Welcome and Call to Order

Welcome and Call to Order by Roberta Walker, Board Co-Chair

Ascertain a Quorum

Ascertain a Quorum – 6:32 p.m.

Roberta Walker - present

Janelle Wilhite – present

Wanda McKay - present

Tamseel Syed -  present

Wanda Brooks-Long, Ex-Officio - present

Suzette Arnold – not in attendance

Approval of Agenda

So that there is agreement between board members on the agenda, and the amount of time spent on the meeting, the board shall vote to approve an agenda for the meeting. To the best of its ability, it will follow that agenda, and allow for the chair to move the board through the agenda as specified.

Motion to approve the agenda

Motion made:            Janelle Wilhite

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion Carries: Unanimous vote

Report from Governing Board

The Governing Board met on Tuesday September 27th, 2022 @6:30 PM for what was scheduled to be a 1 hours and 28 minutes long meeting. Present: Roberta Walker, Dr. Wanda Brooks-Long, Wanda McKay, Janelle Wilhite Not Present: Suzette Arnold, Tamseel Syed, Karen Shabazz The members considered the following items: 1. Ascertain a Quorum – 6:41 p.m. 2. Welcome and Call to Order 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Consent Agenda 5. Head of School Report 6. Committee Reports 7. Executive Session 8. Public Comment 9. Other Business 10. Adjourn The committee considered 13 motions, of which 13 passed, and 0 failed: 1. Motion to approve the agenda after the board quorum was reached at 7:07 p.m. (passed) 2. Motion to approve the agenda at 7:07 p.m. (passed) 3. Motion to Accept the Finance Report as presented (passed) 4. Motion to Accept the Consent Agenda as presented (passed) 5. Motion to move to Executive Session at 7:12 p.m. (passed) 6. Motion to return from Executive session and resume regular meeting at 7:39 p.m. (passed) 7. Motion to move to Executive Session at 7:12 p.m. (passed) 8. Motion to return from Executive Session and resume regular meeting at 7:39 p.m. (passed) 9. Motion to hire Shawn Armour as 3rd Grade Teacher ($59, 660.05) (passed) 10. Motion to hire Jonah Bushell Reading Recovery Substitute Teacher ($5, 280.00) (passed) 11. Motion to hire Sunny Amey Grants Manager ($86,072.90) (passed) 12. Motion to approve Telehealth Services Agreement (passed) 13. Motion to adjourn at 8:15 p.m. (passed) The meeting adjourned at 9:22PM

Report from Governance Committee

Governance Committee Report – Tamseel Syed

The Governance Committee met on Friday, October 21, 2022. Dr. Brooks-Long had an emergency and was therefore unable to answer questions regarding items on the Governance Committee agenda. There  were two recommendations from the Governance Committee:

Recommendation #1: Return to in-person meetings in November

Recommendation #2: A confidential item that was discussed in Executive Session

Dr. Brooks-Long presented Carol Westbrook Patrick as a new hire for the vacant School Resource Officer position during the Governing Board Work Session.

Motion to Accept the Governance Committee Report:

Motion made by:        Janelle Wilhite

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Report from Academic Committee

Academic Committee Report – Roberta Walker/Dr. Wanda Brooks-Long

The Academic Committee met on October 12, 2022, and brought forth several board actions related to new hires, field trips and the MOU with Kennesaw State University

Motion to amend the agenda to include a consent agenda that contains new hires and other items:

Carol Jackson, Contractor, Literacy Interventionist - $25,200.00

Judy Atkins, Contractor, Paraprofessional, Media Center-$11,520.00

Valjean Williams, ELA Interventionist (Middle School) - $83,941.97

Field Trips – Atlanta Zoo in the amount of $779.40

School Resource Officer, Carol Westbrook Patrick-$73,939.46

Janelle Wilhite asked whether the salaries presented are salaries plus fringe benefits. Per Dr. Brooks-Long, the salaries listed include both salaries and fringe benefits.

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Motion to approve the Consent Agenda

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:        Unanimous vote

Field Trip to the King Center.

There is no cost for admission. The only cost is for transportation. The cost for transportation is $600. If approved the cost will be paid out of the Fundraising/Student Activity account.

Motion to approve the field trip to the King Center with no cost to the students attending but with transportation costs of $600.

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Action: Send Board Action form for the King Center to all board members on tomorrow. Mr. Syed cautioned the school not to send items to the board for consideration without providing the action forms. Ms. Walker explained that the opportunity just came up and we did not want to miss out on the opportunity.

Memorandum of Understanding with Kennesaw State University

Mr. Syed asked for the overall benefit to DeKalb Preparatory Academy. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that the benefit to a partnership will give us a pipeline to the teachers in their Year 4 and as they graduate. This is an opportunity for DPA to get ahead of the game for the hiring process. Mr. Syed asked for clarifying questions regarding the process. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that KSU will provide student-teachers that will work alongside our master teachers. As the KSU student-teachers are working with our master teachers, their faculty will observe and monitor the student-teachers progress and mentor their student-teachers. Thus, better preparing the KSU student-teachers to provide instruction to the DPA students. In addition, year 4 teachers that can do a practicum get a provisional certification and are eligible for hire.

The MOU was discussed in a previous meeting and has been forwarded to the school attorney. It is now at KSU for review.

Discussion regarding the background check process. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that all staff and volunteers that will serve our students go through the background process.

Action: Per Ms. Wilhite, the Board Action form should be corrected to read, “No Fiscal Impact”.

Motion to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with Kennesaw State University

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:          Unanimous vote

Going for the Gold Incentive

Discussion regarding the source of income for this initiative. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that ESSR III funds will be used. Mr. Syed raised questions regarding the use of ESSR funds for this initiative. The auditor, Mr. Sonaike, explained the grants reimbursement process, etc. and the appropriate/inappropriate use of funds.

Action: The Board Action Form must be corrected to state that the funds are coming from QBE and will be reimbursed by ESSR III funds. Also, the verbiage to state why the Board Action/Consideration Needed must be changed to read that this is a retention incentive.

Motion to approve the Going for the Gold Teacher Retention Bonus with some modifications to the Board Action form, as discussed

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Roberta Walker

Motion carries:          1 abstention-Janelle Wilhite

Professional Development to Staff Members for QBE/FTE/

Discussion regarding staff identified to participate in the training. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that the Interim Principal: Melba Smith, Assistant Principal of Instruction, and (2)Data Specialists: Jasmine Gresham and Kellie Hunter will participate in the training. Ms. Arnold asked for another document to be prepared that outlines all the training hours. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that there is a total of 33 days worth of  training (full time and half day training as well as follow-up days to ensure that the scheduling is completed). The training will begin in January and conclude in June to ensure that we meet DCSD scheduling cycle. The document is already prepared by the Consultant but has not been forwarded to the board.

Discussion regarding previous services provided by Ms. Bostic, which were to meet an immediate, emergent scheduling need. Ms. Wilhite asked if the Consultant is currently working for DPA. Dr. BL clarified that QBE ended on October 18, 2022, and that Ms. Bostic is not currently working for DPA. Mr. Syed asked for clarification regarding how the staff schedules will be adjusted to accommodate full and half days of training. He also stated that he previously requested a Performance Review of the consultant since DPA will be expected to enter into a contract with this consultant. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that all pertinent information regarding the need for the consultant and referrals from DCSD were discussed during the Executive Session of the September Called Board Meeting.  

Mr. Syed suggested that this Board Action be tabled until November. Discussion regarding the timelines for Scheduling training. Ms. Walker stated that the school schedules are due to DCSD prior to the end of the school year. Previously DPA personnel who were trained in Scheduling left DPA and the schedule was not done before they left. This is why DPA had to solicit assistance from DCSD and eventually, Ms. Bostic, to try to get our Scheduling in. In order to be prepared for the 2023-24 school term, we must have a Scheduling Expert on site by April. Ms.Walker stated that we need Ms. Bostic to begin training in January to get the Assistant Principal for Instruction or the school-appointed scheduling designee trained. The updated Scope of Work should entail the number of hours, hourly rate, etc.

Laptops for Teachers

Discussion regarding the need for the laptops for our teachers and the funding source. Discussion regarding inventory.

Since there was no Finance Committee meeting in October, this item will go back to the Finance Committee for proper vetting and allocation of funds.

Action: Board Action form verbiage to be changed to address laptops.

Smartboards

Since there was no Finance Committee meeting in October, this item will go back to the Finance Committee for proper vetting and allocation of funds.

Motion to accept the Academic Committee Report

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Report from Finance Committee

Finance committee did not meet in October 2022

Development Committee Report

Motion to accept the Finance Committee Report and Development Committee Reports as presented in the Work Session:

Motion made by:        Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by: Wanda McKay

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Public Comment

No public comments

Any Other Business

Other Business

The Annual Report needs to be approved for submission to DCSD and the State Board of Education by November 1, 2022. This item was not discussed in the Governance Committee or Governing Board Work Session. Due to the timeline, a decision was made to conduct a Special Called Board meeting on Monday, October 31, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Board members need to forward all questions and corrections to Dr. Brooks-Long by the weekend so that any changes can be made prior the meeting.

Discussion regarding any other compliance topics. Per Dr. Brooks-Long, the only other compliance topic for discussion was the upload of the audit. It has already been uploaded.

Discussion regarding Form 990. Mr. Sonaike stated that Form 990 is typically due November 15. However, we did an automatic extension that gave us 6 months. The plan is to get it sent out before mid-November.

Discussion regarding the return to in-person meetings in November. Ms. Wilhite raised questions about the timely submission and board review of documentation. The Board meetings will be held in the Cafeteria. Board members will sit on the stage. The school will continue to provide the full listing of items for consideration along with the supporting documentation. Dr. Brooks-Long will attach the documents to the agenda in the appropriate space after the Monday check-in immediately prior to the Board meeting. Mr Syed stated that he liked the comprehensive report and Powerpoint but it needs to be more timely.

Discussion regarding November Governing Board meeting. The meeting will occur in person on November 29, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

Action: Mr. Syed requested that Dr. Brooks-Long provide the draft of the document that was discussed in the last Executive Session. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that she would provide the requested document on tomorrow.

Adjournment

Adjournment

Motion to adjourn at 8:47 p.m

Motion made by:                    Tamseel Syed

Motion seconded by:             Wanda McKay

Motion carries:                     Unanimous vote

The Meeting was Adjourned

The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:46 am

Head of School Report

Melba Smith, Interim Principal, presented the Interim Principal’s Report which included:

Mission/Vision

September Monthly Highlights and Pulse Check

           Fire Drill and Active Shooter Drill were reported to the State.

September 29, 2022 - Title I Meeting hosted by our Parent and Community Liaison.

           Progress Reports went home last week.​

All FTE errors have been corrected and signed off.

The DCSD Innovation Team visited the school on October 3, 2022. Teachers received Glows and Grows. Overall, the visit went well. We are awaiting our written report.

PBIS Kickoff has begun, and monthly incentive events are being held to reward teachers and students for their hard work.​ In November, students with enough points will attend a Glow Party.

TKES formal observations have begun.

DPA received $20,000 in additional in Title I funds. School leadership would like to utilize the funds laptops for teachers.

DPA received $32,140 in Title 2 funds that the school leadership would like to utilize for Professional Development for Teachers in Mathematics and Guided Reading training.

DPA received $17,664 in Title 4 funds that the school would like to utilize for Teacher Professional Development.

Homecoming Committee Schoolwide Fundraising Efforts Rendered: $15,728.00. Homecoming activities took place last week. These funds will be utilized for schoolwide student, teacher and parent initiatives.

Student Enrollment

Grade Level                                       Students Recorded                             

Kindergarten                                                  54                                           

1^st                                                                   65                                                      

2^nd                                                                  58                                           

3^rd                                                                   62                                          

4^th                                                                   63                                           

5^th                                                                   61                                           

6^th                                                                   73                                           

7^th                                                                   65                                           

8^th                                                                   61                   

           Total:                                                            562

Partnerships

Kennesaw State University

We are working to develop a partnership with the Kennesaw State University School of Education. Dr. Kwanza is attempting to add DPA to the list of schools to allow student teachers to complete their field experiences and student teaching practicums.

Georgia State University – Reading Recovery Program

The program is off to a good start. There are currently seven teachers in the program. The teachers attend weekly sessions at Georgia State. Teachers have begun to utilize the strategies that they are learning. Behind the Glass construction will begin this week.

Accel and Academies

This is the third week of Accel Academy is every Tuesday through Thursday from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Attendees are High Level 1 and Level 2 learners. There are currently 70 students in the program.

Excel Academy will take place every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. -12 noon. This academy services Gifted Students and High Level 3 and 4 students. There are currently 15 students in the program.

Many of our students participate in Fall sports and we anticipate that participation in both academies will increase after Fall sports.

 Field Trips

The 2^nd grade is seeking approval for a field trip to Zoo Atlanta.

The 3^rd, 5^th and 6^th grades are seeking approval for a field trip to the King Center.

PBL/AVC Units and Kickoff

DPA is approaching the third week of benchmark activity.

The PBL/AVC Units are:

Kindergarten – Community Helpers

1^st Grade – Healthy Eating and Health Lifestyle

2^nd Grade – Fitness and Healthy Living

3^rd Grade – Local Markets and Healthy Eating                  

4^th Grade – Garden of Hope

5^th Grade – Microorganisms

6^th Grade – World Hunger

7^th Grade – Food Deserts

8^th Grade – Preparing for Life after High School

Ms. Smith shared a video from the second grade PBL Kickoff which showed students and staff interacting with their community partner, Health Empowers. The facilitator engaged the students in movement, provided students with small trinkets and provided education regarding movement.

Media Center Upgrades

Ms. Smith shared pictures of the Media Center. The students are excited about utilizing the clean, organized space and they love the upgraded furniture.

Upcoming Instructional Training

Balanced Math #2 and Guided Reading #2 – October 26, 2022

Teach Like a Champion – Teaching Training Techniques – Today, October 25, 2022

Readers and Writers Training – Mr. Dennis – November 3, 2022

New Teacher Mentorship Meeting with Dr. Blackshear - October 26, 2022

Differentiated Instruction – Upcoming

Employee of the Month

Ms. Smith shared some highlights about the October Employee of the Month, Tylina Swinger.

Dashboard Presentation - Head of School Report – Operations

Student Demographics - Dr. Brooks-Long gave an overview of the student demographic section of the dashboard. Currently there are 544 English speaking students and 19 Spanish speaking students. There are 534 students of African American descent, 19 students of Hispanic/Latino descent, 5 students of two or more races, and 5 students of Asian descent.

Nutrition Count - DeKalb Preparatory Academy has 94 full paid nutrition students, 422 students who receive free meals and 47 students who receive reduced priced meals.

Our programs for Exceptional Children consist of 16 Gifted students, 6 ESOL students, 33 EIP students, 8 remedial students, and 35 IEP students. The Demographic Summary provides an overview of the varied populations we provide educational services to and the need to differentiate our Academic, Social Emotional support to meet the needs of the students that we serve. There are currently 564 students enrolled at DPA.

Employee Demographics

Employee demographics have not changed. 68% female, 31% percent male. 62% of staff are certified. 22% of staff are non-certified. The teachers that are noncertified are enrolled in TAPP programs.

Student Attendance

Student attendance is at 97.44%

Ms. Smith shared the activities for Hispanic Heritage Month. DPA honored Spanish Champions in the morning mix and on the televisions throughout the school.

Finance Report – Candy Yu, Interim Chief Finance Officer

Ms. Yu presented the financial reports for September 2022. The finance team focused a great deal on the completion of the audit. The auditor is present at the meeting and will provide an overview of the audit findings. The team also focused on year end compliance reports.

The September monthly budgeted revenue is $633,000 and actual revenue is $546,000. Currently, under budget by $89,000. This is mainly due to the grant draw down not submitted. The draw down will be back on track in October and November.

The September 2022 monthly budgeted expenses are $589,000 and actual expenses were $517,000. Currently, under budget by $72,000. This is due to personnel turnovers.

The fiscal year to date budgeted net surplus of $43,000. The actual net surplus is $28,000. This brings us under budget by $14,000.

The financial statement revisions were completed per board request. Those revisions were:

June 2022 financials: add cost analysis by expense type

July 2022 financials: all the vendor payments over $5,000

September 2022 financials: add the YTD vendor transaction details

The FY23 budget amendment was submitted August 20, 2022. Updated the budget to reflect the amount changed between versions on August 23, 2022. Budget amendment discussion will begin in November 2022.

The cash balance is $4.1M. The cash on hand is 841 days with unrestricted funds based on SCSC calculation. Based on prior 12 months of expenses, we have 219 days cash on hand.

Finance will continue to meet with the Head of Schools and School Business Manager on a weekly basis. Research and evaluation of procurement software systems and provide recommendations is ongoing. Still working to streamline bookkeeper tasks to improve overall efficiency. Streamline AP billing, approval and payment issuance turnaround time.

ESSR II submission is completed, and the grant completion report is completed. After funds have been expended for ESSR III, drawdowns will take place.

The snapshot is available. Total liabilities and equity are $7,382,030. Reviewed the cost analysis by category.

Discussion regarding the debt-to-asset ratio and where DPA will be by the end of the year.

Discussion regarding additional budget amendments.

Discussion regarding grant funds that are due to DPA from DCSD. Some of the funds have been received.

Discussion regarding fundraising. Ms. Wilhite asked questions about the $15,000 Homecoming Fundraiser. Dr. Brooks-Long stated that the primary source of the funds was parents. Ms. Smith stated that this was a K-8 Homecoming Fundraiser. The students solicited donations from family and friends and were running for grade level homecoming court. The disclaimer in the flyer that was sent home to parents was that the funds raised would be utilized for student, teacher, parent initiatives for this school year. Ms. Wilhite reiterated that the funds were donations mainly from parents. Ms. Wilhite and Ms. Yu discussed whether the donations were captured in this Finance report or if it will be captured in future reports. Ms. Yu clarified that the donations will be captured in the month that the cash is received. This month’s report, September, reflects that $2300 was collected in September.

2021-22 Audit Findings - Auditor Bambo Sonaike

Mr. Sonaike gave a detailed, high-level overview of the audit findings.

He explained that this is the first year that the school encompassed all 3 levels of the audit. In the past, the school was only required to do the regular audit and governmental audit. This year, since Federal funds exceeded $750,000, we had to do the Federal government audit (single audit).

Since there are three audits, there are three opinion letters. All three levels of the audit received clean audit opinions.

Mr. Sonaike reviewed the balance sheet and income statements and how those documents should be utilized to drive Governing Board decisions.

He further reviewed what he thinks are the most important parts of the audit and explained how other reports in the audit report should be utilized to assist the school and Governing Board with planning and making decisions.

Motion to Approve the Audit Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2022

Motion made by:        Janelle Wilhite

Motion seconded by: Tamseel Syed

Motion carries:         Unanimous vote

Tamseel Syed congratulated the school on the funds awarded through the Title I, Title II and Title IV grants. He also congratulated Ms. Tylina Swinger on being selected as the October Employee of the Month.

Janelle Wilhite congratulated the AVC team and students on the Atlanta Metropolitan College - Short Film of the Year nomination. Ms. Smith informed the board that DPA won this award last year. This year the topic was Bullying. Hopefully, we will win again. Ms. Walker further congratulated the teachers, students and school on this achievement.