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Board Minutes Nov 12 2020

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

November 12th, 2020
6:00 pm – 7:40 pm

Meeting held virtually via Zoom

Facilitators: Tyler Currie / Lucas Ketzer
Note Taker: Hope Nelson-Roohr (non-member)
Minutes: Geary Layne
Timekeeper: Mike Ashmore

Process Observer: Alex Osias

Call to Order:  6:00pm
Present:
Alex Osias, Beth Coleman, Geary Layne, Julie Cohen, Karen Wolfer, Lucas Ketzer, Mike Ashmore, Peter Hegelbach, Rachel Buckley, Teran Sittner, Tyler Currie

Absent:

Paul Ramer

Quorum established

Guests: Many present

Public Comment: None

Consent Agenda:

  • Approve November 12th Agenda
  • Financial Policies
  • Grievance Process
  • Prior Minutes: October 8, 2020

Motion – Rachel Buckley

Motion to approve consent items, with edits: replace ‘parent co-chair’ with ‘parent chair’, and update date to 2020

Second – Tyler Currie

Concorded

Finance Review Committee:

  • Updated projection for Fund 11, deficit 438K,
  • Projection at last board meeting was 175K deficit
    •  Higher salary, higher purchase services costs, COLA & step increase, lower Per Pupil Revenues (PPR)
  • Lucas will begin 5 year budget
    • Expect increase in PPR of $900 for 2021-22 school year
    • BVSD advising we keep flat PPR budget for 2023-24 & 2023-24
  • Current balance of 1.4 million in district funds (Fund 11) and 800K in council funds
  • Planned spend down of reserves will be part of 5 year budget

Head of School Evaluation Committee: 

  • Last year’s effort was to develop a process
  • This year, dates were adjusted to allow time in spring for the HoS to work on goals based on feedback 
  • Faculty members on the committee contribute to the process but are not part of evaluation
  • Proposed Head of School 6 goals
    • Strategic leadership – get strategic planning process down
    • Climate/Culture – relevant instructional strategies- WEEAC
    • Student Performance – 20-21 CDE framework, standardized tests and growth, evaluated by color; this is a major contributor to how Horizons is evaluated
    • Instructional Leadership – teacher evaluation system created with alignment to values; include teacher feedback
    • Concordance Process 
    • Financial Goal – sustainable 5 year budget

Motion – Tyler Currie

Moves that Board accepts these goals

Second – Alex Osias

Concorded

Head of School Updates:

  • Faculty completed WEEAC anti-bias training
  • Community Conversation on Bias with Vernon Jones will be held on Tuesday, Nov 17
  • Continuing to address needs identified through Parents Needs Survey
    • Scholarships for enrichment, obtained Grant of 1k, grocery coupons, etc.
    • Thanks Sherry and task force of 12
  • Update on Charter Renewal – Lucas talked with Kathleen Sullivan (BVSD legal) – process starts again next week, goal is to finalized contract by January board meeting. We will consider what services to purchase from BVSD
  • Cold Weather Policy- because our students are outside a lot (15 minutes out every 45 minutes in). It is not safe to come back when it is extremely cold
    • If the wind chill factor is forecast to be below 10 degrees Fahrenheit from the hours of 8:00-4:00, Horizons will not hold in-person learning for that school day
    • Horizons will use the weather.gov website, for zip code 80303 (zip code of the school)  to determine the forecasted wind chill temperature
    • Horizons will send email notice to families via email by 12:00 pm  if in-person learning is cancelled for the following day
    • In the case that in-person learning is cancelled because of cold weather, all students will be expected to participate in Home Learning
    • Horizons will continue to follow BVSD guidance regarding Snow Days. 
  • Shared COVID Decision-Making guidelines and process 
    • Development of this was a collaborative process
    • BVSD will need to return to in-person before Horizons returns
    • BVSD is exploring bringing back prioritized groups after Thanksgiving
    • Horizons has 18 staff members who are quarantined
  • Call to action – during holidays and breaks – reducing COVID spread will help Horizons return to in-person, and gatherings increase transmission 

Strategic Plan: 

  • Following Three Phases approach as described by Education Consulting Research Analytics (ECRA) Group
  • Phase one – Lucas collecting archival material into a single location by end of this academic year, and gather input from community
    • Will use the World Cafe method
      • Efficient way to gather input from various people on various topics
      • Maybe use a Personal Development day
      • Stations where people rotate (6 groups) to synthesize input and feedback on that certain station or pillar
  • Phase two – share with Horizons community at Board and Council
    • Then collaboratively decide on what we agree with and what is missing
  • Phase three – Develop implementation, in 2021-22 school year
  • Considering the hiring of a consultant so that everyone can participate
  • Other thoughts
    • Is there an avenue for student voice?
    • Get alumni voice as well

Process Observer: 

  • Great job
  • Everyone kept cameras on
  • Agenda was fabulous
  • Lots of participation
  • Respectful & kind

Adjourn at 7:40 PM