February - 757.5 attrition rate; decreased from last semester

An enrollment discussion among Russ Battiata, Brook Wilkerson, Zach Butler, and Myra Keast was held earlier this month. They shared ideas on how to fill some spaces that are currently open. They emailed families applying for next year to fill available spots for this year and received a positive response.

They also discussed ways to reach a wider audience for next year's enrollment. Social media announcements, advertising, and showing presence at community events all contribute to exposing SIA throughout the greater Spokane area.  

Q: Why are some students leaving SIA in the middle of the year? Usually in high school, SIA sees a pattern of semester transition. Mostly because students who want to experience main stream high schools or students want to play sports.

Cassie suggests doing some research to find out why families are leaving. It seems to be a recurring issue and knowing the reasons why they leave can possibly help to address any issues.

Morgen Flowers shared that SIA has been doing some heavy recruiting in the last two months. We placed an advertisement with the Inlander Magazine (Restaurant Week issue), the Family Guide, and was present at the Lunar New Year festivities at the Spokane Convention Center. 

As of this date, SIA has received 270 applications online (SchoolMint). This number is slightly below compared to last year. The application window is open through March 16th. Campus tours (March 2nd and March 6th) continue through March  along with Information Nights ((March 6th and March 13th).

Social Media postings occur 3x week; some we boost via posts/reels of upcoming events.

The RFP for transportation closed last Friday. 

There were two bus companies who submitted their application: Harlows and Zum. Sponane Public School district  uses the bus company Zum. Zum's pricing is $130,000 more expensive than Harlow's, SIA's current contracted bus company.

Brook Wilkersob, Russ Battiata, and Sam Schweda will review the rubric they submitted. Sam Schweda is requesting a special virtual board meeting to bring recommendations to the Board for review and a vote. A quorum will be needed. Mary will send a doodle poll to members to find an agreeable date/time for the special meeting.

The Winter NWEA MAP tests were administered to SIA students from February 5th through February 13th. The tests assess students' proficiency in reading and math. Results from the winter tests help inform instructional strategies and interventions tailored to students' needs.

The MAP test measures students' growth by comparing their current RIT scores with their previous scores. The test will show whether a student has met their projected growth goal by assessing whether their current RIT scores have met or exceeded the expected growth trajectory based on their previous performance. In other words, the test provides a clear indication of whether a student has made the anticipated progress toward their individualized growth goal.

The focus was on students who are in the bottom 40th percentile. 

School-wide - 59.3% of students met projected growth in Reading and Math.

We invite you to look at the presentation. Email Morgen Flowers for questions or if you want to discuss further. 

https://app2.boardontrack.com/org/tLvVPO/attachment/download/314239

Committee Chair, Guillermo Espinosa reported. The committee have met twice. He invites others to join the committee. Guillermo has scheduled a meeting with the Director of Curriculum, Caryn McGee this week. There will be additional updates as the year progresses.

Brook Wilkerson reported. The demolition to the gym has been completed. All mold has been removed. The contractor is TW Clark, who will work directly with the insurance company. TWC is getting RFPs from subcontractors now.

Unfortunately, the gym most likely will not be ready until June. 

Jeff Hyslop reported. We have signed a contract for initial planning with the civil designer and surveyor. Our neighbor church is happy to hear that we are moving forward with the project, however we will still need to come to an agreement with them for the purchase of the required land.

SIA is working with the  apartment complex and has met with Tom Clemson, owner, to discuss the road project. Jeff should have a preliminary sketch to present at the next Board meeting.

Jessica de Barros, Executive Director of Charter School Commission, regulatory agency (not to be confused with WA Charter) attended this month's Board meeting.  Jessica has been in this position for two years. She has worked with Morgen Flowers and Travis Franklin previously.

Italiana Hughes was also in attendace. Italiana is the oversight manager for SIA. She checks in with the administration regularly.

Jessica presented and discussed various topics such as:

• Charter school definition
• Board responsibilities and roles
• Charter process

Charter schools provide more choices to families. They are designed to meet the needs of the community; and charter schools can customize their curriculum. 

Charter Process: It takes more than a year for a school to get approved. Once approved, a contract is issued.

There are four groups who oversees SIA and other WA charter schools:

• Charter commission
• Charter Public School board
• OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)
• State Auditor

The school's mission is the heart of the charter contract. A contract is a voluntary agreement. The board is the contract-holder. 

Roles of Board:

• Policy development is a key role of the board. Some policies need commissions approval.
• School leader's performance
• Financial management
• Monitor school progress - sharing data at board meetings as an example
• Adhere to the compliance calendar
• Communicate clearly and effectively
• Continuous Development (note: Presentation can be part of on-boarding process of new board members)

New Board Requirements: The following training must be completed annually: 

• PRA
• Use of PUblic funds
• Credentialing of staff

Questions:

Cassie -Do we have model policies? Yes

             -Training - does that commission offer training? None at this time. WA Charter is a great resource though. 

The 11 Commissioners are appointed by OSPI and  the state legislature. There are 7 staff members. 

Monitoring and oversight: quality school reviews, 

Performance Framework: School reports are on the commission's website. 

There are three (3) types of reports: 

• Academics Performance
•  Financial Performance and 
•  Organizational Performance

These reports are used as part of the renewal process.

Failure to comply may result to the non-renewal or revocation of the school's contract.

Renewal process - The commission will contact the school a year in advance

SIA's contract will be up for renewal in 2025-2026. Contracts are typically for 5 years. It is good practice for board members to review the contract from time to time.

Feel free to contact Jessica anytime.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16JP65atGnfduxLZsYREP9Cm9Pb5eMNq1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100357850940449430515&rtpof=true&sd=true