Regular Meeting
Odyssey Charter School
6201 Noble Ave. N.
Brooklyn Center, MN55429
December 17, 2003
6:30 P.M.
All members in attendance: Lori Bona, Susan Dougherty, Rick Fletcher, Kari Mitchell, Dave Rand, Janice Sandberg, John Sedey, Destiny Sparks, Steve Skramstad.
Ex officio and others: Odyssey director Barbara Mahowald; Andrew Adelmann of Designs for Learning
Note: All votes were unanimous unless otherwise stated. The following items were distributed at the beginning of the meeting: Financial Presentation; revised October YTD Profit & Loss statement; Unpaid Bills Detail; November 19 meeting Minutes; Odyssey Charter School Board Election Procedures; Preliminary Agenda; and Model Bylaws.
1.Call to Order and Roll Call – the meeting was called to order by the chair, Sedey, at 6:30, with all members in attendance.
2. Addition to agenda – there were no additions; but “Presentations and special reports” item was eliminated because Cindy Johnson, who was to deliver the report, was not able to attend; Approval of November meeting Minutes was eliminated from the Consent Agenda as it was addressed elsewhere.
3.Acceptance of Agenda - Mitchell moved acceptance of agenda with these changes; Fletcher seconded, and the motion carried.
4. Acceptance of November minutes – Rand moved approval of the November 19 meeting Minutes as presented; Bona seconded, and the motion carried.
5.Community comment - there were none.
6. Consent agenda
6.1 Verified accounts payable for November
6.2 Payment of bills, including payroll, made for the month of November
6.3 Licensed personnel
6.4 Nonlicensed personnel: Employment of Lois Chicoine; Mary Beth Frank
6.5 Contract for services
6.6 Conventions, conferences and workshops
a. Jim Wagner, Kurt Genereux and Andy Droen registered and attended Envoy classroom management training. Steve Skramstad registered but did not attend.
b. Jeni Holm and Melissa Anderson attended Guided Reading training.
c. Barbara Mahowald attended the NWEA “Stepping Stones to Using Data” training.
In discussion it was noted that there were no contracts for services or licensed personnel items. Also, Skramstad noted that he was unable to attend Envoy training because he had the flu. Fletcher moved acceptance of the consent agenda; Dougherty seconded, and the motion carried.
7. Consent agenda items removed for discussion – there were none.
8. Director’s report – Mahowald reported, current enrollment is 210 students. The 2002-03 Annual Report was presented to the Osseo school board last night; they had concerns regarding the lunch program’s deficit, and asked why there were no ELL students at Odyssey. Mahowald provided assurances that the lunch program issues were being addressed; and that the only students potentially eligible for ELL services were Liberian, who have not been able to qualify as their language is technically English.
9. Determine process for semi-annual director review – Board discussed options, and tools for obtaining feedback on the director’s performance. It was sense of the Board that we wish to use Odyssey’s previously developed form for director review, but with rubrics from the form provided by Designs for Learning. The form will be mailed to Board members to fill out, at least two weeks in advance of the January meeting, which will be preceded by a closed session to discuss the results. Results will be shared with Mahowald shortly after the meeting. Sedey called for a motion to authorize the closed meeting for this purpose at 5:30 pm, January 22. Dougherty moved such, Sandberg seconded, and the motion carried.
10. Initiate discussion of leadership model – after discussion, Board requested Mahowald to bring written documentation of the current model she is implementing to the January meeting for discussion.
11. Attached report from HR subcommittee meeting; creation of part time Student Management position – items discussed included short term disability insurance, FSA options, director review process (see #9), salary scales, and the behavior specialist position.
Salary scales – Odyssey wants to develop salary scales for licensed and nonlicensed staff. Board discussed investigating surrounding districts’ scales, and merit pay type systems. Barbara will present on a merit pay option at the January meeting.
Student management position – position has been created and is being staffed on a temporary basis by Kristin Travis. During discussion it was clarified that the new position would be for a licensed teacher and would be up to 18 hours per week as needed. Sandberg moved approval for hiring a behavior specialist position at up to 18 hours per week. After discussion, Bona seconded, and the motion carried. Sense of the Board was that a position description should be generated and communicated to the Board.
12. Financial
12.1 Audit report – Mahowald reported, the audit is almost complete; the report will be presented at the January meeting.
12.2 Initiate discussion of 03-04 budget review for modifications – Board agreed to take this issue up at the next meeting, and requested Designs for Learning finance manager Judith Darling Wegner be present for this.
Also, Mahowald reported that Odyssey received news today that due to an error on the MDE website, Odyssey’s revenues for the year were over-estimated by over $100,000 (letter from Bob Porter of MDE, apologizing for the error, was attached to the revised Profit & Loss statement distributed at the meeting). Correction of this error resulted in reducing the projected ending Fund Balance from $176,000 to $74,000 (net income for the year reduced to $33,000).
12.3 Fundraising – no report at this point.
13. Gifts to the school – Mahowald reported, Mahowald Builders has donated doors to replace damaged ones at the Excell building.
14. Bylaws update – draft model charter school Bylaws which Adelmann sent to Sandberg and Mahowald were distributed to all Board members. Members are to review current Bylaws and compare with the suggested new model, to prepare for future discussion of revision of Odyssey’s Bylaws.
15. Expulsions – there were none.
16. Suspensions (out of school) – there were none.
17. Adjournment – Sandberg moved adjournment at 8:25; Fletcher seconded, and the meeting was adjourned.