STEM School Highlands Ranch

Minutes

Board of Director's Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday September 10, 2024 at 5:30 PM

Location

8920 Barrons Blvd

P-TECH Mechatronics Room

Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

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Directors Present

C. Gustafson, D. Lomelino, E. Quigley, G. Shick, G. Wing, I. Kalra, K. Reyna, L. Davison, R. Lukez

Directors Absent

None

Ex Officio Members Present

M. Cartier

Non Voting Members Present

M. Cartier

Guests Present

L. Kovalesky

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

C. Gustafson called a meeting of the board of directors of STEM School Highlands Ranch to order on Tuesday Sep 10, 2024 at 5:38 PM.

C.

Pledge of Allegiance

D.

Reciting of the Mission Statement

II. Approve Meeting Minutes

A.

Approve Minutes

R. Lukez made a motion to approve the minutes from Board of Director's Meeting on 08-20-24.
E. Quigley seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
C. Gustafson
Aye
R. Lukez
Aye
G. Wing
Aye
K. Reyna
Abstain
I. Kalra
Aye
G. Shick
Aye
E. Quigley
Aye
L. Davison
Aye
D. Lomelino
Aye

III. STEM School Highlands Ranch Updates

A.

Present Staff and Student Surveys from 2023/24

* Only student and parent survey data was presented

 

Student Advisory Group

  • Great response rate (over 500 responses secondary only) due to completing in Access
  • Proposed action items in slides
  • This year's survey would be broken down into 7 surveys (1/month, focusing on a single topic); will do more ranking and multiple choice questions
  • Suggestions to report back decisions being made based on survey results

Michelle Gasser shared Parent survey data from Fall/Spring

  • Saw increase in positive responses from Fall to spring

LynAnn shared enrollment update - 1399 total students

 

B.

2025/26 Academic Calendar Presentation and Q&A

ED Updates

  • Teacher of the Year Finalist Tera Johnson-Swartz
  • 5 NMSQT students
  • Increase of 4.3% to 88.1% on SPF

Michelle Gasser

  • Three calendar options or 2025-2026 academic year, based on DCSD and parent feedback
  • Cannot pre-plan remote days 
  • Delaying start time would have to adjust soccer field time, traffic management plan
  • Calendar 3 is staff's 1st choice (52.7%), Calendar 1 is staff's 2nd choice (129 responses)
  • Calendar 3 is parents' 1st choice (52.4%), Calendar 2 is parents' 2nd choice (353 responses)
  • Board needs to make a decision by October 1st, due to DCSD by October 15th

 

C.

Student Government Spotlight

Student Government Officers introduced themselves and shared their goals for the semester

 

IV. KOSON Schools

A.

Strategic Plan Discussion

Matt Cartier

  • Must celebrate improvements on facilities, enrollment, retention, community surveys, etc.
  • Proposed growth goals are moderate increases year over year
  • Many growth opportunities, even if 5A passes
  • Wants to propose applying for an additional location in 2025, take 3 years to build out
  • Wants to look at Golden and St. Vrain for other opportunities due to CU Boulder and School of Mines for higher education opportunities
  • Parallel build of sustainable infrastructure system and processes concurrently while planning for future
  • LD expresses concern that board has not had a lot of information on the items that have been historically neglected
  • KR requests specific steps and more concrete information to show narrow focus on advancement to share with the board and to share changes that 
  • CG asks board to discuss and approve general strategic plan, and to discuss details and updates as we approach them
  • The work to build STEM brand and KOSON shared services has helped to inform strategic goals
  • MC believes that we have the right people and right resources to grow 
  • Discussion about subcommittee structure and goals
    • Strategic Plan in Advancement Committee meeting open to public 9/24
    • Will have a refined strategic plan for board vote for Oct 1st meeting

V. Board Committee Updates

A.

Academic Excellence Committee

Created one-pager

Meeting on 9/17 with SAC-UIP to discuss SPF/UIP

B.

CIO Support and Evaluation

Discussion around draft CIO goals for 2024-2025 year

  • general consensus on themes and goals, need some specifics on systems and implementation
  • what evidence will be shared periodically?
  • ask for feedback 

Will include a 360 from shared services team

Will have a mid-year review and provide evidence 

C.

Advancement Committee

GS provided update

  • Met on 8/27 to go through and update one-pager.  Discussed annual fund campaign and events at school, golf tournament and gala for 2025-2026 academic year
  • Established recurring meeting and is available on All School calendar
  • Developing fundraising strategy will be this year's goal

D.

Finance Committee

Finance committee met with financial advisor

  • discussed and decided to not to exercise bond call until rates improve
  • working on finance work flow and systems

E.

Governance Committee

Highlighted changes to financial policies to vote on.

  • Clarifying language
  • Check in excess of $10k, clarifying oversight/transparency/fraud prevention workflow
  • No $ values changed.
  • Consultants will help further refine and update policies later in the year
  • KR highlighted need to make sure that auditor selection process is clarified

KR moved to approve Financial Policy, RL second, approved unanimously

VI. Board of Directors Updates

A.

Douglas County Bond Resolution

EQ motions to approve resolution to support 2024 5A , IK seconds.

 

Passed unanimously

B.

Consent Agenda

RL motioned to approve, and DL seconded.  

 

Passed unanimously

 

 

C.

Chair Update

Requesting feedback on committee one-pagers

IT policies up for review

Complete CDE nondiscrimination policy certificates

Next Board Meeting on Oct 1, have executive session on Oct 8th

D.

Discuss Proposed Annual Calendar for Board Meetings

VII. Public Comment

A.

Public Comment Sign up link

No public comment

VIII. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

GS left early (8:32pm)

 

RL motioned to adjourn, KR seconded.  Approved unanimously.

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:16 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
I. Kalra
Documents used during the meeting
  • Abridged Student Survey Report 23-24.pdf
  • Calendar1.pdf
  • Calendar2.pdf
  • Calendar3.pdf
  • September Board Presentation 24_25.pdf
  • Board meeting slides.pdf
  • STEM Strategic Plan GROWTH Essential Slides for 20240910 Board Agenda.pdf
  • 2024-2025 CIO Goals (DRAFT).pdf
  • 2024.09 Financial Controls Policy Revisions_CLEAN.pdf
  • 2024.09 Financial Controls Policy Revisions_REDLINE.pdf
  • 1stem_financial_controls_policy_updated_2022-2023-signed.pdf
  • Board_Resolution_declaring_support_for_Bond 2024.pdf