001Okay. >> Um the school board so we will get started. Um We have a list of attendees. Dominique, >> those in the room. Yes. I need you to see. Are there any others >> participants? >> Yeah. I'll put it over here if you can read that. >> We'll just take a picture. >> Sure. I can read the big. Yes, I think. >> Do we have a forum? >> We do. >> Yes. I'll call the meeting to order. >> Danny, can you read our mission statement, please? >> First. Um, hi everyone. Your mission statement as follows. Uh, Metroina Regional Scholars Academy provides a differentiated, challenging, and equitable learning environment that supports the distinctive intellectual, social, and emotional needs of highly gifted children from diverse backgrounds and enables them to form meaningful relationships with their intellectual peers.
002>> Thank you. So, this meeting will be broadcast to the public via Zoom webinar platform. This medium is a secure forum for engagement as it requires attendees to register, limits interactivity, removes the ability to communicate without permission and does not provide anonymous participation, comment or annotation. Registration will require the submission of your first and last name as well as your email. Um, we will, um, I will take a, what's the phrase? Um, I will entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the previous board meeting for the special meeting on 7:22 for open and close session and also for the annual meeting on August 8th for open and close session. >> Second. So move >> second. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those who oppose say nay. Eyes. Having. Um. You.
003The the minutes have been adopted. This will be our first opportunity for community comments. The public is welcome to speak limited to three minutes per speaker. Topic should not cover private, confidential or personal information. Board will not respond or enter into a dialogue on topics discussed. At this time, you may in indicate your desire to participate in community comments by raising your hand and using the controls in the Zoom application or browser. When it is your turn, the moderator will identify you by name and then granting you access to speak. So, if you would like to speak, please raise your hand now. Right. Nobody's raised their hand. Jessica, uh, Miss Go, would you like to give us the director's report, please? >> Sure. I'm trying my I'm having problems with my camera, so I'm sorry
004about that. Um, >> it's it wasn't working the other day either, but um, so just been working on getting ready for tomorrow. Um we are fully staffed with our teachers at this time. We are still um we have two open positions, a school counselor position and a part-time exceptional children's teacher um position. So we are currently interviewing and seeking applicants for those positions. um our in the time that we don't have our EC teacher, we will be working with a company who will provide us with a certified EC teacher to provide our students services who um have those needs. um our handbooks have been edited and they are going to continue they're going to be kind of continue to be edited as um we work on things but they're in really good places and I
005believe the they were they will be sent to parents today the parent student one and they're going to be on the website and then the staff one um the staff received this week and it's on our staff website. Um this past week we welcomed our teachers and staff back to school and we focused a lot on um why we're at scholars and what we're doing with serving our students. We were lucky enough to have a woman named Dr. Emily King come from Raleigh and do a professional development service with our teachers on neurode divergent children and different ways to work with uh children who have various needs or various um the way that they think could be different which is all gifted kids. Um we went through our staff handbook and we met with groups
006of teachers throughout the last week. Um and then on Friday, the teachers were able to choose a differentiated professional development to attend at school that was um created by one of our staff members. So it was a good time for our staff to get out there and teach each other. And our buses will be running tomorrow. That was a question. So all three routes will be running and we are ready to welcome the kids. The school looks great. The teachers are ready. We're ready. >> Yes. >> Can I ask a question on the buses? Was there a communication sent out to all bus parents about timings of pickups and drop offs and all that? >> I believe it is getting sent out tonight. We were just finalizing a few things. So, I believe a communication
007is going out or is in the process. So it should be yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah, because parents were asking in the group chats. >> Okay, I will check on that now. >> Um before we get into more things, I forgot to formally adopt the agenda. Um I'll entertain a motion to adopt the agenda. So move >> again. >> Thank you, Dominique. Thank you, Danny. Uh, sorry, Malik and Danny. Um, all those in favor of the agenda, please say I. >> I. >> All those in uh that oppose the agenda, please say nay. >> The eyes haven't. The agenda has been adopted. Sorry for that. Um, thank you for the update, Miss Kuno. Um I know my kids and hearing other parents all their kids are excited to get back into school. Um and the
008school looks great and it was great to meet some of the teachers uh on open house and um during um this week last week rather. So thank you for all the hard work that everyone's put into the start of the school year. Any questions for Miss Coney? Danny, do you want to talk about governance >> governance side? And I was shadowing my colleague um on what's going on. But I mean I in terms of what's uh time you know the next meetings ahead um these will be uh the second Monday of every month to be scheduled through the board on track. Um no personal or staff update. The big highlight is the board recruitment. Um there was um hey there's this nice file that I was just uh getting up to speed with um that
009our president put together um or president put together and it nicely kind of strategizes what's ahead of us in the next three years in terms of succession planning. But the long story short, there's one opening and we're looking to get 10 and then three openings um the next uh for the 2026 2027. Um, so in terms of and I actually did had a question and it for you on the on the form where we say October 17 will not be considered. [Music] Yeah, the the submission deadline would be October 17, I think, is what the sub. >> That's okay. October 17 after 17. Okay. So, we'll be here um sooner than we think. Um any concerns over months in terms of board recruitment? um just encourage all the staff and parents to talk to uh
010those you think would be a good fit for the board. You know, anyone that has um an interest in volunteerism and helping out the school. Um it is a great way to be engaged with a school and and helping out the the community. So, um if you know someone, please talk to them um and encourage their participation. We'd appreciate that. >> We've been in for those um tenure board members. Is this like the third opening from a for a a you know following school year? Is that normal? >> I've never had that. >> Yeah. I never had stab. So I don't know if we could ever like have told you that it was like this. Well, this is thanks to this we have had a public um >> so maybe we have had the back
011pattern is just not >> the thing that it is because I haven't experienced it having an open seat as well that's usually I haven't experienced it but I don't think it's anything >> last year I believe we had an open seat for about 6 months since >> that was Yeah, that was a little bit different, but yeah. Yeah. So, it's not it's not common, but it's not unusual. I don't I just curious on that. Okay. >> The board is in a good position with mine. Um it's um we don't we're not I don't think anyone's overburdened with um committee amendments or anything like that. the 10 just gives us a really good coverage um in lots of different ways and there's a little more versatility to the board >> and for succession planning. >> Yeah,
012especially for succession planning and to get people to be the >> council board recruitment. Um and the next item on the agenda for governance is the officer appointment and vote. This will be um entertaining a vote um for Dominique to be named board secretary and Kim um as board parliamentarian. >> So I will entertain a motion to name Dominique the board secretary. >> Second. >> Thank you Malik. Thank you Alvin. Um those in favor of Dominic to be the board secretary, please say I. I. >> Those uh opposed say nay. The eyes have it. Um thank you and congratulations Dominique. Um we are creating a new position for parliamentarian. Um, entertain a motion for Kim to be the board par parliamentarian. So move. >> Seconded. >> Thank you, Malik and Ellison. Um, all those in
013favor of Kim being parliamentarian board this year, please say I. >> All those opposed say nay. The eyes have it. Kim, congratulations. You're our first parliament. Um, >> can I make a quick anno thing just because I don't know when the bus will get out. If on the group chat you're on, it's on our website, the pickup and drop off times. So, it's under current families transportation and there's a chart there that gives all the details. So, could someone share that in the parents chats because I don't have access to those just so that they can get it quicker. >> Yeah, we can. >> Do you want me to let me have >> So, what are we saying? >> So, it's on our website. It's under current families and then transportation um and then bus
014transportation. All the timing is uh listed in detail on that site. >> Thank you. >> You >> um Liliana, will you uh financate on the finance money? >> Sure. I got it over my nose if you need to. >> Okay. So for um so as you guys may remember from last uh semester um we were in the process of transitioning to a new holding firm. Another name is Bowman and also a new and tax firm. Another name is uh Sharpie Patel and we have been working very closely with them to transition over all of our and the accounting firm is has been working very diligently in closing the books for uh June and uh getting all the uh access to the accounts and all the loggings that are needed for all the tools and software
015that we use. So, that's been working really well. Um, Miss Hansen has been instrumental in getting that up to speed. She's been working closely with them. And also, um, Heather Recker, who um, we recently hired, she has also been working very closely and meeting with them. Um, so that seems to be good. Um I feel encouraged with Bman in particularly because um they have been able to already start identifying things that are need to be consistent and things like that. So they're they're looking to they're already putting eyes of improvement into it. So it's nice. Um, another thing that they're doing for us, um, which used, it used to be something that the, uh, finance director was doing in the past, um, is the management discussion and analysis report that gets, um, submitted for the
016audit. So, that report is now BMAN is going to do it and, uh, it's there. It's included in their contract. There's no additional cost. They like happy to do it. So, that's good news. Um, also, uh, over the summer, um, like Miss Kunio talked about last meeting, I think, um, responsibilities have been laid out between Blairman and Miss Hansen and Heather. So, it looks like, you know, everything in that sense it's covered. And um and there's a few things that I talked to Heather about that she's going to make sure they get handled and she has she gets familiarized with by next month. Um in terms of budget amendments, um we don't have anything right now. There's some that may be upcoming. So we do have um some new hires that came over the summer.
017So those naturally will have budget amendment because we didn't have their contracts done by the time budget was done last year. Also um another thing that was um sort of discovered over the summer was that there is this tax called the 5500 that um is for the retirement savings for 3B plans for the teachers. So that um form was not explicitly stated in the in the bare sorry not the bareman the Sharpie Patel contract. So um nobody was doing it and usually it's due in the summer. Now even though it's due in the summer it doesn't really get prepared until October. So what we do in the summer is we request a an extension because there's really no staff to do it in the summer. So it gets done in October. And that's normal course
018of business. So um Sharpie Patel went ahead and filed the extension. So we are good from that sense. But when it comes time to actually do the contract, um there may be additional charges because it wasn't in their contract to do. So there may be a letter of engagement or something along those lines. So just giving you guys a heads up that that may come. So Heather U Lisa will miss I'm sure Miss Clear will be involved and you'll decide what recommendations for that. Um and if you remember this one is a very tricky one the 5500 because this is the one where last year got missed and there was some penalties and then you know got removed but there was a trap back and forth with that. Um so for the audit there is
019an audit coming up and that has been scheduled actually for Thursday September 11th. I originally had uh shared a date for uh se yeah for the for Friday September 12th but it's now moved to one day um and Heather will be in person for that audit and the good news is that uh it just so happens that um Shi Patel who was the person who's going to do the audit used to work for another firm who did our audit few years ago. So there's somebody >> familiar with the school. Yes. >> Do we need to set aside time to participate in the audit? >> Very good question. Um I will confirm that. Yeah, I remember we had to do that last year. Is this like a secrettory audit is okay. So like is there something
020we have to do every year? Every year it's like a thousand teacher. >> Yeah. Um no, she's not a teacher. She's just she used to be our accounts payable person and like our bookkeeper. Um, but now she's she has a little bit more responsibilities and uh and Heather is like overseeing her work. She's she's at the school all the time. Come. >> Thank you very much, Lillian. Any other questions for you? Lillian. >> Hi. So um a head of the pl committee which is an acronym for something that came up with assets security and technology. >> So everything inside of it um anyway um so >> uh meetings meetings will be the first Thursday of every month. We have one coming up next Thursday. Um Luke Oh, it's me on that. Um Len Paul, he
021is um kind of in charge of operations here this year. Um we did last year have some concerns about the Hback. It was going out. We had uh non- workinging HVAC. We we do believe that the Hback is on its last leg as of last year's um assessment. We will be reassessing everything is working today. Um and we will figure out best steps for maintaining and uh uh keeping that going forward. Um there uh Paul's been here over the summer working on some other small maintenance items just um uh shiny making everything shiny um fixing some light fixtures. Um just making sure everything's ready for the kids. Um he did identify some very small roof leaks and so I assume that that will be kind of u item number one on the on the list
022to address. Um and then at our next meeting we kind of do a deep dive into what we're doing this year um or the building. Um specific updates um on our safety and security improvements. The fencing was kind of the big undertaking last year and of course as all construction projects go is still um we um the I think what was most important for this year was getting the chain link fence by the playground um between the playground and the town hubs and that is up and beautiful and ins and tall and um and what tall we'll have some other um what really set us metallic and I think it's a good move but we're doing an aluminum fencing around the perimeter of the plane for the company and we were switched to aluminum which
023is easily available but for a very small increase we are going to upgrade to steel so that it is a little bit harder for children to break out of um uh the aluminum ones are very easy to like um pull apart and sneak through and then put them back and so the steel is a little bit more heavy duty so that did come with a little bit of an extra um wait time. So, we will have to um do that in the kids are here, which was not ideal, but again, not not an ideal for them. Um but that will help lock in more enclosed some of the dining room so that we will have more green space for teachers and lessons. Um so, that would be great. Um maybe it'll wrap up right as
024it's nice to be outside to let some time. Um the grant money was used as initial deposit that had already been paid, cleared through fiscal year, whatever. Um and then we have budgeted the remaining amount and so we'll just pay up when it's all done. Um defense compan has been great. We are also going to expand the netting on the I don't know if it's happened yet or not. I didn't make a point to check, but there's netting in the ground that stops the balls from going to the street and we are doubling the width of that if that has not been done already. we are doing that. Um but hopefully that will help um keep some more balls in the playground versus >> any questions for policy. The policy committee will continue prioritize working
025on media classes and acceptable use policy be discussing the next meeting. The committee will be looking into incorporating um policies or references within the acceptable use policy. Army Deunium has um shared some sample AI policies for review and on the agenda we have the link to CMS they did a comprehensive survey and uh parents meetings and so forth uh over last year regarding um the direction CMS wants to go with uh AI. So the link to that uh is is in uh we'll be looking at the the committee and it's uh on the agenda for the board to review. Um and these follow-ups from our last uh meeting but we will continue on preferences regarding how to uh efficiently publish policies as we approve them. meetings will be the fourth Tuesday of every month and
026on the gooseb September 23rd which the of September thank you and go right into education. >> Sure. The uh first meeting will be October 14th at 8:15 a.m. Um there is there was a parent survey sent on um during the summer. The parent survey closed August 22nd. Appears that 120 families uh responded which is uh more than 50%. The last agenda topics uh were development requirement computer science course. So we'll get an update on that uh likely from Miss uh from the ed uh at the next meeting. Uh there was also discussions among the foreign language junctions uh at middle school grading reviews. Uh again as a reminder that those meetings meet on the second Tuesday of the even month and October 14th again is the uh first meeting that will be held. Any questions
027of educational excellence? Um the 30 um and it's going to be reviewed by the committee and the school at the same time. I'm haven't answered for that yet. I know that's a discussion. Thank you. Oh meeting Monday evening number will be Monday Octo Wednesday of every that would be Wednesday September 3 child is not yet we we will be meeting uh even numbering months with the first meeting on um Monday October 6. Um and anyway to come by you need to be involved to join the committee meetings. Thank you. As for the foundation, >> um, no updates for the foundation. Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. We are uh going through the process of hiring a new foundation manager. Um, so we believe we've posted that and the foundation will stop. I forget the date. Don't
028try. >> This is the second opportunity for community comments subject to the same guidelines discussed streaming. If you would like to make a comment, please raise your hand and you will be given time to speak. Nobody's raised their hand. Um, we actually have no closed session. So, I will entertain a motion to quote >> to June. Sorry. >> Second. >> Thank you, Malik. And all those in favor of ajourning, please say honor. Um all those that oppose say it. The meeting is adjourned. 32 agreement for attending.