December 2025 Meeting Agenda and Minutes
The Academy
Board of Directors
Board Meeting
Monday, December 15, 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 November 17, 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. Presentation and Discussion
a. School Safety Update - Expectation: The Executive Director will present a reflection on the school’s recent lockdown experience.
b. New Course Approval for AP Human Geography and Pathophysiology - Expectation: The Chief Academic Officer will present a new course recommendation from the High School Principal and SACademic Committee.
c. First Read of Mid-Year Budget Modification - Expectation: The Executive Director will present a proposed amendment to the approved school budget.
d. 26-27 Academic Calendar - Expectation: The Executive Director will present a proposed Academic Calendar for school year 2026-27.
e. Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy and Communication – Expectation: Board members will complete a final read of the proposed new policy on student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices.
f. 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.
g. Work Session Summary – Expectation: The Board Chair will summarize the topics discussed during the work session prior to this formal meeting.
V. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees
a. Executive Director Report – Expectation: The ED will update the Board on progress toward financial and operational strategic priorities.
b. Chief Academic Officer Report - Expectation: The CAO will update the Board on progress toward instructional and cultural strategic priorities.
c. Committee Reports – Expectation: Committee Chairs will update the Board on progress with each committee.
i. Finance – See meeting minutes.
ii. SACademic – See meeting minutes.
iii. PTO – No meeting this month.
VI. Executive Summary
a. New Course Approval for AP Human Geography and Pathophysiology – Expectation: Board members will vote to approve the proposed addition to the High School Course Catalog.
b. 26-27 Academic Calendar – Expectation: Board members will vote to approve the proposed Academic Calendar for school year 2026-27.
c. Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy – Expectation: Board members will vote to approve the proposed Cell Phone Policy.
VII. Adjourn Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, December 15, 2025
Board Members Present: Also Present:
Sarah Drewlow Chairperson Brent Reckman Executive Director
Kevin Sanchez Vice Chairperson Sarah Gramarossa Chief Academic Officer
Dan Klenjoski Treasurer Susan Wagar Director of Operations
Kristen Cofrades Secretary Stacy McCleskey Exec. Admin. Manager
Larissa Fransua Board Member Kelly Jacobsen SRO
Autumn Coffee Board Member-online Andrea Foust Dir. of Finance-online
Minutes of the regular Board meeting of The Academy held at 11800 Lowell Blvd, Westminster, CO 80031 in Adams County on, December 15, 2025.
I. Open Meeting
A quorum being present, Sarah Drewlow called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
II. Consent Agenda
a. Kevin Sanchez moved to approve the November 17, 2025, minutes. Seconded by Larissa Fransua
Discussion: None
Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Dan Klenjoski, Kristen Cofrades, and Autumn Coffee
Nays: None
III. Public Comment
SRO Kelly Jacobsen and Stephanie Bean Keller (parent) were in attendance for the school safety update.
IV. Presentation and Discussion
a. School Safety Update
i. A lockdown was announced by our new voice alert system that is in the developmental stage.
ii. The system was not meant to be live and was accidentally accessed through the phone system by a staff member who misdialed an extension.
iii. Staff and students immediately went into lockdown mode.
iv. Some staff members knew about the new system and quickly identified that it was a false alarm.
1. Reflections
a. Staff and students did a good job of getting to a safe space quickly.
b. There are opportunities for growth with the system before it goes live.
c. Administration has debriefed with staff many times.
d. A communication was sent to families asking them to share their feedback on the situation.
e. Every piece of community feedback was given a response.
f. Further conversations over the phone or in person were offered.
g. High school students were given the opportunity to share their feedback on the situation.
h. Executive Director is confident that the community is satisfied with the feedback process
2. Opportunities
a. Teachers will be given more thorough training each August. We will dedicate more time to go through the emergency protocols in our emergency folders.
b. Secondary students will watch a video with emergency protocol information during the first week of the new school year.
c. Two lock down drills are scheduled each year and the support of police officers is given.
d. The key aspect of lockdown practice involves sheltering in place until police officers have cleared the rooms.
e. Further training with staff and older students will be done to go over other situations like bathrooms, recess, parking lot, etc.
3. Action Steps
a. Update lockdown protocols and the training that is tied to it.
b. IT will identify the locations where the speakers were hard to hear or install a strobe.
c. Appropriate staff will be identified and given keys for safe spaces such as locker rooms.
d. Staff will be trained on the new system and empowered to make a lockdown call over the PA.
b. New Course Approval for AP Human Geography and Pathophysiology
i. Each course was unanimously recommended by the SACademic Committee in October.
ii. Each course provides higher lever courses for students.
1. AP Human Geography Overview
a. There are no prerequisites to take this course, but students should be able to read college level text.
b. 9th grade students will be allowed to register for this course.
c. This course covers the Colorado standards set for Geography in high school.
d. This course aligns vertically across Kindergarten through 12th grade.
2. Pathophysiology
a. There are many options for curriculum. AP recommends a curriculum that is published by The National Geographic, but all options are being reviewed by administration.
b. This course would be the fourth course offered in the Health Science pathway.
c. Mr. Martinez will teach this course and may need to obtain the proper certification.
c. First Read of Mid-Year Budget Modification
i. The Finance Committee completed the first and second read of the budget and it was unanimously supported that the Board adopt the modification.
ii. The budget is created by using a PPR estimate in the summer and then updating it with our current PPR which is 1832.88
iii. The staffing totals were updated with recent new hires with actual costs.
iv. All benefit costs were trued up after open enrollment was finalized.
v. The revenue line increased by $500,000 since the amended budget was approved.
d. 26-27 Academic Calendar
i. Special attention was paid to Spring Break and administration hopes that it aligns with FRCC.
e. Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy and Communication
i. The feedback that was given at the November meeting was used to make changes.
ii. The wording for “elementary” and “secondary” were reviewed.
iii. The term “academic setting” was removed because the definition is different across levels.
iv. Expectations were set by developmental level which are defined as Elementary (K-5) and Secondary (6-12).
v. The length of the communication to families was shortened and hyperlinks were added.
f. Work Session Summary
i. The Board reviewed the monthly communications.
ii. There was discussion about the Executive Director’s evaluation.
iii. Updated information was given on the athletic facility upgrade.
iv. Committee Reports were given.
V. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees
a. Executive Director Report
i. Each Board member reviewed the report and there were no questions or concerns.
b. Chief Academic Officer Report
i. There are 137 students in the Class of 2026 and 99% are on track to graduate in May. There are 12 students on the watch list and they are being monitored and mentored.
ii. The attendance rate is hovering at 92%, which is on par for last year at this time. The attendance goal is 95%.
iii. The draft Attendance Policy is being reviewed and the term “partial absence” is being redefined.
c. Committee Reports
i. Finance
1. The meeting was very straight forward.
2. A final read on amended budget was done.
3. There is good attendance among the members and they are active and give good feedback.
ii. SACademic
1. This month was an information meeting with no action items.
2. The committee focused on the Family, School, & Community Partnerships Plan and discussed the Career Exploration Fair.
iii. PTO – No meeting this month.
VI. Executive Summary
a. Vote on AP Human Geography and Pathophysiology as new courses.
Sarah Drewlow moved to approve AP Human Geography and Pathophysiology as new courses. Seconded by Kevin Sanchez.
Discussion: None
Ayes: Dan Klenjoski, Kristen Cofrades, Autumn Coffee, and Larissa Fransua
Nays: None
b. Vote on 26-27 Academic Calendar.
Sarah Drewlow moved to approve the 26-27 Academic Calendar. Seconded by Kristen Cofrades.
Discussion: None
Ayes: Dan Klenjoski, Kevin Sanchez, Autumn Coffee, and Larissa Fransua
Nays: None
c. Vote on Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy.
Kevin Sanchez moved to approve the Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy. Seconded by Larissa Fransua.
Discussion: None
Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Kristen Cofrades, Dan Klenjoski, and Autumn Coffee
Nays: None
VII. Adjourn Meeting – Sarah Drewlow adjourned the meeting at 7:27 pm.