Motion to approve the agenda with the addition of Approval of the Minutes from last month's meeting.
By: Ms. Bridget Robinson Seconded by: Mrs. Roberta Walker
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
DeKalb Preparatory Academy
Governing Board
Special Called Meeting - Monday December 2nd, 2024 @6:00 PM
Meeting Minutes
Attendance Summary
| Name | Status | Arrival Time | Departure Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms. KathyAnn Young | present chair | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Ms. Suzette Arnold | present vice-chair | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Mrs. Janelle Wilhite | present Treasurer | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Ms. Bridget Robinson | present secretary | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Mrs. Roberta Walker | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Mrs. Wanda McKay | present member | On Time | At Adjournment |
| Dr. Lenise Bostic | present ex-officio | On Time | At Adjournment |
Welcome and Call to Order
The meeting will be called to the order.
Ascertain A Quorum
Approval of Agenda
The committee approves the agenda items.
Approval of the Minutes from October 22, 2024 Governing Board meeting
Motion to approve the agenda from last month's meeting
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Internet
MAP Testing has not been completed due to ongoing internet issues. Mr. Dennis, Dr. Bostic, Mr. Thomas and Ms. Lee met and have developed a strategic plan to address internet and wireless access point issues. The plan will be submitted to the governing board and will include a needs assessment with a financial analysis and cost breakdown. Additional information will include the vendor selection process, downtime, and mitigation steps. This information will be submitted to the governing board by December 20, 2025. In January, Dr. Bostic will present information regarding the E-rate program to address future technology challenges. Discussion regarding the completion of MAP testing. Dr. Bostic stated that testing would be complete next week.
Robust discussion regarding why these issues are occurring now vs previous years. Mr. Dennis explained that there are more devices (computers, smartboards, virtual reality devices, etc.) and there have been upgrades that requires more bandwidth. Ms. Arnold cautioned that the board needs to be made aware of why additional resources are needed and is would like more comprehensive explanations. Ms. Robinson stated that the Governance Committee raised the same concerns. Ms. Arnold added that proactive action needs to take place instead of being reactionary. Ms. Lee stated that the addition of access points was added to the plan to address connectivity issues throughout the building in addition to the need to increase bandwidth. Dr. Bostic stated that MAP testing in the Fall followed a staggered schedule. Winter testing was not initially a staggered scheduled. In addition, other devices were not utilized in the Fall (i.e., personal cell phones, smart boards, computers were not used for regular classwork) which freed up the network. The board petitioned the school to give all information when explaining issues to the board to ensure that the board has the details needed to make informed decisions.
New Hires
Ms. Walker stated that new hires were presented in Academic Committee and will be presented today for approval.
Motion to approve Savina Higgs, Elementary Teacher total cost $78,639.90
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to approve Unique Scott, Elementary Teacher, total cost $75,780.05
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to approve, Lawrence Kanyike, Middle School Teacher, total cost $66,118.45
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Mrs. Wanda McKay
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to hire Antoinette Friday, as a Special Education teacher, for a total cost of $72,496.12
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to approve Sheila McClelland as a Special Education teacher at a total cost of $84,787.84
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to resume regular board meeting at 8:06 p.m.
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to hire Natasha Boatwright as Long-term Substitute at $120 per day not to exceed $14,400
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to approve the hire of Sharia Hillman as Gifted Teacher for total of $81,870.78
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to approve Lionel Manomano as a Paraprofessional at a total cost of $58,362.22
By: Mrs. Roberta Walker Seconded by: Ms. Bridget Robinson
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Motion to amend the agenda to include two items: makeup school day discussion and public comment
By: Ms. Bridget Robinson Seconded by: Mrs. Roberta Walker
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Addition to Agenda - Makeup School Days
Discussion regarding school being cancelled for two days due to the hurricane. Dr. Bostic is making a recommendation to make the two days up on January 6, 2025 and June 2, 2025. Ms. Arnold stated that she is concerned that a makeup day the last week of school will not benefit the children because attendance is already problematic at the end of school. Ms. Walker explained that the only other day that could be utilized as a makeup day is February 17, 2025. Dr. Bostic reviewed the current calendar with the governing board. She explained that since March is a long month, the recommendation was made to makeup one day at the ends of school, instead of making February 18th the makeup day. Discussion regarding the use of the word 'virtual' on the school calendar. Ms. Arnold stated that the board needs to vote on an accurate calendar as DPA is not a virtual school and cannot have teacher virtual workdays since DPA is not a cyber school. Ms. Young clarified that the word 'independent' should be used instead of 'virtual'. After robust discussion, a decision was made not to defer the vote for a Special Called Board meeting before December 15, 2024.
Audit
The audit draft has been completed by Marshall Jones. The draft has been forwarded to all board members for review and approval so that Marshall Jones can finalize the document.
Motion to accept the audit as presented.
By: Mrs. Janelle Wilhite Seconded by: Mrs. Wanda McKay
There was no notable discussion on the motion.
Addition to agenda - Public Comments
No public comments.
Other Business
Dr. Bostic asked if the revised Retention Policy could be presented and considered for board approval at this time. Dr. Bostic stated that board recommended corrections have been made and the document has been sent to the attorney. However, since Dr. Bostic has not received a legal opinion from teh attorney, the board declined to consider the policy for approval.
The Meeting was Adjourned
The meeting adjourned at 8:47 pm
Motion to adjourn
By: Ms. Bridget Robinson Seconded by: Mrs. Wanda McKay
There was no notable discussion on the motion.