Secretary St. Jean announced the opportunity for public comment however none were given. 

Expansion Project & Budget Update

Administrative Design Review: Submissions are complete and received by the county. Permits remain pending subject to the vacation of Sobb.

Budget Adjustments: The initial budget was estimated just over $6 million. To comply with mandatory prevailing wage regulations, the total budget increased by approximately $1.5 million, bringing the total to around $8 million.

Funding Strategy: The additional cost will be covered by utilizing cash reserves so that the overall financing amount remains unchanged. This ensures compliance with existing and new financing covenants.

Sobb Vacation Details

Ground Lease Amendment: Incorporates the vacated portion of Sobb into the existing Durango Campus ground lease. The amendment does not alter the current lease terms or payment amounts; it simply converts the area from a public county road into a private road within the lease.

Utility Installation & Maintenance Agreement: Requires the installation of a drainage channel on the southeast corner of the 5-acre property to record the vacation.

Land Access: Grants temporary access to adjacent UNLV property to construct the inflow and outflow areas. Once construction is finished, access rights expire, and the land must be restored to its original condition.

Treasurer Price: Will the cash-on-hand balance remain above the required threshold after funding the budget increase?

CEO Hulet: Yes. Although cash reserves will temporarily dip right around closing, projections show the reserve building back up over the coming years while maintaining required minimum thresholds.

Campus Upgrades & Maintenance

Rainbow Campus: Fresh paint applied in all hallways, classrooms, stairwells, and offices. The multi-purpose room ceiling was removed during the summer to upgrade the fire alarm system. Carpets and hard surfaces were deep-cleaned.

Durango Campus: Standard summer upkeep completed, including interior door and window modifications for office/classroom layout needs. The gym was repainted with navy blue standard accents on the lower third of the walls to complement the blue bleachers. Installation of new thermostats is underway and expected to finish in the coming weeks.

Signage: New, larger, illuminated Amplus Academy signs are scheduled for installation at both campuses before the start of the school year.

Playground Art: Fun-run funds were used to add new outdoor playground artwork at both campuses.

Technology & Staffing

Hardware Distribution: All 225 ordered staff laptops have arrived and are being prepared by IT for early August deployment. Additionally, 1,200 elementary Chromebooks were received; these will remain in elementary classrooms, allowing older units to rotate up to secondary students.

E-Rate Network Grant: Awaiting final approval for a complete network upgrade at the Rainbow Campus. Process delays resulted from federal-level administrative changes, but completion is targeted for an upcoming school break.

Staffing Status: All school-wide positions for the upcoming year are fully filled, with the exception of athletic coaches.

Member Norland expressed appreciation for the playground art updates and asked if current high school or middle school students were involved in creating it.

CEO Hulet said the playground art was contracted out to the same professional artist who previously created the 2022 senior gift mural (Archer mural) at the Durango campus. However, using student artists for future projects is a welcome idea.

Member Elliott extended kudos to Rachelle and the team for reaching full staffing capacity prior to the start of the school year.

CEO Hulet thanked the board, noting the peace of mind it provides going into the new year.

No discussion or questions made.

Treasure Price: Does UNLV know and agree that they are responsible for maintaining the drainage channel on their property?

CEO Hulet: Yes. This responsibility was previously a source of delay, but UNLV has agreed that as the landowner, they are responsible for maintaining the inflow and outflow areas on their land.

All modifications were redlined in the provided draft PDF. Updates focused on formatting adjustments, reordering sections, and combining overlapping topics to create a more streamlined document.

Member Norland asked how do students respond to the test retake policy—specifically only being allowed to retake summative assessments if they score below 69.9%? Is there pushback from students who score a 70% but want to retake it to achieve an A and demonstrate higher mastery?

CAO Barlow responded, Yes, there have been instances of that. The push to review the retake policy arose because the previous guidelines were overly broad, leading to approximately 17 different procedures among elementary teachers alone. The administration held a robust discussion with team leads to establish clear, consistent guidelines across classrooms.

**Meeting was interrupted and everyone was kicked off. Resumed recording at 5:20pm

Member Norland: Is the retake policy the same for a first grader versus a high school junior?

CAO Barlow: No, expectations progressively grow with students starting around fourth grade. Retake procedures require written reflections so students identify errors rather than simply attempting endlessly for a higher grade.

Secretary St. Jean: Does this policy apply to Special Education (SPED) students?

CAO Barlow: The guidelines provide baseline uniformity across general education, but individual accommodations under an IEP or 504 plan supersede standard handbook procedures. Teachers maintain autonomy to support specific student needs.

Secretary St. Jean: Were there any specific updates or additions to this year's test security plan?

CAO Barlow: Yes. Beyond standard state-guided updates, the plan was updated to explicitly address procedures and guidelines around artificial intelligence in testing.

Moved to next board meeting

Treasure Price: Wanted us to look at a company called Report Well. 

Secretary St. Jean: Impressed with statistics highlighted at the conference regarding parents unaware that their children are performing below grade level. Ideas were floated on improving parent engagement and possibly forming a parent engagement committee. 

Secretary St. Jean announced the opportunity for public comment however none were given.

The board agreed to combine the August 26 Annual Meeting and Regular Meeting into a single, streamlined session to cover director nominations, elections, bylaw reviews, and essential business efficiently.