January 2026 Meeting Agenda and Minutes
The Academy
Board of Directors
Board Meeting
Monday, January 26, 2026
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 December 15, 2025 minutes.
c. Approval of Special Meeting 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 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 – No meeting this month.
iii. PTO – See PTO meeting minutes.
V. Presentation and Discussion
a. Final Read of Mid-Year Budget Modification - Expectation: The Executive Director and Director of Finance will present final adjustments to the approved school budget.
b. Charter School Institute Annual Review Report - Expectation: The Executive Director and Chief Academic Officer will present the final version of CSI’s annual report on The Academy’s performance.
c. 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.
d. 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. Approval of Amended Budget – Expectation: The Board will vote to amend the budget with the proposed modifications.
VII. Adjourn Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 26, 2026
Board Members Present: Also Present:
Sarah Drewlow Chairperson 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
Autumn Coffee Board Member-online
Minutes of the regular Board meeting of The Academy held at 11800 Lowell Blvd, Westminster, CO 80031 in Adams County on, January 26, 2026.
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 December 15, 2025, minutes. Seconded by Larissa Fransua
Discussion: None
Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Dan Klenjoski, Kristen Cofrades, and Autumn Coffee
Abstain: Jen Halford
b. Sarah Drewlow moved to approve the Special Meeting minutes. Seconded by Kevin Sanchez.
Discussion: None
Ayes: Jen Halford, Larissa Fransua, and Autumn Coffee
Abstain: Kristen Cofrades and Dan Klenjoski
III. Public Comment
There was no public comment this month.
IV. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees
a. Executive Director Report
i. Finance
1. The process for a new auditor began. This process is due to the failed peer review.
2. Four “Request for Proposals” were sent out and three were returned.
3. After reviewing all three of the proposals, the Finance Committee unanimously agreed to switch to Hoelting.
ii. Operations
1. The roof and HVAC work at Main Campus was completed in December.
2. The roof and HVAC work at North Campus is underway.
3. The enrollment lottery closed on January 15, and applications are up 13.5%. This is good news considering the current state of enrollment in our area.
iii. Facilities Master Plan
1. The expansion project is moving forward and is on schedule.
2. No contingency funds for the expansion project have been used.
3. Permits have been submitted to the City of Westminster to begin some of the athletic updates.
b. Chief Academic Officer Report
i. Work is being done with principals to review their mid-year data, in preparation for the February Board meeting.
ii. A report was received regarding our IEP’s and we received stellar reviews.
iii. The attendance team continues their work on updating the Attendance Policy.
iv. The 2026 cohort includes 137 students, with 99% currently on track to graduate in May. Additional cohort updates include the student watch list increasing from 12 to 13 students, one student transferring out, and one student graduating early.
v. K-12 attendance is tracking at 92%, which is .5% better than this time last year, and the chronically absent percentage has decreased.
vi. The attendance team was able to hold its first attendance review meeting to supported a family with their absenteeism.
c. Committee Reports
i. Finance – It was a very efficient meeting.
ii. SACademic – No meeting this month.
iii. PTO – Past and future events were discussed.
V. Presentation and Discussion
a. Final Read of Mid-Year Budget Modification
i. Finance has been working through the modifications for several months.
ii. The PPR was updated giving us $25,000 more.
iii. Our share of the mill levy equalization fund from the State of Colorado, increased our revenue from $30.3 million to $33 million.
iv. Since there is an increase in revenue, the expenditure line also had to balance out because we run a zero budget.
v. With the increase in mill levy equalization and the use of contingency funds from the construction project, a vote to use general funds will not be needed until next year for the athletics construction.
b. Charter School Institute Annual Review Report
i. Instructional Measures
1. The report gives us information on our progress in instructional measures.
2. It also gives post-secondary workforce indicators.
3. The data shown is a good way to make comparisons with Adams 12.
4. The Academy’s data shows that we are on par or above the geographic district.
5. CDE looks at a 7-year graduation rate and ours is 96%.
6. The Academy has a lower drop-out rate than Adams 12.
ii. Finance and Operations
1. Student enrollment has been very steady over the last 5 years.
2. Student stability and retention rates are strong.
3. The operating margin has exceeded expectation over the last 5 years.
4. The Academy has maintained full compliance with all requirements over the last five years.
c. Executive Session C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)
i. Sarah Drewlow moved, pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 24, Article 6, Section 402 at subsection 4(f) to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters. The particular matter to be discussed behind closed doors is the Executive Director’s 2025 performance evaluation. As this executive session involves a personnel matter, the employee involved was given an opportunity to require that this discussion be conducted in public, and the employee has indicated that they wish for this discussion to occur in private. Invited into this Executive Session was Brent Reckman, Executive Director of The Academy of Charter Schools.
ii. Motion seconded by Kristen Cofrades.
iii. Call for vote; all approve- motion carried
iv. Executive session started at 6:47 pm
v. Motion to end executive session made by Sarah Drewlow
vi. Seconded by Dan Klenjoski
vii. Call for vote: all approved, motion carried
viii. Executive Session ended at 7:30 pm.
d. Work Session Summary
i. Annual School Safety Update
ii. Monthly Board Communications Review
iii. Governance Annual Work Plan- Administrative Succession Planning
iv. Ongoing Policy Review: Attendance Policy Was not discussed and will be added to a future meeting.
VI. Executive Summary
a. Vote on approval of the Amended Budget.
Kristen Cofrades moved to approve the Amended Budget. Seconded by Jen Halford
Discussion: None
Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Kevin Sanchez, Dan Klenjoski, Larissa Fransua, and Autumn Coffee
Nays: None
VII. Adjourn Meeting – Sarah Drewlow adjourned the meeting at 7:33 pm.