Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) Approved - June 25, 2025
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. PT
Held at the following location: Via Zoom: https://oregoncharter.zoom.us/j/91035080370
I Call to Order
Ms Brady called the meeting to order at 12:34 p m when quorum was reached and all members who were present could hear each other
II Roll Call
Board Members present: Joseph Brown [left at 12:43 p m ], Jennifer Brady, Laura Dillon
Board Members absent: Kim Thatcher, Misty Galofteanu
Members of the Public present: None
School Staff present: Allison Galvin, Executive Director, and the following school staff; Todd Schweitzer, Steve Nielsen, John Meyer, Molly Fisher, Liberty Lacy [left prior to meeting opening at 12:15 p.m.], Rachel Reid.
III. Public Comment
None
IV. School Spotlight
A ASCEND: Career Technical Education program at Oregon Charter Academy
While waiting to reach quorum, the board members assembled heard Ms Lacy’s presentation about ASCEND, the school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program A major milestone for the program this year was that 12% of high school students participated in ASCEND vs 10% last year ASCEND has 5 pathways, including a new Hospitality and Tourism pathway Through the pathways, students receive industry recognized certifications, contributing toward their job readiness Students also participate in national organizations like HOSA and FFA, excelling and qualifying for national competitions Future goals for the ASCEND program include adding a new Pre-Trades pathway, increasing
recruitment and forecasting, and adding an Emergency Medical Responder certification
Dr Galvin shared that ASCEND allows students to attend school in the way that works best for them while pursuing interest in future careers ORCA’s program facilitates deeper engagement with ASCEND than most small schools and districts across the state
Ms Lacy noted that ORCA has also opened doors for other schools and programs in the State, allowing access and acceptance by groups that may not have had a prior idea of how to fit non-traditional schools into their programs ORCA’s program is having an impact widely beyond its own students
Ms Dillon shared her appreciation for ASCEND and how it attracts students to ORCA. She asked Ms. Lacy to share data regarding reasons for the increase in enrollment.
Ms. Lacy said there were shifts this year in how the state tracks career education. With the shift in tracking, there were two Career Ed classes, a 9th-10th grade class in the fall and an 11th-12th grade class in the spring, where students got to hear about ASCEND in a classroom setting. This allowed program advisors to identify interested 9th and 10th grade students earlier in the year so that they could join the program in the spring. Ms. Lacy noted that the earlier students sign up, the more opportunities they can be provided.
V. Routine Business
A. Approval of the Agenda
Ms Brady asked if any changes needed to be made to the agenda
Dr Galvin requested the following changes to the agenda:
Remove Action Item B “Review and consideration of the Intent to Award for the Boone Building Suite 202 remodel ” Dr Galvin explained that more than one proposal was received, so the RFP Committee will need to review proposals before adding this item to a later meeting
Add a new Action Item B “Review and consideration of a one-time staff retention stipend of up to $6,000 per staff member, to be paid out on June 15, 2025 ”
There being no further changes to the proposed agenda, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Brady moved to approve the amended agenda as presented
Ms Dillon seconded the motion
RESOLVED, that the amended agenda for the May 28, 2025 meeting of the Board of Directors of Oregon Charter Academy is hereby approved
The motion passed unanimously
VI Consent Agenda
A motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Brady moved to approve the consent agenda
Mr Brown seconded the motion
RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Consent items,
A. Approval of Minutes from the April 23, 2025 Board Meeting
B Approval of Minutes from the May 5, 2025 Special Board Meeting
C. Approval of 2025-26 staffing report
D Approval of Expenditure Summary Report – April
E Approval of Legal Invoice(s) – May
F Approval of Bank Reconciliation – April
The motion passed unanimously.
VII. Action Items
A. Review and consideration of candidate Mary Ellen Mansfield to fill the board vacancy, effective July 1, 2025, for the remainder of the term, set to expire at the annual meeting in June 2026
Dr Galvin reminded the Board that they have already accepted Ms Galofteanu’s resignation and a Board member search has begun Mary Ellen Mansfield, ORCA’s former Finance Director, has submitted her interest to join the Board Her membership would be effective for the coming school year if approved
Ms Brady asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Dillon moved to approve Mary Ellen Mansfield to fill the board vacancy
Mr Brown seconded the motion
RESOLVED, to APPROVE Mary Ellen Mansfield to fill the board vacancy, effective July 1, 2025, for the remainder of the term, set to expire at the annual meeting in June 2026
The motion passed unanimously
B
Review and consideration of a one-time staff retention stipend of up to $6,000 per staff member, to be paid out on June 13, 2025
Dr Galvin shared that in May of each year the state school fund does a true up payment from the previous school year The school has worked to be fiscally responsible with investments and maintains a healthy reserve The true up from 2023-24 will come to approximately $1 8 million With the existing budget for a planned reserve, there is no need to add the true up funds to the reserve Instead, Dr Galvin proposed passing those funds on to staff in recognition of the work they have done to serve more students than projected With this in mind, Dr Galvin recommended that a one-time retention stipend of $6000, prorated to FTE, be paid to staff as part of their June 15 paychecks
Ms Brady asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows.
Ms. Dillon moved to approve the retention stipend as presented.
Mr. Brown seconded the motion.
RESOLVED, to APPROVE a one-time staff retention stipend of up to $6,000 per staff member, to be paid on the June 15, 2025 payroll.
VIII. Oral Report
A. Financial Report
1. Financials - Year to date through April 2025
Mr Nielsen shared financial statements through April 30th of this year Following the trend established in previous reports, revenue is at 95% of budget Income is on track to be at 110% of budget by the end of the school year, including the $1 8 million true up However, even without the true up, revenue was trending above 100% for the end of the year Most budget items are on track with the exception of some small increases to staff cost as teachers have been hired to accommodate larger enrollment numbers
[Joseph Brown left the meeting at 12:43 p m ]
B School Leader’s Report
1
Enrollment and ITR
Dr Galvin shared that enrollment has continued to increase and is hovering around 3066 students The school is at the point in the year where they are no longer actively trying to seek new students, with the exception of those who drop due to lack of attendance per state law Intent to return is holding strong with 75% “Yes” responses
2
School Updates
Dr Galvin moved on to school updates Spring Celebration was held two weeks ago, on May 16th This year’s Celebration was attended by a larger number of families than any previous year’s event This coming Friday there will be a regional bowling event held at nine bowling alleys around the state Graduation is on June 7 at the Salem Fairgrounds Ms Dillon has agreed to be the speaker from the Board Summer Programs will run from June 23 to July 18 Summer Programs include Credit Recovery, the Bridge to High School, K-8 Supplemental Programs, and Special Education Extended School Year
3 Events
Dr. Gavlin shared noteworthy event updates from May. The school was nominated for the following awards in the Best of the Mid-Valley Awards: Best Charter School, Best Workplace, Best Overall Leadership and Best Employer - 101-501 Employees. The school also participated in the national AVID showcase to demonstrate best practices in doing AVID in a virtual environment. Their selection for this showcase is a testament to the quality of ORCA’s AVID program. Finally, 5th grade Outdoor school and Prom also took place over the past month.
IX. Information Items
A. Outreach Update
Ms Fisher shared an update on outreach at ORCA During the previous month, there were 69 posts on social media, receiving 1,328 engagements with a 56% increase to post link clicks Top posts were “Swing into Spring” and “All Access with Andy Garcia ” The school’s April blog highlighted building independent learners In April, the Outreach team attended Salem Saturday Market and talked to over 66 families and, at May’s market, connected with over 70 families
B Facilities Update
Mr Meyer shared an update on ORCA’s facilities New security cameras have been installed in Mill City to ensure safety of staff and monitoring of this open area In Wilsonville, the Suite 101 construction and tech install is completed Suite 102 flooring and electrical upgrades are in progress and should be completed mid-June In tenant spaces, a sink issue has been fixed in Suite 103, ceiling tiles were fixed in Suite 104, and no maintenance has been requested in Suite 203
Mr Meyer asked if the board would like to know about additional facility topics when he presents None were requested at this time
C Board Updates
1 Preparation for the Annual Meeting in June
a) Executive Session for School Leader Evaluation
Dr Schweitzer shared the process for the annual evaluation of Executive Director Galvin Through the school’s contract with SYS, Dr Schweitzer is released by the Board to lead the evaluation of the Executive Director While the Board is responsible for the evaluation, the executive leadership team, who work most closely with Dr Galvin, will provide recommended evaluation feedback based on their observation from this school year The Board will take the feedback under consideration to complete their evaluations In the past the board has generally approved the recommended evaluation as prepared by the executive team, but Board members are welcome to take a more active approach as desired. Dr. Schweitzer will distribute evaluation forms to the Board in the coming weeks.
b) Board composition and proposed Board schedule for 2025-26
Dr. Galvin shared the composition of the current 2024-25 Board noting terms that will expire in June. She also shared a tentative board composition plan for the 2025-26 school year. She noted that at the June meeting, board members will vote on term renewals and officer structure for the coming school year. She also shared a preview of the schedule for next year’s board meetings. The main change in the proposed schedule will be moving meeting times back to noon.
X Adjournment
In the absence of quorum, the meeting ended at 12:56 p m
Next regular meeting date: June 25, 2025 at 12:15 p m PT in Zoom