January 2025 Meeting Agenda and Minutes
The Academy
Board of Directors
Executive Work Session
Monday, January 27, 2025
5:30 – 6:55pm
Agenda
School Safety Update 30 Minutes
Expectation: The Academy’s School Resource Officer will present an annual update on school safety.
Monthly Board Communications Review 10 Minutes
Expectation: Each month, Board members will acknowledge and discuss any community feedback or complaints that have been received since the last meeting.
Board Self-Evaluation Revisions 25 Minutes
Expectation: Board members will discuss progress with updating their annual self-evaluation process.
Ongoing Policy Review 20 Minutes
Expectation: The Board will regularly review new and existing policies as needed for compliance and alignment with the school mission and vision. This month we will review a potential new Health and Wellness Policy.
Board Meeting
Monday, January 27, 2025
7:00pm
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 16, 2024, 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 will present final adjustments to the approved school budget.
b. Name Change Policy and Name Change Form – Expectation: The Executive Director will present updates to the proposed Name Change Policy based on previous Board discussion.
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. Name Change Policy – Expectation: Board members will vote to approve the proposed Name Change Policy.
b. Approval of Amended Budget – Expectation: The Board will vote to amend the budget with the proposed modifications.
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, January 27, 2025
Board Members Present: Also Present:
Sarah Drewlow Chairperson Brent Reckman Executive Director
Amy McDuffee Vice Chairperson Sarah Gramarossa Chief Academic
Dan Klenjoski Treasurer Stacy McCleskey Exec. Admin. Manager
Kevin Sanchez Board Member
Kristen Cofrades Board Member
Autumn Coffee Secretary-online
Minutes of the regular board meeting of The Academy held at 11800 Lowell Blvd, Westminster, CO 80031 in Adams County on January 27, 2025.
I. Open Meeting
a. A quorum being present, Mrs. Drewlow called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
II. Consent Agenda
-
- Mr. Sanchez moved to approve the December 16, 2024, minutes. Seconded by Mr. Klenjoski.
a. Discussion: None
b. Ayes: Mrs. Drewlow, Mrs. McDuffee, Mrs. Cofrades, Mrs. Coffee
c. Nays: None
III. Public Comment
a. There was no public comment this month.
IV. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees
a. Executive Director Report
i. The Student Intent to Return forms were completed this month and 98% of the families are reporting that they will return next year.
1. The registrar used the Intent to Return information to identify the available positions in each grade and ran the random lottery. Families from the lottery are now being contacted.
2. There are currently 496 applications for new student enrollment. There were 474 last year so current enrollment is stable and strong.
3. There are approximately 76 PreK students on the lottery for 40 available spots.
4. Looking at the 25-26 enrollment, we are set to run a similar budget process.
5. Mr. Reckman will review and report the reasons families gave for not returning.
ii. Facility Master Plan
1. A communication was included in the January newsletter and repeated in mid-January as a stand-alone email.
2. Mr. Reckman has reached out to the Bradburn HOA to provide a clear pathway for resident feedback, questions, and gave details about the specific impacts to the neighborhood.
3. It was recommended that we create some type of visual for everyone to see and create vision for future growth opportunities.
b. Chief Academic Officer Report
i. Each grade level has finished mid-year assessments and principals are reviewing data. This data will be presented at the February Board meeting
ii. CSI is completing audits for special populations program. There has been
1. great feed-back and very positive outcome. CSI looks for
2. compliance and legal requirements. They also dive into how meaningful
3. the report is written.
iii.Of the 135 seniors, 84.4% are expected to graduate.
iv.We are currently at a 92% daily attendance rate. The goal is 95%. The
1. current rate is 1.2% higher than this time last year and the team will be
2. focusing on K-5 because the attendance is lower than the secondary
3. grades.
c. Committee Reports
i.Finance
1. The monthly financial report was presented and there were no surprises this month.
2. The budget modification was discussed in detail.
ii. SACademic – No meeting this month. The next meeting is February 3.
iii. PTO – no questions or comments.
V. Presentation and Discussion
a. Final Read of Mid-Year Budget Modification
i. The first read of the mid-year modified budget is in December and
1. the second is in January with final changes.
ii. The Mill Levy Equalization fund was created to give funding to charter
1. schools. This is the first year that it was fully funded and final changes to funding are still being calculated. Changes are being made because Adams 12 did not properly project the mill levy.
b. Name Change Policy
i. The state is mandating that a policy be put in place.
ii. The revisions were discussed since some Board members were not present
1. at the December meeting.
iii. There are questions about current litigation and violations of funding if we
1. don’t have a policy in place.
iv. Mr. Reckman will contact Attorney General’s office with further questions.
c. Executive Session
i. The Board entered into Executive Session to discuss the annual evaluation of Mr. Reckman, Executive Director for The Academy. Mr. Reckman was invited to join the Executive Session. This Executive Session involves a personnel matter so the employee involved has been 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. Formally, Mrs. 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 that is to be discussed behind closed doors is the Executive Director’s evaluation. Seconded by Mr. Sanchez, call for vote. Motion carried. Executive Session started at 8:20 p.m. Executive Session ended at 9:11 p.m.
d. Work Session Summary
i. School Safety Update. SRO Kelly Jacobson and Sgt. Salazar from Westminster P.D. gave update on education/outreach, relationship building, and collaboration with staff regarding school policy and procedures.
ii. Board Self -Evaluation Review. Revisions were discussed and made as a group.
iii. Ongoing Policy Review. CSI wants all schools to have a Health and Wellness Policy.
VI. Executive Summary
a. Vote to approve Name Change Policy – further discussion needed.
b. Vote to approve Amended Budget
Mrs. McDuffee made a motion to approve the Amended Budget. Mr. Sanchez seconded to motion.
Discussion: None
Ayes: Mrs. Drewlow, Mrs. Cofrades, Mr. Klenjoski, Mrs. Coffee
Nays:
VII. Board Meeting Self-Scoring: 4
VIII. Meeting adjourned at 9:14 pm