Spokane International Academy
Minutes
Monthly Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday September 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Location
Spokane International Academy, Media Center
777 E Magnesium Rd, Spokane, WA 99208
Directors Present
Ashlee Lent (remote), Cassie Anderson (remote), Charina Carothers (remote), David James (remote), Guillermo Espinosa, Javier Medina, Ron Poplawski
Directors Absent
Bob Castle, John Pell, Maureen Rosette
Directors who left before the meeting adjourned
Charina Carothers
Guests Present
Chandalee Wood, Mathias Sanders, Morgen Flowers-Washington (remote), Myra Keast, Sam Schweda, Seth Bilesky
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
II. Consent Agenda
A.
Approve Minutes
B.
August Financials
C.
July Financials
D.
School Specific Goals
E.
Policy 2161P
F.
Policy 2410/2410P
- Amend the policy regarding the combined annual coverage that students are permitted to enroll between the high school and the college from 1.2 FTE to 1.4 FTE.
G.
Policy 3143
- Morgen Flowers-Washington will confirm the validity of the information stated in the policy regarding juvenile programs with OSPI.
H.
Policy 3210
This policy is being updated to conform to the model policy.
I.
Updated Student & Family Handbook
J.
Updated Staff Handbook
K.
PE Waiver
III. Enrollment Update
A.
Enrollment Report
- September Enrollment Headcount - 858; reflects the total number of students enrolled
- September Enrollment Full Time Equivalent (FTE) - 848; FTE reflects the numbers for funding and reporting
- Headcount and FTE do not equal the same number due to some high school students attending Running Start and the Skills Center; students are not in the building physically
- New students start 2x a month and typically start on a Tuesday.
- A more accurate enrollment report will be provided in October
- SIA is budgeted at 851 students; as long as enrollment stays over 851
IV. Hiring Update
A.
Family and Community Organizer
Hiring update and positions available:
- Hired a Math Interventionist today.
- Community and Family Organizer
- This role is funded by the Gates Foundation
- Job posting on the school website and social media
- Will close on Friday, and interviews start
- Two additional Instructional Assistants
V. Head of School Items
A.
Head of School Goals
Morgen presented a brief description of each goal.
Goal 1: Build Systems for Data-Driven Decision Making
SIA received a grant to implement a Data Dashboard. To facilitate the creation and implementation of a School Data Dashboard to monitor key academic, cultural, enrollment, and financial metrics.
Goal 2: Develop a Succession and Continuity Plan
Design and document a Succession Plan outlining responsibilities, interim leadership
structures, and continuity protocols in the event of leadership transition. Note that this school year is Morgen's last year as HOS, unless renewed by the Board.
Goal 3: Ensure Adherence to ARCs and EOY Academic & Organizational Goals
Oversee the full ARC cadence and EOY Goals (Academic, Culture & Belonging, Collective
Efficacy, and Organization) by ensuring structures for measurement, accountability, and
reporting are followed consistently.
Goal 4: Ensure Enrollment Stability and Fiscal Responsibility
Safeguard enrollment and financial sustainability through transparent practices and
careful monitoring.
Goal 5: Explore the Feasibility of Expansion for Middle and High School
Lead a feasibility study to determine opportunities for expanding middle and high school
programming.
B.
End of Year Goals/ARC 1 Work
- Currently at ARC 1 through October 17th.
- The expansion discussed in the HOS Goals is not part of ARC. Morgen will conduct a feasibility study first.
- Morgen will provide a report on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) at the October meeting.
- Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) will be administered in May.
C.
September Update
The Board did not have any questions.
D.
Charter Renewal Update
Great news! SIA has been granted a 5-year renewal with no conditions by the WA Charter Commission.
E.
Excellent Schools of Washington (EWSA) Schools Showcase
ESWA will visit SIA on September 29th. There will be a school tour, a student panel, and a pop-in at several classrooms. Ron Poplawski will attend. Cassie Anderson encourages one more Board member to attend.
F.
25-26 School Calendar
FYI - Board's open invitation to attend any event at school.
Shout out to Guillermo for attending the Open House.
VI. Governance
A.
Board Compliance Requirements: Board & Administrative Staff Training
- Due October 31st
- Email the certificate of completion to Myra Keast and Cassie Anderson
B.
Board Compliance Requirements: Annual F1 Personal Disclosure Statement Attestation
New members will file as soon as possible. Proof of filing is automatic.
C.
Board Commitment Form
D.
Board Committees & Sign Up
The signup form was emailed to all Board members. Ideally, Board members are encouraged to sign up for at least two committees.
Cassie would like to have committees formed by October 15th and ready for the October meeting.
VII. Other Business
A.
Review of the Board Retreat
How to utilize the work at the retreat for this year's Board?
- Team Building (use in committees)
- For new board members, it was a great opportunity to meet the admin team and learn about SIA
- Thoughts and conversation on how to focus on the mission as we grow
- Showing up in person for board meetings
- Create community service opportunities for students (2nd Saturday per month in the cafeteria, starting on Oct 11)
B.
23/24 Audit
Sam Schweda reported that the 23/24 Audit was a clean audit, with one minor entry error. This has been corrected.
Before adjournment, Guillermo Espinosa shared his interaction with one parent during the Open House. The parent expressed her concerns about the dress code policy, particularly the hair policy. An invitation was extended to attend today's Board meeting; however, the parent is not in attendance today.
VIII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
- Enrollment 9-25.pdf
- Head of School Goals 25-26.pdf
This is a new Policy for SIA.