Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) APPROVED MAY 25, 2022 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. PT Held at the following location: Via Zoom due to State Precautions regarding Public Health and Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic Zoom: https://oregoncharter.zoom.us/j/91035080370
I.
Call to Order Mr. Brown called the meeting to order at 12:42 p.m. when all members were present and could hear each other.
II.
Roll Call Board Members present: Joseph Brown, Kim Thatcher, Marsha Moyer, and Misty Galofteanu Board Members absent: Bobbie Jager Members of the Public present: Mary Massey School Staff present: Allison Galvin, Executive Director, and the following school staff; Todd Schweitzer, Lori Walter, Mary Ellen Mansfield, Laura Dillon, John Meyer, and Rachel Reid.
III.
Public Comment None
IV.
Routine Business 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:
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Galofteanu moved to approve the agenda as presented Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. RESOLVED, that the agenda for the April 27, 2022 meeting of the Board of Directors of Oregon Charter Academy is hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously. V.
Oral Report A. Financial Report 1. February and March Financials Ms. Mansfield shared the financial reports for February and March. Revenue in March increased due to incoming funds related to IDEA and High School Success. However, there was a higher cost in compensation for March due to PERS contributions that rolled over from February. Additionally, the purchasing budget appears low in March due to the purchase of equipment for the office conference rooms. The value of this equipment was moved to a fixed asset. Similarly, a new property was purchased in Mill City and the accounting reflects moving these funds to a fixed asset. Ms. Mansfield went on to note that this month’s board packet includes a new document showing a breakdown of school accounts, and fund balances from grants. Finally, Ms. Mansfield pointed out that in March $300,000 was paid back to ODE as unused funds from the 2021 Summer Grant. Of the grant dispersal, over $100,000 was used last summer. Ms. Galofteanu asked if it is normal to have excess funds from a grant that require repayment. Ms. Galvin noted that last year’s grant was exceptionally large due to Covid-19 adjustments. She is unaware of any school districts that used all of their summer grant money. Grant money was made available to schools as a lump sum in May with a stipulation that schools match 25% of the granted amount. With the short notice on grant availability, there was not enough time to find ways to use all of the money during the summer. However, experience with last year’s grant has allowed the school to be creative about using the summer grant that will be available this year. Mr. Brown asked what ODE will do with the returned $300,000. Ms. Galvin indicated that those funds may contribute to this year’s grant.
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Mansfield also noted that the funds from the summer grant were restricted to only summer programs, creating a finite timeline for spending that money. B. School Leader’s Report 1. School Leader Report Ms. Galvin shared the school leaders report, noting that the current enrollment is holding strong around 2750. Most families enrolled with the school now are here because they prefer virtual learning rather than due to Covid-19. Having a stable enrollment is positive for long-term planning. Ms. Glavin also reflected on staffing for this year in light of recent observations at in-person events. She noted that a focus for next year will be rebuilding school culture. a) Spring Celebration Ms. Galvin explained that Spring Celebration will take place at Linn County Fairgrounds on June 3rd from noon to 3p.m. She invited all board members to attend. This event will be the first all-school large event in two years. However, Prom was held last Saturday with approximately 100 high school students attending and several high school staff chaperoning. Ms. Galvin noted that she looks forward to connecting in-person with staff at Spring Celebration. b) Graduation Ms. Galvin shared that Gradation will be Saturday, June 11, at Salem Fairgrounds. Board members are invited to this event as well and can expect a formal invitation from Office Manager Kathie Smee in the coming weeks. Mr. Brown will be one of the featured speakers. Ms. Galvin also said that this is a time to celebrate students, many of whom would not have made it so far in a traditional bricks and mortar school, and it is one of ORCA’s best events each year. 2. Quarterly metrics Ms. Galvin highlighted the quarterly metrics. She pointed out that although Q3 metrics look low, it is typical for Q3 to be less than Q2 due to Q2 being the end of a semester. Q3 metrics reflect the mid-semester check-in wherein teachers motivate students to complete missing assignments ahead of Q4. The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
3. School spotlight - ASCEND Mr. Meyer shared a spotlight about ORCA’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, ASCEND. Current pathways include Business and Management, Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Medical Science, and Veterinary Medical Science. Each of these pathways allows students to earn industry certifications, develop career skills, and improve their resumes as part of their high school career. Mr. Meyer also stated that ASCEND students have higher graduation and engagement rates than their high school peers. Courses in the CTE pathways include opportunities to actively apply lessons learned in core classes. As an example, he described the integrated math focus on applied mathematics within a career track. Mr Meyer noted that ORCA is a nation-wide leader in virtual CTE education, and is a growing program. Next year, ASCEND will be adding the Hotel and Tourism Management pathway to its offerings. Additional future pathways could include Pre-Engineering, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Management. [Mary Massey exited the meeting at 1:06 p.m.] VI.
Executive Session Ms Galofteanu moved to go into Executive Session. Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. The board moved into Executive Session at 1:07 to review the real estate contract for the purchase of 30485 SW Boones Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, OR 97070 - pursuant to ORS § 192.660 (1) and (2) (e) Board members present: Joseph Brown, Misty Galofteanu, Marsha Moyer School Staff present: Allison Galvin, Mary Ellen Mansfield, John Meyer, and Rachel Reid The board returned from Executive Session at 1:15 pm.
VII.
Consent Agenda A motion was made and seconded as follows: Ms. Moyer moved to approve the Consent Agenda Ms. Galofteanu seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the consent items as presented,
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I.
Approval of Minutes from the February 23, 2022 Board Meeting Approval of Minutes from February 28, 2022 Special Board Meeting Approval of Staffing Report Approval of 2022-23 Benefits Guide Approval of Expenditure Summary Report-February Approval of Expenditure Summary Report-March Approval of Legal Invoice(s) - March and April Approval of Bank Reconciliation-February Approval of Bank Reconciliation-March
The motion passed unanimously. VIII.
Action Items A. 2022-23 School Budget Ms. Galvin noted that Ms. Moyer and Mr. Brown have reviewed the budget as part of the Budget Committee. Ms. Galofteanu said that she has reviewed it as part of the packet sent prior to the meeting. 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 2022-23 school budget. Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the 2022-23 school budget as presented. The motion passed unanimously. B. Approval of Executive Director to execute all contracts and approve all expenditures as presented in the 2022-23 school budget Ms. Galvin noted the need to give the Executive Director authority to sign contracts related to the budget. 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. Moyer moved to approve authorization of the Executive Director to sign budget-related contracts. Ms. Galofteanu seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Executive Director to execute all contracts and approve all expenditures as presented in the approved 2022-23 school budget. The motion passed unanimously.
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
C. Review and consideration for approved signers on bank accounts Ms. Galvin noted that when Becky Badger resigned from the Board, the school lost one approved signer on the bank account. In addition, a staff member who has recently resigned was also an approved signer. It was requested that the Board approve Ms. Galvin, Ms. Mansfield, and Ms. Reid to be the approved signers moving forward. 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 these signers as discussed. Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE Allison Galvin, Mary Ellen Mansfield and Rachel Reid to be designated signers on school bank accounts. The motion passed unanimously. D. Bank account adjustments: Student Activities to Operations Ms. Mansfield explained that the Student Activities account does not have checks assigned to it. Currently, in order to pay invoices from that fund, money must be transferred to Operations and then paid out from that account. If the accounts are combined, Student Activities expenses would still appear separately on expenditure sheets, but there would be only one school bank account from which checks are issued. 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 close the student activities account. Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE closing of the designated Student Activities account, and moving funds to the Operations account. The motion passed unanimously. E. Review and consideration of purchase at 30485 SW Boones Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, OR 97070 Ms. Galvin noted that the purchase of this property was discussed during executive session. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows:
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Moyer moved to approve the sales agreement. Ms. Galofteanu seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the sales agreement and all expenditures related to the purchase, up to 8.5 million dollars, as discussed during the executive session. The motion passed unanimously. F. Approval of Board Chair and/or Executive Director to execute all contracts related to purchase of 30485 SW Boones Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, 97070 Ms. Galvin noted the need to authorize the board chair and executive director to sign contracts related to the purchase of the property in question. 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 Board Chair and Executive Director to sign and execute the necessary contracts. Ms. Moyer seconded the motion. RESOLVED to APPROVE Board Chair, Joseph Brown, and Executive Director, Allison Galvin, to sign and execute all contracts on behalf of the Board for all items related to the sale of 30485 SW Boones Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, OR 97070. The motion passed unanimously. IX.
Information Items A. Outreach and events update Ms. Dillon presented student spotlights and media releases that have come out recently. In general articles highlighting students get a lot of engagement on social media. For example, student Isaac C., was recently interviewed by Beaverton Times after an article released by ORCA’s PR team. Ms. Dillon went on to share that virtual informational sessions are taking place now through September. Summer in-person outreach events include Salem Saturday Market and one special event per month of the summer. B. School leader evaluation process Mr. Schweitzer explained the process for reviewing the performance of the school leader. While the Board is ultimately the evaluator of the Executive Director, they do not participate in the day-to-day operations of the school. Therefore, the Operations Director, who is an outside contractor through ORCA’s partner SYS
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Education, drafts the initial evaluation of the Executive Director in partnership with the members of the school’s Executive Team. This draft is then presented to the board for review. In response, the Board calls a meeting with the Executive Director for review and evaluation during an Executive Session. Mr. Brown noted that this process has worked well in the past and provides for the constraints of an online school environment wherein board members are not present on a campus. Ms. Galofteanu affirmed the process and expressed gratitude for creation of the evaluation framework. She also asked for clarification on how the framework came to be. Mr. Schweitzer noted that a lot of the framework and standards come from ODE and TSBC and are consistent across the state. The Board has taken that outline and adapted it to ORCA’s online environment. C. Board updates 1. Board policies Ms. Galvin reviewed the documentation of Board Policies that were sent to the Board prior to the meeting. The Executive Team and OSBA have worked together to update existing policies and create new ones where needed. At today’s meeting, the policies are hereby formally presented to the Board. Ms Galvin indicated the next steps related to these policies: at a future meeting, after the Board has had time to review the policies, final discussion and approval of the policies will take place. After approval, OSBA will create and host a website that contains the policies so that they will be accessible to the public online. Mr. Brown noted that once these policies are approved they will be the reference documents for questions about what the Board may and may not do. Ms Galofteanu asked if it is possible to have a hard copy of the policies. Mr. Brown noted that with OSBA hosting, the board policies will be living documents that may be automatically updated if legislation changes. A hard copy would not keep up with those changes. Ms. Galvin indicated that a draft, unofficial copy can be printed and sent if needed, also acknowledging that the document may change after printing. Ms. Galofteanu stated that she will review the policies digitally and connect with Mr. Brown if questions arise. 2. Information items for the May meeting The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Galvin asked if there are topics the board would like to hear next month. Mr. Brown asked for a building update regarding the Wilsonville office. [Kim Thatcher joined the meeting at 1:46 p.m.] Ms Galofteanu asked for an update on the staff-reduction plan. Ms. Galvin stated that there were several people who accepted the severance package. However, that did not exhaust the total expenditure that was approved by the board. She also noted that it has been a hard season, and the school culture has taken a hit. Throughout the process, her biggest desire has been that there be minimal effect on students and parents during this transition. Ms. Galofteanu noted that, from her perspective as a parent, she has not sensed any difference in student experience due to the change. Ms. Galvin reiterated that the school has done its best to give staff ample time to transition. However, that does mean a longer time period when staff will be experiencing this transition. Mr. Schweitzer noted that the school’s staff reduction plan has gone above and beyond the industry standard. Communication was given early, and giving severance during a non-renewal due to budget reduction is uncommon. Ms. Thatcher asked for an update on the schedule for summer board meetings. Ms. Galvin previewed the schedule for summer, noting that June is the annual meeting of the Board, and July will not have a board meeting. X.
The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Brown at 1:52 p.m. Next regular meeting date: May 25, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. PT in Zoom
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.