11/18/14 Governance Council Meeting Minutes

/in /by

Members Present: Virginia Trujillo, President

Chris Velasquez, Secretary

Lori Hagen, Member

Maxine Mora, Member

Jim Freese, Member

Charles Lakins, Member

Guests: Mary Tarango, Principal

Rita Hirschy, APS Finance

Special Ed Meeting called to Order at 6:05 pm

Special Ed Training by Mona Sherrill with APS – See attached PowerPoint slides

Regular Meeting called to Order at 7:37 pm

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

  • ● Review Sep 6, 2014 meeting minutes:
  • ● Review Oct 21, 2014 Financial Only meeting minutes:

o Correction – remove “NAME” replace “Charles Lakins” in the motion to approve Fiscal

Management Policies and Procedures in financial discussion portion of minutes.

o Motion to approve minutes as corrected – Jim Freese

o 2nd – Charles Lakins

o Passed unanimously

o Motion to approve minutes – Jim Freese

o 2nd – Chris Velasquez

o Passed unanimously

School Finances (see Financial Agenda Packet attached – as of 31 October)

  • ● Financial Statements for Review submitted. Expenditures report indicated that the Operational
  • budget balance is in the black $238k, with $114k set aside for payment on the $105k debt.
  • Financial reins not handed over to 21st Century as of yet. Received enough funds from the Public
  • School Facility Authority to not only pay for our lease, but for our property taxes as well. Rita
  • Hirschy was able to bundle the two when requesting funds. Big hooray for Rita.
  • ● Bank Reconciliation Reports submitted for review. Since using Wells Fargo for banking, Virginia
  • asked if we could request Wells Fargo for available grants. Lori asked if APS grant writers are
  • available to help the school write grant requests. Doesn’t hurt to ask APS. Foundation could
  • potentially take this task on once it gets to a stable structure.
  • ● Payroll & Accounts Payable Disbursements submitted for approval. Several new items cleared
  • this month to bring the total larger than usual amount. New computers, Ed materials, etc.

o Motion to approve cash disbursements – Jim Freese

o 2nd – Maxine Mora

o Passed Unanimously

  • ● No BARS submitted for approval
  • ● 1 Request for Reimbursements submitted for IDEA-B.
  • ● Disposal list submitted for approval. Once APS Board approves, GC President signs, 2 Finance
  • committee members sign, Director approves, goes to PED, they send approval, and then we can
  • dispose of through approved vendor. See attached Financial Report, Disposal List for process.

o Motion to approve Disposal List as submitted – Charles Lakins

o Passed Unanimously

Principal’s Report

  • ● Mary Tarango submitted her report for the record, see attached for report.
  • ● Enrollment numbers submitted. Total enrollment is 244 students. 250 was goal for next year, at
  • 80th day. Lost 2.5 units, but given T&E rate and SEG number, would be ok with 250.
  • ● 80 Chrome Books arrived. Will be used for testing and will help tremendously in this regard.
  • ● Polar Express Community Night at Village Inn coming up on the 4th of December. 10% goes back
  • to PTA. School of Choice Fair also on same night. Both 5pm to 8pm.
  • ● Barnes and Noble Fundraiser for Foundation on 12-14 December.
  • ● ACES Contract discussed. ACES is Association of Charter School Education Services. Similar to
  • Cooperative Education Services that provide various things to Charter Schools. Membership is
  • $250/yr. Benefits are; provide list of vendors already approved by PED, provide Grant writers,
  • services for e-rate, etc. It’s another organization that provides alternative to Cooperative
  • Education Services and provides a 2nd organization that we can look at for services.

o Motion to approve school joining this organization – Jim Freese

o 2nd – Maxine Mora

o Passed Unanimously

 Administrative review held Friday by Child Nutrition Program with PED on Federal Regulations

for universal food programs. They went through records for ‘”ree and reduced lunch.” Two

performance standards were identified for the audit, 1) Meal Access and Reimbursement, and 2)

Meal Pattern and Nutritional Quality. Findings were found to be satisfactory. NO FINDINGS.

Found us to be very organized. Wonderful news. Ms Cordova indicated this school has never

had a “no Findings” report by Child Nutrition Program. Cudos for the staff!

New Business

 “School Reach” program presented by Charles Lakins. It is a way to get information to parents

as expediently as possible via a recorded phone call made by the Principal or other school

official. Announcements such as upcoming tests, school activities, important information about

parent pickup, etc. $695/yr for 270 students. Agenda item for next time.

 Charles Lakins discussed the hair color issue discussed at September meeting. Research of law

indicated that there is no case law that allows students to go against public school regulation

when it disrupts education. There has been no real issue at the school concerning hair color

since the September meeting. If GC revises the current policy, it requires strict guidelines per

the school’s by-laws. Mr. Lakin’s opinion is that the handbook policy should be stricter since it

speaks to the uniqueness of our school. Virginia indicated her opinion is to not broach this

subject at this time since there have been no issues with this policy since September. Agreed to

shelve the issue at this time.

  • ● 16 December set for next Council meeting. 6pm.

Motion to adjourn – Maxine Mora

  • ● 2nd – Lori Hagen
  • ● Passed unanimously.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:41pm