August 2025 Meeting Agenda and Minutes

The Academy

Board of Directors

Board Meeting

Monday, August 25, 2025

6:00pm

Agenda

I. Open Meeting

The Academy’s mission is to help all students grow into college ready, exemplary citizens by combining academic mastery with personal empowerment to drive lifelong success. We serve our full community by intentionally developing a school culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. With this in mind, the Board of Directors welcomes all members of our community to this meeting and invites each person to begin our time together in whatever way will help ground you for thoughtful and productive discussion - a few deep breaths, a prayer, a moment to organize your thoughts, or whatever meets your needs.

II. Consent Agenda

a. Approve Agenda

b. Approval of August 1, 2025, minutes.

III. Public Comment

The chairperson will recognize anyone who signs the request form before the meeting time. Public comment and input shall be limited to fifteen minutes total, ten minutes per topic, and 2 minutes per speaker. Neither Board members nor Academy staff is obligated to respond to comments or input. The Board will provide written responses as deemed appropriate.

IV. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees

a. Executive Director Report – Expectation: The ED will update the Board on the start of the new school year as well as progress toward financial and operational strategic priorities.

b. Chief Academic Officer Report - Expectation: The CAO will update the Board on the start of the new school year as well as progress toward instructional and cultural strategic priorities.

c. Committee Reports – Expectation: Committee Chairs will update the Board on progress with each committee.

i. Finance – No Finance Committee meeting this month.

ii. SACademic – No SACademic Committee meeting this month.

iii. PTO – No PTO meeting this month.

V. Presentation and Discussion

a. Updates to Discipline Matrix and Bullying Investigation Procedures - Expectation: The CAO will update the Board on changes to the school’s discipline matrix and related bullying investigation procedures.

b. Library Resource Policy Proposal – Expectation: The ED will present a new Library Resource Policy to comply with recent state requirements.

c. Disclosure of Information to Federal Immigration Authorities Policy Proposal – Expectation: The ED will present a new Library Resource Policy to comply with recent state requirements.

d. Payroll Policy Proposal – Expectation: The ED will present a new Payroll Policy to comply with recent federal requirements.

e. Time & Effort Policy Proposal – Expectation: The ED will present a new Time & Effort Policy to comply with recent federal requirements.

f. Construction Projects Policy Proposal – Expectation: The ED will present a new Construction Projects Policy to comply with recent federal requirements.

g. Executive Session C.R.S. §24-6-402(4) – Expectation: As needed, the Board may call an executive session for one of the specific topics identified below via a 2/3 majority.

i. Discussions regarding buying or selling property;

ii. Conferences with an attorney to receive legal advice;

iii. Matters required to be kept confidential by state or federal law (e.g., student academic records);

iv. Security arrangements or investigations;

v. Determining contract negotiation strategies;

vi. Personnel matters;

vii. Consideration of documents protected from disclosure under the Open Records Act; or

viii. Discussion of individual students where public discussion would adversely affect the student involved.

h. Work Session Summary – Expectation: The Board Chair will summarize the topics discussed during the work session prior to this formal meeting.

VI. Executive Summary

a. Library Resource Policy Approval – Expectation: The Board will vote to adopt a new Library Resource Policy as required by new state statute.

b. Disclosure of Information to Federal Immigration Authorities Policy Approval – Expectation: The Board will vote to adopt a new Library Resource Policy as required by new state statute.

c. Payroll Policy Approval – Expectation: The Board will vote to adopt a new Payroll Policy as directed by new federal requirements.

d. Time & Effort Policy Approval – Expectation: The Board will vote to adopt a new Time & Effort Policy as directed by new federal requirements.

e. Construction Projects Policy Approval – Expectation: The Board will vote to adopt a new Construction Projects Policy as directed by new federal requirements.

VII. Board Meeting Self-Scoring – Expectation: The Board will self-score their performance for the meeting according to preset criteria.

VIII. Adjourn Meeting

Board Meeting Minutes

Monday, August 25, 2025

Board Members Present: Also Present:

Sarah Drewlow Chairperson-online Brent Reckman Executive Director

Kevin Sanchez Vice Chairperson Sarah Gramarossa Chief Academic Officer

Dan Klenjoski Treasurer Andrea Foust Director of Finance

Kristen Cofrades Secretary Stacy McCleskey Exec. Admin. Manager

Larissa Fransua Board Member

Jen Halford Board Member-online

Minutes of the regular board meeting of The Academy held at 11800 Lowell Blvd, Westminster, CO 80031 in Adams County on August 25, 2025.

I. Open Meeting

A quorum being present, Sarah Drewlow called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm.

II. Consent Agenda

a. Larissa Fransua moved to approve the August 1, 2025, minutes. Seconded by Kevin Sanchez.

Discussion: None

Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Dan Klenjoski, Kristen Cofrades, and Jen Halford

Nays: None

III. Public Comment

There was no public comment this month.

IV. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees

a. Executive Director Report

i. Finance and Operations

1. Finance is preparing for the annual audit.

ii. Facility and Master Plan Update

1. Renovations are largely done and the remaining punch list items are being addressed.

2. Work is moving forward on the addition.

iii. Enrollment Update

1. The school year is starting out with enrollment at 1851 students.

2. Enrollment is a little behind from this time last year, but it’s slightly ahead from two years ago.

3. The budget was written using 1830 students.

b. Chief Academic Officer Report

i. The finalized UIP will be shared in September and is due in October.

ii. An action plan is being created for the first semester.

iii. The graduation trajectory will be reported at the beginning of September.

iv. The attendance goal is set at a 95% attendance rate and training on the new attendance tool is being done.

c. Committee Reports –

i. Finance – No Finance Committee meeting this month.

ii. SACademic – No SACademic Committee meeting this month.

iii. PTO – No PTO meeting this month.

V. Presentation and Discussion

a. Updates to Discipline Matrix and Bullying Investigation Procedures.

i. Goals of the Discipline Matrix and Bullying Investigation Procedures are:

1. To align with state statues.

2. To create a common matrix that can be used as a K-12 tool.

3. To provide clarification for staff, students, and families.

ii. The Discipline Matrix updates include:

1. Each category has a response plan.

2. Each behavior/action has mandatory and possible response.

3. Category 3 is the lowest behavior violation and addresses various situations.

4. The matrix includes a glossary with definitions.

5. Our lawyer has reviewed the updated matrix to ensure that it’s in compliance with state statutes.

6. This is a working document so this year will be a time to make sure it fits the needs of our staff and students.

7. Grade-levels may not make changes without first collaborating with the senior administrative team. All changes will be reviewed by our legal team to ensure compliance with state statutes.

8. All conversations done in person or by phone will be documented in an email.

9. It will be published in the handbook each year.

iii. Updates to the Bullying Investigation Procedures:

1. The habitually disruptive statute has changed so our lawyer created a Bullying Investigative Checklist.

2. This tool will help create a strong documentation process and will assist principals in reviewing situations and action steps.

3. There is some professional judgement that can happen in the moment to decide if this process needs to begin.

4. No changes can be made to these procedures unless it is approved by the lawyer because the consequences/outcome are severe.

b. Library Resource Policy Proposal

i. This policy is required because of a new state statute. It was created with a template from CSI and then updated and cleared by our legal team.

ii. The purpose of this policy gives clear procedures for the acquisition and retention of material in the school library.

c. Disclosure of Information to Federal Immigration Authorities Policy Proposal

i. This policy is required because of a new state statute. It was created with a template from CSI and then updated and cleared by our legal team.

ii. Brent Reckman and/or Sarah Gramarossa are the employees to respond if authorities were to come to the school and request information.

d. Payroll Policy Proposal

i. This policy establishes clear, compliant, and transparent payroll practices.

ii. The Academy already follows these steps to run payroll each month.

e. Time & Effort Policy Proposal

i. If staff are 100% paid out of a federal grant, they have to be certified twice a year. If not, they have to document the work that is being done and the length of time it was done.

f. Construction Projects Policy Proposal

i. This policy applies to federal funds that are used for construction projects.

ii. There are many guidelines to follow throughout the process.

g. Work Session Summary

i. Discussed the monthly Board communications.

ii. Started the conversation to begin The Academy’s next strategic plan.

iii. Reviewed the Governance annual work plan.

VI. Executive Summary

a. Vote on the Library Resource Policy.

Sarah Drewlow moved to approve the Library Resource Policy. Seconded by Jen Halford.

Discussion: None