Vida Charter School
Minutes
Governance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday August 25, 2016 at 4:30 PM
Committee Members Present
J. Arnold, M. Davis
Committee Members Absent
D. Marritz
Guests Present
C. Bowen, J. Brandauer, KathyHewitt
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
J. Brandauer called a meeting of the Governance Committee of Vida Charter School to order on Thursday Aug 25, 2016 at 4:34 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
J. Arnold made a motion to approve minutes from the Governance Committee Meeting on 05-09-16 Governance Committee Meeting on 05-09-16.
C. Bowen seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
D.
Public comment
There were no comments by the public.
II. Governance
A.
Committee composition
Committee members discussed the skills and attributes important for new board members. Financial/governance/educational expertise are important but it may be beneficial to begin recruiting a set of individuals that is passionate about Vida and service and then investigate whether they possess the required skills.
B.
Governance committee goals
C. Bowen made a motion to approve the following goals for the governance committee for the 2016-17 academic year:
1. Review bylaws and policies as needed.
2. Implement continuity and clear work flow in board membership recruitment process.
3. Recruit board members for upcoming elections and appointments.
4. Explore the use of annual assessments in running an efficient and effective board.
J. Arnold seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
The committee discussed Vida policy structures.
CDavis stressed the importance of clear policies and guidelines for continuity in how Vida conducts business.
MDavis stressed the importance of clear guidelines and compliance in areas such as emergencies, special education, or gifted education. MDavis will research these areas and report back to the committee.
Work flow ought to be such that policy work is being done by staff, then brought to governance (or a policy committee, should it exist in the future) by MDavis and then passed on to the full board. The committee discussed at which point it would be best to involve legal counsel, and how/when to obtain input from Vida staff.
CDavis stressed the importance of clear policies and guidelines for continuity in how Vida conducts business.
MDavis stressed the importance of clear guidelines and compliance in areas such as emergencies, special education, or gifted education. MDavis will research these areas and report back to the committee.
Work flow ought to be such that policy work is being done by staff, then brought to governance (or a policy committee, should it exist in the future) by MDavis and then passed on to the full board. The committee discussed at which point it would be best to involve legal counsel, and how/when to obtain input from Vida staff.
C.
Recruiting new board members
Strategies for recruitment of a diverse set of individuals for board membership were discussed. Starting this process early (i.e., now at the end of August) is important and to our advantage.
D.
Quarterly report
The composition and logistics of the upcoming quarterly report were discussed.
III. 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 5:29 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
J. Brandauer