Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) Approved - January 22, 2025
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. PT
Held at the following location: Via Zoom
Zoom: https://oregoncharter.zoom.us/j/91035080370
I Call to Order
Mr Brown called the meeting to order at 12:07 p m when quorum was reached and all members who were present could hear each other
II. Roll Call
Board Members present: Joseph Brown, Misty Galofteanu, Jennifer Brady, Kim Thatcher [joined at 12:13 p.m.]
Board Members absent: Marsha Moyer
Members of the Public present:
School Staff present: Allison Galvin, Executive Director, and the following school staff; Steve Nielsen, John Meyer, Laura Dillon, Rachel Reid, Andrea Kyndhail [left at 12:33 p.m.], Liberty Lacy
A Approval of the Agenda
Mr Brown asked if any changes needed to be made to the agenda
There being no changes to the proposed agenda, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Galofteanu moved to approve the agenda as presented
Ms Brady seconded the motion
RESOLVED, that the agenda for the November 20, 2024 meeting of the Board of Directors of Oregon Charter Academy is hereby approved
The motion passed unanimously
V Consent Agenda
A motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Galofteanu moved to approve the consent agenda as presented
Ms Brady seconded the motion
RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Consent items,
A. Approval of Minutes from the October 23, 2024 Board Meeting
B Approval of November Staffing report
C. Approval of Expenditure Summary Report – October
D Approval of Legal Invoice(s) – November
E Approval of Bank Reconciliation – October
The motion passed unanimously
VI Action Items
A Review and consideration of finalizing the contract with SYS Education
Dr Galvin shared the final contract for Virtual Charter Services to be entered into with SYS Education Contract updates include a new list of the support items to be provided by SYS The new contract reflects an increased cost-per-student for per-student items, but results in higher savings for the school overall
Mr Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms. Galofteanu moved to approve the contract with SYS Education.
Ms. Brady seconded the motion.
RESOLVED, to APPROVE the contract with SYS Education as presented.
The motion passed unanimously.
[Kim Thatcher joined the meeting at 12:13 p.m.]
B. Review and consideration of acceptance of board resignation from member Marsha Moyer effective upon the successful recruitment of a replacement board member.
Dr Galvin shared that Marsha Moyer has indicated her intention to resign after the board is able to find a replacement for her role She expressed her gratitude for the service that Ms Moyer has provided over her years on the board
Mr Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Galofteanu moved to approve Ms Moyer’s resignation Ms Brady seconded the motion
RESOLVED, to APPROVE the resignation of board member Marsha Moyer effective upon the successful recruitment of a replacement board member
The motion passed unanimously
C. Review and consideration of board member Jennifer Brady to serve as the Board Secretary.
Dr. Galvin noted that Ms. Moyer’s resignation leaves an opening for the position of Board Secretary. She recommended Jennifer Brady for the role.
Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows.
Ms. Galofteanu moved to approve Ms. Brady to serve as Board Secretary. Ms. Thatcher seconded the motion.
RESOLVED, to APPROVE board member Jennifer Brady to serve as the Board Secretary
The motion passed unanimously
D Review and consideration of the board recruitment process to seek potential board members to fill the board vacancy
Dr Galvin reminded the Board of the process used in previous years to seek new board member candidates The school will use an interest form for Board candidates that will be posted on the school website and social media Board members and school leadership will also reach out to potential candidates encouraging them to apply After receipt of interest forms, Dr Galvin will do initial screening and bring viable candidate resumes to the Board
Mr Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows
Ms Galofteanu moved to approve the recruitment process as outlined Ms Brady seconded the motion
RESOLVED, to APPROVE the recruitment process to fill the board vacancy
The motion passed unanimously
VII School Spotlight
A Community Resource Team
Ms Kyndhail presented on the school’s Community Resource (CoRe) Team that provides support to vulnerable students and families within the school’s population This year, the CoRe team has piloted a new referral program that allows students and families to connect with them directly rather than seeking referral by a staff member This has led to a wider understanding of the needs faced by ORCA families When alerted to a need, the CoRe team intervenes in a variety of ways from referring the family to resources in their area to acting as a 1:1 advocate as the family navigates resource applications. The CoRe team also coordinates ORCA internal support programs including a Clothing Closet that has supported over 100 families, and a Holiday Gift Drive that provides gifts sponsored by ORCA staff to families facing the biggest challenges. Over the last year, the team has been able to track outcomes of the support given. Notably, more than half of seniors supported have graduated, almost two-thirds of students supported show growth in their attendance, and over half of supported students returned to ORCA for this year. The CoRe team continues to look for ways to expand support available to ORCA families.
Ms. Galofteanu expressed gratitude for the program and asked how the team is feeling in terms of capacity as they provide higher levels of support this year.
Ms. Kyndhail shared that the team used data from last year to organize their referral processing going into this year It has allowed them to maintain quality and care while processing a higher volume of referrals
Ms Galofteanu asked how the CoRe team ensures that they are reaching all the families who need support
Ms Kyndhail shared that the question of how to reach students and families in need remains central and is a key goal of not only the CoRe team, but all school staff The staff work together in a multi-disciplinary way to employ teachers in identifying needs and connecting kids with the CoRe team The CoRe team also provides training and PD for teachers on how to identify when there might be a need and what steps they can take to fill it The CoRe team is also communicating with a representative from the ORCA Parent Facebook group to find ways that they can use this group as another connection point for families
Ms Thatcher asked if there are any partnerships with local organizations in the areas where students live throughout the state
Ms Kyndhail highlighted the ORCA Resource Database that has links to resources throughout the state The CoRe team can either send families to the
phone number or website of a local organization, or act as an intermediary advocate on behalf of the family to connect them with resources in their area
[Andrea Kyndhail left the meeting at 12:33 p m ]
VIII Oral Report
A Financial Report
1 October Financials
Mr Nielsen shared a report on school and Boone building finances through the month of October The income statement shows revenue exceeding expenses with percentages in line with where the school should be in October. He previewed the January meeting which will include six-month financial statements as the school reaches the half-way point of its fiscal year.
B. School Leader’s Report
Dr. Galvin shared a report on happenings around the school including enrollment, state testing, club updates, and the first quarter review. As of this Board meeting, enrollment is at 2589 students. Recently published 2023-24 state test scores show that the school surpassed state overall numbers in all subjects except 5th Grade Math. Grad rate numbers are scheduled to come out in early February, but Dr. Galvin expects an increase in this metric as well.
There are 51 total clubs available to students in the 2024-25 school year with 939 students enrolled in a club The NASA club has been given the honor of participating in this year’s International Space Station Inflight Educational Downlink ORCA students will pre-record questions to be answered during a live broadcast by an astronaut on the space station
Finally, with the close of the first quarter on Friday, November 1st, Dr Galvin brought data from the first quarter review She noted that the school is digging into subgroup data this year, trying to establish a baseline for a new set of goals that focus on special populations The data from this year will be used to determine how the school grows and/or needs to grow in these areas in future years
Ms Galofteanu requested that an update on the NASA ISS connection be included in the April Board Meeting Agenda
IX Information Items
A Outreach Update
Ms Dillon shared an update on outreach efforts around the state Weekly info sessions continue, with eight families attending the most recent mid-day meeting This is a higher number than this time of year in previous school years Next week, KOIN’s EveryDay NW will have a segment featuring 5th Grade Teacher JR Pollnow and 7th Grader M Nguyen to highlight student government and clubs at ORCA Dr Galvin was recently interviewed for the Local Voices podcast The recording will be available in the next Board update The school’s October blog theme was Kindness with a Guide to Preventing Cyberbullying The November blog highlights the ASCEND Veterinary Science program
Ms Dillon went on to share that she has decided to retire ahead of next school year Her last day will be March 31, 2025 She noted that the Board’s decision to extend health care to recent retirees will directly impact her, and she thanked the Board for their work on that resolution
Dr. Galvin thanked Ms. Dillon for all of her service to the school. She shared that Ms. Dillon began working at ORCA in the school’s second year of operation and has been integral to its outreach efforts.
Board members thanked Ms. Dillon for the opportunity to work together and commended her for the critical role that her outreach has played in enrolling students.
B. Facilities Update
Mr. Meyer provided an update on facility maintenance at both locations. In Mill City, a roofing evaluation was recently conducted to determine repairs for the SPED office area. The evaluation found several small points of intrusion on the roof that are allowing water to run into the office ceiling Repairs for that leak have been scheduled In Wilsonville, backflow repair and fire system testing is scheduled for this Friday morning, outside of tenant operation hours
C Legislative Update
Dr Galvin shared that the school is working hard with its lobbyist and the lobbyist from Baker Web Academy to move forward a bill that would give virtual charter schools access to the Student Success Act (SSA) and Student Investment Accounts (SIA) She noted that the SIA is money earmarked to support students who meet struggling-student criteria She also noted that they are actively seeking a new chief sponsor for the bill ahead of the 2025 legislative session
D Board Updates
1 Graduation
Dr Galvin shared that Graduation is on Saturday June 7, 2025 at 4:00 pm at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem
Mr Brown asked if another board member would be willing to speak at the event as he has shared the board speech for the last 3 years He also asked that all board members make it a priority to attend the event
At this time, no other board member committed to being the graduation speaker, and the discussion was postponed to a later date
2 Any informational items for the January meeting
Dr Galvin shared that there was a request from a Board member to change the start time for the meeting After consulting the board members who were present, it was determined that the board will move to a 12:15 p m start time for the January meeting
X. Adjournment
Ms. Galofteanu moved to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Brady seconded the motion.
The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Brown at 12:58 p.m.
Next regular meeting date: January 22, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. PT in Zoom