Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA) MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 12:30 p.m. PT Held at the following location and via teleconference: 833 NW Santiam Boulevard Mill City, OR 97360 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ I.
Call to Order
Mr. Kropf called the meeting to order at 12:34 p.m. II.
Roll Call
Board Members Present: Jeff Kropf, Joseph Brown, and Becky Badger (via phone); Board Members Absent: Kim Thatcher and Bobbie Jager; Guests Present: Allison Galvin, Executive Director (in person at the meeting location, which was open to the public); Carlie Steele, ORCA Student; Melissa Steele, ORCA Parent; Emily Lee, Kristin DeGroff, Jarrod Hogue, Megann Arthur, Brian Rosta, Josh Daniels and Tanya Lee, POBL staff (via phone). III.
Public Comment
There were no comments at this time. IV.
Routine Business a.
Approval of Agenda
Mr. Kropf asked if Board members would like to request any changes be made to the Agenda. At the request of the Board Treasurer, the Board added Action Item (c) Approval of Commercial Property Insurance Renewal. There being no further changes noted, a motion was made and seconded as follows: RESOLVED, that the Agenda for the November 28, 2018 meeting of the Board of Directors of Oregon Connections Academy, as amended, is hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously.
V.
Oral Reports a. School Leader’s Report Ms. Galvin reviewed current enrollment levels at the school, including students in all stages of the enrollment process. She further discussed the recent nationwide Pearson Town Hall that was conducted from the school, and advised of the staff’s meet and greet with Tom ap Simon, the Managing Director of Pearson Online & Blended Learning (POBL). i.
Student Guest Introduction
Ms. Galvin introduced Carlie Steele, a student at the school. Ms. Steele thanked the Board for their time, and provided a brief review of her non-profit group, Carlie’s Kindness Campaign. She discussed the Campaign’s mission to show children the importance of volunteering and spreading kindness, and provided examples of recent activities held around the state. Board members congratulated Ms. Steele on her recent volunteering activities, and thanked her for being a standout student at the school. [Ms. C. Steele and Ms. M. Steele left the meeting at 12:44 p.m.] ii.
Update on Student Intervention Efforts – Tier 1 and Tier 2
Ms. Galvin updated the Board on Student Intervention Efforts for all grade levels at ORCA. She advised the Board of school staff members’ increased awareness of critical educational components and benchmarks, as well as Pearson Online and Blended Learning’s (POBL) useful tools for tracking student progress. Ms. Galvin further discussed the relation these efforts have to the school’s annual success in goals completion. Mr. Kropf requested further information regarding student intervention efforts in relation to the school’s Response to Intervention (RTI) efforts at a future meeting. b. Financial Report Ms. Lee reviewed the financial information contained in the Board materials with the Board, providing specific information on the budget and forecast for the school year. Ms. Lee further reviewed the balance sheet, revenue, and expense statements. VI.
Consent Agenda
Mr. Kropf asked the Board members whether there were any items from the Consent Items that they wanted moved to Action Items for discussion. There being no changes noted, a motion was made and seconded as follows: RESOLVED, the Consent Items: a. b. c. d. e. f.
Approval of Minutes from the October 24, 2018 Board Meeting; Approval of Staffing Report; Approval of School Invoice(s); Approval of Legal Invoice(s); Approval of Bank Reconciliation; and Approval of Connections Academy of Oregon, LLC Invoices for October, are hereby approved.
The motion passed unanimously.
VII.
Action Items a. Approval of Board President as Board Designee to Finalize and Execute All Necessary Documentation Regarding the Mill City Storage Facility Construction Ms. Galvin reminded the Board of the pre-build bidding process discussed at a prior meeting. She advised that the construction work had been awarded to Petra Design Build, and noted that additional information would be presented by POBL’s Facilities Team at a future meeting. Ms. Arthur reminded the Board of the timing of the Board’s next meeting, to be held in January, and recommended that a Board Designee be nominated to finalize and execute all necessary construction documentation. Mr. Kropf volunteered to act as Board Designee. There being no further discussion, a motion was made and seconded as follows: RESOLVED, that the Board President as Board Designee to Finalize and Execute All Necessary Documentation Regarding the Mill City Storage Facility Construction, as presented, is hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously. b. Approval of Intent to Renew Communication to Santiam Canyon School District Ms. Galvin reminded the Board of the upcoming Charter renewal process with Santiam Canyon School District, and requested Board support regarding the intent to renew. Board members recommended that a designee be nominated to work with Ms. Galvin and POBL on all renewal process documentation. Mr. Kropf volunteered to act as Board Designee. There being no further discussion, a motion was made and seconded as follows: RESOLVED, that the Intent to Renew Communication to Santiam Canyon School District; and FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board Chair as Board Designee to work with the School Leader and POBL on all Renewal Process Documentation, as discussed, are hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously. c.
Approval of Commercial Property Insurance Renewal
Ms. Badger reviewed the school’s commercial property insurance, as provided through Scottsdale Insurance Company. She advised of the annual renewal, including the policy’s deductible and annual premium of $7,641.47. There being no further discussion, a motion was made and seconded as follows: RESOLVED, that the Commercial Property Insurance Renewal, as discussed, is hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously. VIII.
Information Items a.
State and Strategic Client Relations (SSCR) Update
Mr. Hogue provided an update on recent legislative activities which may impact the school.
b.
Outreach Update
Ms. Galvin provided the Board with an update on ongoing outreach activities, including several successful virtual information sessions. She further provided an update on recent communications with all Native American tribes within the state, and advised of the ongoing work to meet with each tribe regarding school outreach. [Mr. Hogue left the meeting at 1:37 p.m.] c.
School Leadership Team (PSLT) Update
Dr. Rosta presented to the Board on behalf of POBL’s Partner School Leadership Team. i. School Leader Review Process Update Dr. Rosta outlined the annual school leader review process with the Board. He reminded Board members that the process includes feedback from the Board through a survey. Dr. Rosta further reminded the Board that Ms. Galvin’s mid-year review will be discussed during the January meeting and the final review will take place during the Board’s Annual Meeting in June. He also reiterated the importance of Board member participation in the review process. d.
Future Funded Enrollment Growth
Ms. Galvin reviewed with the Board a proposed Funded Enrollment Target for the 2019-2020 school year of 4,216 students. She reminded Board members that the targets are a major driver for school budget planning, including outreach, staffing and many other initiatives. She further advised that the proposed enrollment targets will be presented for approval during the upcoming January Board meeting, if Board members indicate their support of the number. Ms. Galvin reviewed past target numbers and the predicted growth for the schools based on many factors, including trends in enrollment, students currently in the pipeline and outreach efforts. The Board expressed their support of the proposed numbers. IX.
Strategic Planning a. Strategic Plan Report Ms. Galvin reviewed the Strategic Plan Report, as included in the Board materials. She advised of the staff’s ongoing work to maximize student achievement. She further discussed the school’s action steps to address the specific goals contained within the Strategic Plan.
[Ms. DeGroff and Ms. Lee left the meeting at 1:59 p.m.] Board members discussed the Strategic Plan Report with Ms. Galvin in detail. X.
Adjournment and Confirmation of Next Meeting Date on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 12:30 p.m.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:07 p.m.