CLC Board Meeting Minutes

5/24/01

Attending: Glenn Johnson, Liz Kisenwether, Lisa Sharfstein, Lauri Perman, Ann Bolser, Brian Rowan, Mark Toci, Katy Cleary, Theresa Shay, Linda Feltman, Leandra Troughton, Denise Kochersperger, Jalynn Woleslagle, Andrew McKinnon, Janine Guillard-McKinnon

The open meeting of the Board began at 7 p.m.

I. Approval of the Minutes

The minutes of the 5/24/01 meeting were approved.

II. Business

A. Executive Session.

The Board met regarding personnel issues.

B. Introductions

Because some new parents were present, we began with introductions.

C. Exit Interview with 8th Graders

Seven of the 18 8th graders who graduated met with Kim Rimmey to discuss their CLC experiences, including the pros and cons of CLC and how well they felt prepared for high school. We may want to do this again in the fall or during Winter Break to see how the students are doing in high school, and how their parents think they are doing.

D. Technology Plan

Glenn and Kyle Peck will be meeting with a representative of the SCASD to begin work toward a technology plan for the school.

E. Staffing Update for 2001-2002

Lead Teachers: The Hiring Committee (Mark, Theresa, Denise, Jalynn, MJ and Glenn) has been working hard with finding new lead teachers the top priority. The most important quality sought was the ability to "connect with" kids. The Hiring Committee recommends two names to the Board for approval as lead teachers: Joe Priddy, Donna Fisher. Joe Priddy is an experienced teacher who has most recently worked as a teacher educator at Lock Haven University. Donna Fisher is an elementary teacher who also has a master's degree in special education. She has 9 years of teaching experience. A vacancy remains for one lead teacher.

Denise Kochersperger, who will have childeren in each of these teacher's classes, spoke very highly and enthusiastically about the two new teachers.

Glenn Johnson moved and Liz Kisenwether seconded the recommendations of the Hiring Committee. The Board approved the recommendations.

Assistant Teachers: The Hiring Committee will bring recommendations for assistant teachers to the August Board meeting. Lisa Sharfstein moved and Liz Kisenwether seconded and the Board approved that Glenn Johnson has authority to extend the contract letters to the new assistant teachers.

Mark and Denise will teach 8th graders and Theresa will remain with Team 4 (6 & 7th graders). The other teacher-team assignments have not yet been made.

Administration: The Hiring Committee also recommended that the contracts for MJ and Ann be extended, even though job descriptions have not yet been finalized. Glenn moved and Lauri seconded that these contracts be approved. The Board approved these contracts with the recommendation that new job descriptions be in place by December 2001.

The Board also approved Glenn Johnson's contract as CAO and set his salary (in executive session).

Special Education: These responsibilities will be treated similar to the math responsibilities and will carry a salary supplement. One of the new assistant teachers will have this responsibility and Donna Fisher, one of the new lead teachers, has experience in this area and will serve as a resource person for the new assistant teacher.

Arts Block, Health and Physical Education, Music: Plans are to continue the arts block in the way it has been organized for the past six months and to explore whether the health and physical education program can be organized in the same way. A concern was raised about providing music education opportunities for students. SCASD denied CLC students the opportunity to participate in SCASD music opportunities because music is considered curricular rather than extracurricular. One recommendation was that parents of new children be invited to help with planning to improve the CLC music program.

F. Budget Update

1. 2000-2001 Surplus

In contrast to the news in last month's minutes projecting an end-of-year balance of $60,000, the final end-of-year balance will be $29,000. Ann will be forced to explain this shortfall to the bank when applying for a loan for new computers.

Four reasons exist for why the end-of-year balance was less than projected: a $5,000 down payment on the building that can be accrued to next year; $7,700 incurred on Digital Grassroots Initiative Grant although the check on that grant won't be received until August (despite earlier written word to the contrary); over $9,000 in Special Education bills from Penn State for psychological services ($6,000 more than budgeted); $17,000 short because of enrollment shortfall. In the future, Ann will reconcile our enrollments every month so surprises due to enrollment will not happen.

The first two reasons do not represent a loss of income for the CLC but rather a transfer between two fiscal years. The second two expenses do represent lost funds -- a total of $23,000 less than we expected.

2. 2001-2002 Budget

Ann is working on submitting the new budget to the state according to the state's chart of accounts. In the future our budget reports will look very different because they will confirm to the PDE requirements. We are apparently the first charter school in Pennsylvania to have a mortgage so PDE isn't yet sure how this should be expensed.

G. Facilities Update (Glenn - ask Ann to review this paragraph and fix the stuff that needs to be fixed)

On Tuesday, July 3, the Ferguson Township Commercial and Industrial Development Authority approved our application for tax exempt funding. Our application now gets passed on to the state. Attorneys in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will help issue bonds to help get funding set up. This funding will reduce our loan rate from 7.4% to 5%, a long-term savings but there will be some increased closing costs. Ferguson Township hadn't done this in 10 years; Mellon Bank in 12 years. Ann will explain the balloon next month.

Facilities Renovation- Glenn has been working on this with an architect and various code inspectors. We will be required to make improvements to the stove hood, bring the bathrooms into ADA compliance, install smoke detectors and a fire alarm system, and electrical work.

H. Community Advisory Council

This group had an initial meeting and concluded that this was a good model for the CLC for the future to address specific issues. This group will wait for new families to join before getting off the ground. The Council will be used like an open town meeting. It's not yet clear whether the Council might overlap with parents meetings.

I. Amendments to the CLC By-Laws

Glenn Johnson distributed a written version of the proposed amendments to the by-laws that were discussed last month. Lauri moved and Liz seconded and the Board approved the proposed version of the By-Laws.

J. Board Operations

Liz moved and Lisa seconded and the Board approved the Board operations statement with three amendments: the community representative will be elected by the other four trustees; terms of office will end on December 31; when a Board member resigns a new Board member will be elected right away.

K. Professional Development Plan

Mark Toci submitted a detailed professional development report as an addendum to the minutes. The key difference between the CLC Professional Development policy and other schools is that professional development at CLC will be individually designed and tailored to teachers' goals and objectives. The Professional Development Committee (Mark, Theresa, Glenn, Brad Slonnaker, Kyle Peck, Karen Johnson, Lisa Lenze, Chris Eyssell, Leandra Troughton, Cystal Fryvogel, Terry Musser) helped develop this plan. Board members signed their approval of this plan.

III. Financial

The Board approved the paying of the bills.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

The next regular meeting of the Board will be on a date to be determined.