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Board Minutes Apr 16 2020

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF
Board of Horizons K-8 School

April 16th, 2020
6:00 pm – 7:45 pm

Meeting held virtually via Zoom

Facilitators: Paul Martin / Lucas Ketzer
Note Taker: Hope Nelson-Roohr (non-member)
Minutes: Geary Layne
Timekeeper: Peter Hegelbach

Process Observer: Allison Akhnoukh

Call to Order:  6:00pm
Present:
Alex Osias, Allison Akhnoukh, Beth Coleman, Geary Layne, Julie Cohen, Karen Wolfer, Lucas Ketzer, Paul Martin, Peter Hegelbach, Teran Sittner, Tyler Currie

Absent:

Arrived late:  Paul Ramer @ approx. 6:30pm 

Quorum established

Guests:

Joan Truesdale, Lynn Pence, Hilary Merina

Welcome & Invitation for  public comments:

Approval of Agenda:
Motion – Alex Osias

Second – Karen Wolfer

Concorded

Approval of Minutes:

Motion – Teran Sittner

Second – Tyler Currie

Concorded

Head of School Report:

  • Home Learning
    • In week 3, teacher/faculty working hard to have it be engaging and meaningful experience
    • 100% of students have device and internet
    • 100% student engagement
    • Teachers/staff are making changes based on responses from parent survey (209 responses)
  • Class Placements
    • Teachers in process of determining classroom placement
    • Considerations include academic strengths and needs of each student, social/emotional strengths and needs, class dynamics, peer groups, class balance
    • Work will continue next two weeks
  • Evaluations
    • Completing Para evaluations
    • Beginning Para placement, expecting few changes
  • Personnel Update
    • In middle of interview process from job share Special Education position
    • Will post for two Para positions
  • BVSD Update

The District Leadership Team met on April 7th. They discussed Home Learning, the Strategic Plan, teacher evaluations, and the district answered questions related to building access and student privacy issues. The district will continue to follow guidance from the Governor and Department of Health to inform any additional school closure decisions.

Charter Contract:

  • BVSD Board approved to offer Horizons a one year Charter Contract extension on 4/4/2020
  • Lawyer for Horizons drew up resolution for extension
  • Board to vote on resolution
  • Resolution will be taken to council on 4/23/2020

Motion – Tyler Currie

To support the one year Charter Contract Extension

Second – Lucas Ketzer

Concorded

Finance Review:

  • Guidance from BVSD and Colorado League of Charters, recommending charter schools plan for various budget revenue ranging from flat to 10% decrease in state revenue
  • Lucas to develop various budget scenarios to address possible deficits, to be presented to the Board

Development Committee:

  • Challenging time for community
  • $39K towards $50K goal
  • Donations understandably are likely to be lower
  • It would be great if families could support other families in the community

Board Recruitment:

  • There are three (2 year) Parent Board Member seats coming open
  • Request for interested parents to provide bios went out via Skylines and Liaisons
  • Consider changing Parent Director eligibility, by eliminating second year requirement

Motion – Allison Akhnoukh

To change bylaw language in Section 4.2 – B

From:

“Horizons parents who are completing at least their second full year as Horizons parents are eligible to be elected to serve as Parent Directors, provided that no member of Horizons staff employed greater than .20 full-time equivalent or Horizons faculty is eligible to serve as a Parent Director.”

To:

”All VOTING MEMBERS are eligible to be elected to serve as Parent Directors, provided that no member of Horizons staff employed greater than .20 full-time equivalent or Horizons faculty is eligible to serve as a Parent Director.”

Second – Paul Ramer

Concorded

Council:

  • Next Council April 23rd, via Zoom
  • Council to consider one year Charter Contract extension
  • Notification will be sent out via Skylines and Laisions
  • Following meeting to be held in May to hold Board elections and approve budget 

Process Observer:

  • Successful use of Zoom
  • Kept to agenda and time
  • Good participation

Adjourned: 7:45pm