Brevard Academy

Minutes

Board Meeting

Closed Session and Regular Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday December 18, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Location

Brevard Academy Music Room

Mission:

The Mission of Brevard Academy is to prepare its students to achieve academic excellence through the Core Knowledge Sequence. Through a partnership involving students, teachers, and parents the school strives to create citizens with strong moral character and active intellectual inquiry.

Vision:

Brevard Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy (BA-CFA) a K-8 public charter school develops and encourages motivated, intellectually curious students who are skilled in critical thinking, individual expression, and problem-solving. From their diverse backgrounds, students accept our challenge to pursue personal and academic excellence. Through this pursuit, they become confident members of their community who lead by serving others.


 

Strategic Goals:

  1. Ensure Academic Success for Every Student
  2. Provide Effective & Innovative Learning Environments
  3. Recruit, Hire and Retain Highly Effective Personnel
  4. Use Resources Effectively & Be Fiscally Responsible
  5. Engage Our Communities

Directors Present

Abe Pallas, Brandon Smith, Jennifer Silva, Mark Campanini, Paul Cooper

Directors Absent

Jamie Atkinson, Mark Franklin, Tyree Griffin

Ex Officio Members Present

Ted Duncan

Non Voting Members Present

Ted Duncan

Guests Present

Ali Liubenov

I. Closed Session--Board Members Only

A.

Call the Meeting to Order

Mark Campanini called a meeting of the board of directors of Brevard Academy to order on Wednesday Dec 18, 2024 at 5:07 PM.

B.

Closed session items

Discussed personnel items.

II. Work Session--Open to the Public

A.

Work Session Items--Open to the Public

We discussed training materials.

III. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Pledge of Allegiance

Charlotte Cook

C.

Approve Minutes

D.

Approval of Special Meeting Minutes

E.

Approval of July Strategic Planning Minutes

Jennifer Silva made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Meeting on 11-20-24.
Paul Cooper seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Jennifer Silva made a motion to approve the minutes from Monthly Finance Meeting on 12-17-24.
Paul Cooper seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Motion to approve the minutes from Governance and Policy Meeting on 12-10-24.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

IV. Regular Meeting Business

A.

Student Spotlight

Stacey Seefeldt talked about the various Friday clubs that we offer to Middle School. We are so grateful to have all these opportunities for students to discover new passions. 

 

Musical Theatre Club in attendance for the meeting, and held a performance for the Board. 

B.

Staff Spotlight

C.

Opportunity for Public Comment

None

V. Committee Reports

A.

Finance

We have included the $139,000 for the new bus in the budget. It will show up in the December report. 

 

Mr. Cooper in process of making EFS for the next board meeting. 

B.

Governance and Policy

Dr. Pallas discussed policy about onboarding of new board members.  We need to think about what we want the policy to be, and how to do it that way. It should be a board committee to make this policy. Dr. Pallas will chair it, Jennifer Silva and Brandon Smith will help form this committee. Dr. Pallas would like to make an Orientation Plan for new members.

C.

Facilities

Tyree spoke with Mr. Prey. FEMA has a weekly meeting with Mr. Duncan. Estimates for roofing, painting, PA system, and other mitigation projects due to the hurricane are in process with FEMA. We have started some smaller projects with our Facilities funds. 

D.

Development

Conversation

 

March 7: State of the Charter Dinner (Deerwoode Reserve) - considering framework and how we can optimize the opportunity to reduce staff stress/burden. 

 

Looking at AI in education, how it will change it, and how we can get out in front of it.

E.

Long Range Planning

Mr. Duncan met with Ms. Atkinson about the same 5 core goals and moved them into a new order. Looking at this draft if there is feedback for the next meeting, we want to put it out for Strategic Plan for next 5 years, and send this out to staff/families.

 

Key piece to give to potential board members to see our plan and what they will be a part of. 

 

Board/Stake holder feedback by January. To approve by February.

F.

Academic Excellence Update

Committee meeting on January 13. Dr. Pallas met with some people from this committee, and the biggest problem they are running into is that teaching assistants are being pulled from classroom frequently. 

 

Consider that grades 3-5 may need a teacher assistant per classroom, instead of per grade. Teachers feel they do not have adequate time to spend with students below grade level, when assistants are not in their classroom. 

 

Mr. Smith suggests that we need to collect some data for this. 

 

Mr. Duncan is trying to come up with the best solution for everyone. 

VI. Director Report

A.

Director Report

Awarded $54,000 for Safety Grant.

Key Falls Dinner did not take place on Dec. 13 because of weather

Received award for 2023 for exceeding growth

Nicole Gorry passed her recertification 

Basketball/Pep Squad season is started

Mountain Bike Club

had 5 staff that have become eligible for a bonus for exceeding growth

Middle School dance was a huge success - thankful for our amazing PTO

 

Blue Ridge Health Center will be up and running in January. Nurse Practitioner on campus T-Th. Mental Health Nurse on M,F. Hopefully this will help with attendance with students/staff. Mr. Cooper asks about safety protocols with this on campus.

 

Enrollment: we have lost 9 students since the beginning of the year. 2 because of the hurricane, many more of these because families moving out of state

 

Staff attendance is at 94% 

 

Mr. Terry has updated our discipline report. Working through what we can do to reduce these. 

 

One open position we have is AIG - Middle School Teacher, Dr. Pallas has volunteered to take over in that role in January.

Consent Items for Governance and Policy - asking for this to be approved 

 

August 13, 2025 start day for the 2025-26 school year. - asking for this to be approved

Consent Items for Governance and Policy - asking for this to be approved 

 

August 13, 2025 start day for the 2025-26 school year. - asking for this to be approved

Paul Cooper made a motion to approve the 3 policies from Governance and Policy committee, Code of Conduct addition, start date of August 13, 2025.
Abe Pallas seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

B.

Important Upcoming Dates

VII. Items for Board Approval

A.

Committee Consent Items

Abe Pallas made a motion to approve the 3 policies from Governance and Policy committee, Code of Conduct addition, start date of August 13, 2025.
Brandon Smith seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VIII. Other Business

A.

Announcement of Next Meeting

January 15, 2025 is the next meeting.

IX. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:40 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Mark Franklin