Vida Charter School
Minutes
Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday December 19, 2017 at 6:30 PM
Location
Vida Charter School - gymnasium
Trustees Present
D. Marritz, F. Dutrisac, G. Murry, J. Arnold, J. Brandauer, L. Leonard, M. Rosenberger, R. Rahman
Trustees Absent
C. Bowen
Trustees who arrived after the meeting opened
M. Rosenberger
Trustees who left before the meeting adjourned
L. Leonard
Ex Officio Members Present
M. Davis
Non Voting Members Present
M. Davis
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
J. Brandauer called a meeting of the board of trustees of Vida Charter School to order on Tuesday Dec 19, 2017 at 6:30 PM.
C.
Announce executive session
The board met at 6pm to discuss confidential personnel and legal matters.
D.
Approve Minutes
R. Rahman made a motion to approve minutes from the Board Meeting on 11-20-17 Board Meeting on 11-20-17.
F. Dutrisac seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
E.
Call to Public
No comments were made.
F.
Executive Director's report
Ms. Davis began her report on Academics. She stated that math is a continuing priority, with ongoing emphasis on push-in stations and targeted professional development for staff. Dr. McCusker (a consultant from the LIU) is also providing targeted professional development in other areas to teachers in order to maximize their effectiveness and professional growth in strategic areas. Teachers are also administering F&P testing and results will be shared with the board when ready. The testing is revealing that Spanish acquisition is a continued challenge for Vida's native-English speakers.
With regards to personnel, Ms. Davis reported that the administrative office continues to be busy with several staff assuming multiple roles. Ms. Davis is exploring how to reorganize the office and perhaps hire additional personnel to meet demand. She also expressed the need for a one-to-one paraprofessional in the area of special education. Additionally, Vida is continuing to look for ESL personnel. Only one applicant has expressed interest and process will be ongoing. Analy Blanco transferred from the administrative office to Teaching Assistant, and one additional teaching assistant will be hired shortly for 6th grade.
Enrollment remains steady at 253 and Ms. Davis is currently working with staff to develop a targeted retention plan for 5th graders.
Charter renewal is upon us and Ms. Davis is beginning preliminary work and preparing initial documentation as required.
The Vida Union has requested documentation from the administrative office, which the office has provided.
Recent events included a successful book fair as well as the winter concert. Both were huge successes and many thanks go to teachers, staff, parents, and community members for their hard work and support.
With regards to personnel, Ms. Davis reported that the administrative office continues to be busy with several staff assuming multiple roles. Ms. Davis is exploring how to reorganize the office and perhaps hire additional personnel to meet demand. She also expressed the need for a one-to-one paraprofessional in the area of special education. Additionally, Vida is continuing to look for ESL personnel. Only one applicant has expressed interest and process will be ongoing. Analy Blanco transferred from the administrative office to Teaching Assistant, and one additional teaching assistant will be hired shortly for 6th grade.
Enrollment remains steady at 253 and Ms. Davis is currently working with staff to develop a targeted retention plan for 5th graders.
Charter renewal is upon us and Ms. Davis is beginning preliminary work and preparing initial documentation as required.
The Vida Union has requested documentation from the administrative office, which the office has provided.
Recent events included a successful book fair as well as the winter concert. Both were huge successes and many thanks go to teachers, staff, parents, and community members for their hard work and support.
M. Rosenberger arrived.
L. Leonard left.
II. Academic Excellence
A.
Committee update on annual staff survey
The board discussed the annual staff survey generated by the Academic Excellence Committee.
J. Brandauer made a motion to approve and disseminated he edited staff survey to Vida instructional staff.
M. Rosenberger seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
III. Finance
A.
Approve October monthly Financials
Greg Murry presented an update on Vida Charter School's financial standing after predictions had been updated in collaboration with Charter Choices.
G. Murry made a motion to approve November financial documents.
D. Marritz seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| D. Marritz |
Aye
|
| C. Bowen |
Absent
|
| L. Leonard |
Absent
|
| J. Arnold |
Aye
|
| G. Murry |
Aye
|
| J. Brandauer |
Aye
|
| R. Rahman |
Aye
|
| F. Dutrisac |
Aye
|
| M. Rosenberger |
Aye
|
B.
Annual audit report
Greg Murry presented the results of the annual audit. The audit provided a clean bill of health to Vida Charter School; no issues were found by the auditors.
J. Brandauer made a motion to adopt the 2016/2017 financial audit results.
M. Rosenberger seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Brandauer |
Aye
|
| L. Leonard |
Absent
|
| J. Arnold |
Aye
|
| D. Marritz |
Aye
|
| F. Dutrisac |
Aye
|
| G. Murry |
Aye
|
| R. Rahman |
Aye
|
| M. Rosenberger |
Aye
|
| C. Bowen |
Absent
|
C.
Committee update
No further updates were deemed necessary.
IV. Governance
A.
Volunteer policy
The board discussed volunteer policy #201
J. Arnold made a motion to approve policy #201.
M. Rosenberger seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Clearance for volunteers policy
The board discussed policy # 201A (Clearances for volunteers)
J. Arnold made a motion to approve policy #201A governing security clearances for volunteers.
R. Rahman seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C.
Committee update
Jeanne Arnold informed the board that the search for new board members is ongoing and asked for recommendations of potential committee/board members.
D.
Board member manual
The board discussed the new board manual with a focus on regular updates and efficient distribution to new members.
J. Arnold made a motion to approve and adopt the board member manual.
M. Rosenberger seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
V. Personnel
A.
Job description, paraprofessional position
J. Arnold made a motion to approve the job description for a paraprofessional position.
M. Rosenberger seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
VI. Closing Items
A.
Call to public
No members of the public were present.
B.
Adjourn Meeting
M. Rosenberger made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
J. Arnold seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
J. Brandauer