November 2025 Meeting Agenda and Minutes
The Academy
Board of Directors
Board Meeting
Monday, November 17, 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 October 27, 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. Annual Financial Audit – Expectation: The Board will hear an overview of the financial audit completed earlier this fall.
b. Athletics Facilities Upgrade Spending - Expectation: The Executive Director and Athletic Director will share the Finance Committee’s recommendation along with updates on project design and timeline.
c. Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy and Communication – Expectation: Board members will complete a first read of the proposed new policy on student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices.
d. 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.
e. 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 – No meeting this month.
iii. PTO – See meeting minutes.
VI. Executive Summary
a. N/A - There are no items up for a Board vote in this meeting.
VIII. Adjourn Meeting
Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, November 17, 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 Andrea Foust Director of Finance
Kristen Cofrades Secretary Stacy McCleskey Exec. Admin. Manager
Autumn Coffee Board Member - online Kia Murray CSI Consultant
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, November 17, 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 October 27, 2025, minutes. Seconded by Kristen Cofrades
Discussion: None
Ayes: Sarah Drewlow, Dan Klenjoski, Autumn Coffee, Jen Halford
Nays: None
III. Public Comment
There was no public comment this month.
IV. Presentation and Discussion
a. Annual Financial Audit
i. Auditor
1. It was discovered that our auditor, John Cutler, failed a peer review process this calendar year.
2. This process is normal and it’s not uncommon for concerns to be brought up.
3. The auditor’s licensure or certification status is not impacted by this review.
4. CSI will accept the audit that was completed by John Cutler.
5. It was disappointed that John Cutler did not contact The Academy regarding the review findings and a Request for Proposal was issued to other auditors. Feedback is expected in December.
6. Members of the Finance Committee do not have concerns with the audit.
ii. Audit
1. Our liabilities improved so our net position went in a positive direction.
2. There was a $3.5 million general fund balance increase.
3. John Cutler called in to give a brief report and answer questions. He reported that the audit went well. He gave us a clean report with no difficulties or major problems.
b. Athletics Facilities Upgrade Spending
i. The recommended investment for this project is $8 million.
ii. Best practice is to have 55-90 days cash on hand; we currently we have 200 days cash on hand.
iii. It has been determined that maintaining 80 days cash on hand, or $5 million, is a conservative approach to financial management.
iv. Considerations should include changes in future revenue (PPR increases/decreases) and expenditures including staff salary and benefit increases.
v. Different scenarios were thought of:
1. Worst case scenario is a 1% PPR increase and a big enrollment decline. This would cause us to cut back on school supply lines or use cash on hand.
2. Middle case scenario is a 2% PPR increase and a small enrollment drop. With this scenario we could maintain current levels.
3. Best case scenario is a 3% PPR increase with flat enrollment. This would enable us to rebuild cash reserves.
vi. Athletic Director Marc Verikas gave a presentation of the improvements that would be associated with this project.
1. Upgrades would increase student involvement at home games.
2. This project would give The Academy a functioning game facility with new turf, press box, new scoreboard, lights, fieldhouse, concessions, bathrooms and a ticket booth.
3. Another phase would be to develop the dirt parking lot into a practice field.
4. Indoor upgrades to the gyms would include new bleachers, new basketball hoop motors, new paint in the south gym, new scoreboard in the north gym, refinish gym floors.
5. This project would generate income with home games.
6. The Board will vote on this project in January.
c. Cell Phone & Personal Electronic Devices Policy and Communication
i. A new law was passed requiring schools to implement a student communications policy by September 2026.
ii. CSI provided templates to assist with the development of the new policy.
iii. K-5th grade: there are no changes because it is a cell phone free environment already.
iv. 6th - 8th grade: many changes were made last year to restrict cell phone use.
v. 9th - 12th grade: many changes were made last year to restrict cell phone use.
vi. Beginning in September 2026, there won’t be any cell phones/devices in any academic setting across K-12.
vii. There was feedback that “academic setting” needs to be clearly defined as well as clearer communication to parents.
d. Work Session Summary
i. Board communications were reviewed.
ii. The Attendance Policy was reviewed.
iii. Preparation was done for the Board Self-Evaluation in January.
iv. Discussion was had about the Executive Director’s Evaluation.
v. There was extra time in the work session so reports were given by Executive Director and CAO.
V. Reports from Directors, Principals, and Committees
a. Executive Director Report
i. Finance-the audit was reviewed.
ii. Operations-roof repairs were discussed and immediate maintenance will be done.
iii. Facility-the construction project is moving ahead and no contingency funds have been used.
b. Chief Academic Officer Report
i. Work is being done on new policies.
ii. The graduation trajectory remains on track for 2026.
c. Committee Reports
i. Finance
1. The committee made a choice to incorporate a new process to use a quarterly balance sheet to add extra data reporting. This will be helpful to watch our cash flow.
2. First read of the amended budget process was done.
3. Discussed construction and athletics budgeting.
ii. SACademic – There was no meeting this month.
iii. PTO – Trunk or treat went well. There were more secondary students this year due to the haunted house.
VI. Adjourn Meeting – Sarah Drewlow adjourned the meeting at 7:31 pm.