• Staff Report (6:00)
  • Hiring update to be discussed in closed session
• Admissions Update
  • Record group test numbers - nearly 300 students (compared to 200 last year)
  • Deadline for private psychological testing applications is February 17th 
  • Lottery is March 23rd 

Monthly Board Report Topics (9:00)

• 2023 school Calendar - 2 options shared for feedback. Virtual days are no longer required. The 2023 -2024 calendar needs to make up for 5 additional days of instruction. 
  • Proposing adding 5 minutes to the school day. Moving to an 8:05 am start time adds the equivalent of 2 days to the calendar -. 8/29 start 6/7 end.
  • Draft A - Thanksgiving week off with Winter Break 12/20-1/2.
  • Draft B - In school 11/20 and 11/21. Winter Break 12/18 - 1/2.
  • Sharing with the community to solicit feedback on calendars

Human Resources Overview (20:44)

• Scholars Academy Staff Functions
  • Overview of advertising and recruitment process
  • Hiring Committee is comprised of staff members with representation from various areas of the school
  • Phone screen, interviews, (teachers are required to do a model teaching lesson), and offer extended. The Board must approve all hires. 
  • Contract, Payroll, Benefits, and PowerSchool
• Assistance from AltHR
  • Background check, drug screening, and qualifications verified
  • Onboarding paperwork - future state

Types of Employees:

• Exempt - teachers, administrators, management 
• Non-exempt - teaching assistants, office workers, bus drivers,
• Contracted Services Providers - Nurse

All staff has a one-year contract based on the number of contracted work days.

• Renewal - Contracts given each May
• Non-Renewal

Termination occurs before the contract ends. Subject to board approval.

NC is an employment-at-will state

Benefits package includes:

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Short Term Disability

Additional Benefit Options - Retirement, Worker's Compensation, Unemployment 

Other Employee Support

• Administrative Support
• Mental Health Support - How can we expand? 
• Physical Health Support
• Dispute Resolution
• Alt HR - Is there access to an Employee Assistance Program through Alt HR

Policies under review:

• Time Off Policy is currently based on the number of contracted work days.
• Teleworking
• Emergency or Family Extended Leave

(45:20)

• Quarterly Board Newsletter - first edition is scheduled to be released in late January
• Community Townhall on April 19th at 6:30 PM- in-person and zoom participation
  • The community has the ability to ask questions in advance
• Staff Survey 
• Executive Director Evaluation
• "Ask the Board" form on the school website

(51:20)

• Policies under review this year: staff teleworking, paid time off, and religious holiday
• Policy "first read" for Teleworking and Religious Non-discrimination policies.
  • Condense policy name

(1:08:25)

An expansion-related contract is to be discussed in closed

(1:08:55)

• Developing a religious holiday non-discrimination policy
• Build a list of diversity-focused community organizations with which we could partner
• Focus on DEI for the quarterly Board newsletter in Feb/March

(1:10:10)

Committee updates: Working on a survey for parents to gather feedback on the school experience. Seeking a broader school experience (the last one was done in 2018) to be sent by the end of February.

(1:12:15)

• Annual Giving Campaign trends
  • YTD $162,124
  • Current families 74% (79.5% in the prior year)
  • New families 88% (60% in the prior year)
  • Created a phone script for Trustees to do targeted outreach to those who have not pledged yet. 

• Highlighted the 3-year strategic planning process

(1:18:10)

• Committee update - working on a staff and teacher retreat and compiling data.
• A meeting is to be scheduled onsite to review playground options.

(1:19:40)

Committee Update

• Review budget amendments (vote)
  • Increase in revenue - $9,386.79
  • Reducing expenses - $26,372.50
• If approved, surplus is $316,600.40 
  • Surplus is higher than average due to federal grants received over the last few years.
  • 30% of bus riders have donated to the transportation fund.
• Reviewed quarterly financial performance dashboard
• ECF - Tax Credit estimated $1m credit spread out over 2 years - unrestricted amount to be used at our discretion.

Employment contracts

expansion related