Regular Meeting
Odyssey Charter School
6201 Noble Ave. N.
Brooklyn Center, MN55429
March 15, 2004
6:30 P.M.
All members were in attendance: Lori Bona, Susan Dougherty, Rick Fletcher, Kari Mitchell (present until item #8), Dave Rand, Janice Sandberg, John Sedey, Destiny Sparks, Steve Skramstad.
Ex officio and others: Odyssey director Barbara Mahowald; Andrew Adelmann of Designs for Learning; several Odyssey parents attended for part of the meeting
Note: All votes were unanimous unless otherwise stated. The meeting was followed by a closed session for the purpose of assessing Director performance.
1. Call to order and roll call
2. Addition to agenda
3. Acceptance of agenda
4. Acceptance of February minutes
5. Community comment
[note when the open meeting was called to order + when it went back into closed session]
At 8:50 pm, Sedey called the Board into open session. There were several additions to the agenda: 6.2, Review contract with Designs for Learning; 6.4, Financial reports; 8.4, Sponsorship letter; 9, Line of credit; 10, Resignation of Board secretary; 11, Resignation of Executive Director. Rand moved approval of revisions to agenda; Fletcher seconded, and the motion carried.
6. Presentations and special reports
6.1 Board review of discussion from the retreat - Board discussed the retreat.
6.2 Director’s report, including current enrollment, disciplinary issues – Mahowald delivered her report verbally. There are 205 students enrolled, attendance 97% as of today. Have been 18 days of suspensions related to fights, insubordination, bullying.
6.3 Contract with Designs for Learning – Mahowald distributed copies of the contract, and of another proposal for financial services which the school has received. Finance committee will review.
Mahowald also distributed a preliminary 04-05 budget with four enrollment figures (206 students, 218, 230, and 248). The first three do not balance. Board discussed implications and ideas for cost savings. It was clarified, that the personnel budget includes same number of teachers, no COLA, and assumes the extended day program will be contracted out, resulting in no gain and no loss to Odyssey
6.4 Financial report - Rand distributed the report, which was prepared by Judith Darling Wegner of DL - board reviewed.
7. Consent agenda – none of the items on consent agenda were brought up for discussion
7.1 Payment of bills, including payroll
7.2 Personnel action - none to be taken per Mahowald
7.2 Contracts for services
7.3 Gifts to the school - $442 from Target, Mahowald added
Sparks moved approval of the consent agenda; Skramstad seconded, and the motion carried.
8. Set work session(s)
8.1 Discussion of 04-05 budget - finance committee is to review and bring its recommendation for the April meeting; if Board is unable to agree on the budget at the April meeting, a Board work session to make the final decision on this will be scheduled.
8.2 Salary structures – addressed in item 6.3.
8.3 By-laws revision - Sandberg to present on this at the next meeting.
8.4 Sponsorship letter - Mahowald reported, the sponsor has no major concerns, but Odyssey needs to formally request continuing the sponsorship contract, through a form from the Osseo Schools which addresses this. Sense of the Board was that the director and board chair should sign the letter; this was done. Mahowald will send in to Osseo.
9.Action to direct the chair and secretary to sign for additional line of credit - Sedey reported, they have signed for the line of credit from the bank. Sparks moved approval, Skramstad seconded, and the motion carried.
10.Resignation and appointment of treasurer to board; appoint finance committee. Sedey reported, Rand has resigned from the position of treasurer. Fletcher moved acceptance of Rand's resignation; Sparks seconded, and the motion carried. Rand nominated Bona as Treasurer. There were no further nominations. She accepted, and was approved by the Board.
11. Appointment of finance committee - Bona asked for volunteers for the committee. Sedey, Rand, Skramstad, Mahowald, and Darling-Wegner are to serve.
12: Resignation of the Executive Director – Fletcher moved the board accept the resignation of the exec dir, effective June 30, 2004, Sparks seconded. Motion carried on a 6-2 vote. Sparks, Fletcher, Dougherty, Sedey, Rand, and Skramstad voted in favor, Bona and Sandberg opposed. Mahowald agreed to provide the written resignation.
13. Adjournment - meeting was adjourned at 9:35.