Confirm meeting recording.

Do we have a quorum? Welcome to the Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy Board Meeting.

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy provides a differentiated, challenging, and equitable learning environment that supports the distinctive intellectual, social, and emotional needs of highly gifted children from diverse backgrounds and enables them to form meaningful relationships with their intellectual peers.

Zoom Webinar Etiquette/Rules:

Meetings will be broadcast to the public via the Zoom Webinar Platform. This medium is more secure as it requires attendees to register, limits interactivity, removes the ability to communicate without permission and does not permit anonymous participation, comment, or annotation.  Registration will require the submission of a first and last name and an email.

• Official approval of draft minutes for open and closed meeting minutes

Are there any Amendments to the Agenda?

The public is welcome to speak; limited to three minutes per speaker.
Topics should not cover private, confidential or personal information.
The board will not respond or enter into a dialogue on topics discussed.

At this time you may indicate your desire to participate in Community Comments by raising your hand.

1. If you would like to raise a hand, click “Participants” in the lower or upper section of your Zoom chat.
2. In the “Participants” window select “Raise Hand” {Windows: Alt+Y} or {Mac: Option+Y} keyboard shortcuts to raise or lower your hand.
3. When it is your turn, a moderator will identify you by name and then grant you access to speak.

• 360 review
• Mr. Carper has completed his self-evaluation
• Board is going through the evaluation process now

• 2025-2026: 1 opening and 1 potential opening 
• 2026-2027: 2 openings  and 2 potential openings (all of which are uncommitted as of yet to renew for a 2nd term)
• Zero applications as of yet

• Our School signed to certify compliance with DEI Requirements. Consequently, the DEI Committee met to review our school's publicly available language surrounding DEI. 
• The Committee is proposing for a vote the below non-material changes to our language in the school's values to mitigate potential scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Link to External Page Language Changes - In particular Community Values

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7BMYKI0neHAeEYdMZ4ZOv2qfogZODGCCJR4XYsTkOM/edit?tab=t.0

Link to our SA Equity Statement

https://www.scholarsacademy.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=345044&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=1011894

Link to our DEI Action Plan

https://www.scholarsacademy.org/ourpages/auto/2022/7/13/49735814/DEI_Plan_docx.pdf?rnd=1657720751081

• The committee continues to work on reviewing policies, in particular Media in Classrooms and Acceptable Use, to be wrapped up at the next meeting.
• The committee will continue to develop best practices for efficiently publishing policies once the Board has approved them.

• Annual Giving Update
• Thank you to Parent Ambassadors
• $361,606 in donations received
• $76,051 in pledges NOT fulfilled
• 47 pledges with amounts still to be determined
• 87.8% overall family participation

• The Parent Survey will be sent to the community this week

• Additions in the coming months:
  • Safety shades on all indoor windows
  • Safety stops for classroom doors
  • Perimeter fencing with a key fob system is projected to be installed in the summer of 2025

• Finance Committee updates
  • Fence quotes
• Vote to approve the putting a deposit on fence to spend the safety grant prior to deadline
• Vote to approve the Board of Track Renewal up to $6,695
• Vote to approve the 2025-2026 budget
•  

• Discuss employment contracts
• Discuss student matters
• Discuss personnel matters