Centennial Academy

Governing Board

Regular Meeting - Monday May 22nd, 2023 @5:30 PM

Meeting Minutes

Attendance Summary

Name Status Arrival Time Departure Time
Egbert Perry present chair On Time At Adjournment
Renee Glover present vice-chair On Time At Adjournment
Demetrius Patterson present member On Time At Adjournment
Walt Higgins present member On Time At Adjournment
Howard Grant present member On Time At Adjournment
Christopher Burke present member On Time At Adjournment
Maurice Baker not present member
Virginia Sheppard present member On Time At Adjournment
Chaundra Gipson present member On Time At Adjournment
Allison Toller not present member
Rewa Berry present member On Time At Adjournment
Lizanne DeStefano present member On Time At Adjournment
Aquaria Smith present secretary On Time At Adjournment
Derrick Gervin present member On Time At Adjournment

Welcome Call to Order

Chair Perry called the meeting to order at 5:33 pm.

Approval of Agenda & Minutes

The meeting and April 24 Governing Board minutes were approved as presented.

Approve April 24th Governing Board minutes.

By: Renee Glover Seconded by: Walt Higgins

There was no notable discussion on the motion.

Public Comment

No public comments.

Chair's Remarks

Chair Perry deferred his remarks due to the length of meeting for budget approval and head of school reporting.

Academic Accountability Committee Report

Committee Chair Patterson reported on the school performance metrics against targets: attendance, standardized test scores, parent engagement, disciplinary referrals, and other benchmarks. Mr. Alejandro noted Centennial's hiring of a school attendance specialist to help address the absenteeism problems impacting students' learning outcomes.

Finance Committee Report

Committee Chair Glover announced that the Finance and Facilities report will include:

  • the monthly YTD actuals to budget,
  • execution of the school's staff and teacher compensatory letter, and
  • consideration to authorize the contract agreement between Centennial Academy and the Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Pressas briefed members on the statement of activities ending April 30, 2023, and highlighted the school's financial position, financial ratios, P&L, and other activities.

Ms. Olowoyo provided an in-depth overview of the 2023-24 budget proposal against the strategic goals of academic excellence, school culture, professional capacity, community partnerships, and operations/financial stability. She highlighted that the school came under budget for 2022-23 and spoke on the new roles that will impact the FY2023-24 budget.


Approve the FY24 budget including the $1M in reserve to bring the budget into balance.

By: Renee Glover Seconded by: Howard Grant

There was no notable discussion on the motion.

Approve contract with Chief Financial Officer and Centennial Place Academy.

By: Renee Glover Seconded by: Walt Higgins

There was no notable discussion on the motion.

Approve the execution of staff's compensatory letter.

By: Renee Glover Seconded by: Howard Grant

There was no notable discussion on the motion.

Governance Committee Report

Committee Chair Berry reported on the members' governance status, donation level, and engagement level. She requested that members consider donating snacks for the week's field games and students' uniform outerwear for SY2023-24.

Head of School Report

Ms. Olowoyo highlighted the GaDOE Support and Improvement List: Centennial Academy Designation Status and Update, the recommended organizational chart that was approved under Finance and Facilities report, new community collaborations and partnerships, SY2023 enrollment data, and new initiatives and transportation contract status for FY2023-24.

The Meeting was Adjourned

The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:14 pm

Motion to adjourn

By: Renee Glover Seconded by: Howard Grant

There was no notable discussion on the motion.