm.   

C.

Adopt the FY26 Anser Charter School Budget (Action)

Brian Whitney made a motion to approve the 2024-2025 amended Anser budget.
Erik Moncada seconded the motion.

Annie directed the Board that the amended budget for 2024-2025 needed to be approved before approving the new FY26 budget. 

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Brian Whitney made a motion to approve the Anser FY26 budget.
Suzanne Gregg seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

D.

Appprove FY26 Contracts (Action)

Hannah Read Newbill made a motion to approve contracts for M. Bradshaw, K. Gray, D. Tonkin, and A. Nichols.
Jessica Budzianowski (she/her) seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

E.

Approve Executive Committee executing summer contracts (Action)

Jessica Budzianowski (she/her) made a motion to approve the Anser Executive Committee executing summer contracts.
Erik Moncada seconded the motion.

The Board does not meet between their June meeting and August when there might be contracts needing to be approved in a timely manner. Historically, the Board has granted the Executive Committee the power to approve contracts for the time period between the June Board meeting and the first meeting of the Board in August for the upcoming school year. 

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

F.

Approve adding Renee Bade as a check signatory (Action)

Erik Moncada made a motion to approve adding Renee Bade as a check signatory on all Anser accounts effective July 1, 2025.
Hannah Read Newbill seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

III. Board Elections

A.

Board Elections (Action)

Brian Whitney made a motion to elect Lynne Funke to the Board.
Sarah Butler seconded the motion.

Anser by-laws require re-electing a member who was initially installed prior to the official start of a term of appointment, which for Anser is in June of each year.  Lynne started on the Board during fall 2024 so she needed to be re-elected for her official term to begin June 2025.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Hannah Read Newbill made a motion to to elect Haley Fletcher Bethune to the Anser Board as a regular member.
Erik Moncada seconded the motion.

Board members had reviewed a biographical statement written by Haley along with her statement of why she wished to become a member of the Board. 

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Brian Whitney made a motion to elect all officers.
Suzanne Gregg seconded the motion.

The board voted to approve the following officers:

Brian Whitney--president

Hannah Read-Newbill--vice-president

Roger Stewart--secretary

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

IV. Organization Integrity

A.

Executive Session pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206 (1)(b)

Brian Whitney made a motion to enter into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206 (1)(b) at 6:50 pm.
Sasha Rojas Zaragoza seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
Sarah Butler
Aye
Erik Moncada
Aye
Suzanne Gregg
Aye
Victor McCraw
Absent
Lynne Funke
Aye
Roger Stewart
Aye
Sasha Rojas Zaragoza
Aye
Jessica Budzianowski (she/her)
Aye
Katie Hanson
Aye
Brian Whitney
Aye
Hannah Read Newbill
Aye
Erik Moncada made a motion to exit executive session pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206 (1)(b) at 7:22 pm.
Brian Whitney seconded the motion.

No one had entered or left the meeting during the time of the executive session.  

The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
Erik Moncada
Aye
Lynne Funke
Aye
Victor McCraw
Absent
Suzanne Gregg
Aye
Katie Hanson
Aye
Brian Whitney
Aye
Jessica Budzianowski (she/her)
Aye
Hannah Read Newbill
Aye
Sarah Butler
Aye
Sasha Rojas Zaragoza
Aye
Roger Stewart
Aye

The executive session did not require Board action on the item so no vote was needed after the session closed and the Board reconvened in regular session.

V. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

Brian Whitney made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:23 pm.
Roger Stewart 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 7:23 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Roger Stewart