[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:00] We will call to order the Ascent Academies of Utah Board of Directors meeting on August 10th, 2026, beginning at 903 AM. We have a number of folks here, and so we'll have everyone introduce themselves. We'll start with the board members, then hit the director, those from AW, and then any members from the public. My name is Chris Blake, and I am the board chair. My name is Jim Wharton, and I'm on the board as well.
[0:30] I have a strong board member.
[0:32] and Mike Greenhall or member.
[0:35] We'd play fairly director.
[0:38] Brandon, for Fairbanks, academic of West.
[0:41] Don Binky, academic of West.
[0:45] ID, Barrely, academic of West.
[0:48] It's Clark, academic of West.
[0:50] Hannah Jones, academic of West.
[0:55] And Mr. Dunlop.
[0:57] Joe Dunlop with ESS.
[0:59] Excellent.
[1:00] Thank you for joining us today.
[1:01] I think that is everyone which is going to make this next issue
[1:06] probably pretty short. We'll welcome any public comment that anyone has if
[1:11] anyone has anything.
[1:15] Okay we'll close public comment and let's let's hit the
[1:21] consent items first and then we'll hit our two reports that we you have in your
[1:26] minutes the June 8th 2026 board meeting in closed session minutes. Sorry Anna I
[1:31] threw you a curve ball. She is ready to go. If anyone has any corrections speak now
[1:38] Now, if not, I'll take a motion to approve the consent item items, I guess I'll say.
[1:48] Like that motion.
[1:49] Okay, we have a motion from Jim and a second.
[1:52] I'll second it.
[1:54] I think that was Tyler, if I saw that correctly.
[1:57] All those in favor say aye.
[2:00] Aye.
[2:00] Aye.
[2:01] I was saying no.
[2:02] We'll rule that past as unanimously.
[2:04] Excellent.
[2:04] Okay, Wade will turn to you for your director's report.
[2:09] Welcome back to school, I guess.
[2:11] Yeah, thank you.
[2:12] I hope you had a chance to read through it.
[2:14] If not, I'll hit some highlights.
[2:15] I gave you an update on enrollment.
[2:18] Based it off of the budget that we created.
[2:20] So as of last Friday, when I created this report,
[2:24] our Thursday, we are 121 or 4% above the budget
[2:30] we planned out for this school year.
[2:32] So, it's nice to always plan that way and have the enrollment be above the plan.
[2:37] We continue to add students, we had 11 added last week and we'll keep watching that all
[2:43] the way through September to see kind of what we feel like our real number is for the year.
[2:49] And I gave you an update on professional development. I wanted you to know that our 26 teachers who
[2:54] went to that week-long comfort suit in Connecticut at the University of Connecticut and their
[3:01] learned lots of deep engaging information about SEM
[3:04] to bring back to our teachers.
[3:06] We're constantly providing more support with SEM
[3:09] as it's our school mission.
[3:11] I gave you an information there about,
[3:13] we do have three Yukon presenters coming in August 14th.
[3:17] It's great to send, you know, 20, 25 people each summer,
[3:20] but we like to bring them here when we can as well.
[3:22] That hits all 200 of our teachers at once.
[3:25] So they're gonna get a day-long training on August 14th
[3:28] with some Yukon presenters at our West Jordan campus.
[3:33] and then I just do have one approval for purchase. It's going to be coming up on the agenda there.
[3:39] I can talk about that when it comes up where I can go over it now. It's part of that benchmark
[3:43] advance purchase that you approved. It had a previous board meeting. This is an add-on for our
[3:48] specialized department. So it's the same program you approved, but it's the special education add-on
[3:53] portion of benchmark advance. Okay, perfect. And then last thing there, there was a request to kind
[4:00] to give you an attendance report. So I gave you kind of the last three years of a
[4:05] sent attendance kind of give you a view of what we're looking like. There's a
[4:09] graph that can kind of show you the trajectory and what's that you know what's
[4:13] happening with attendance for a sent academies. I'm pleased with it. Our attendance is
[4:18] strong but there's always room for improvement. So let me know if you have any
[4:22] questions on any items on that director's report.
[4:27] That is that's excellent.
[4:29] And Wayne, thank you for that information.
[4:32] Yeah, I mean, it looks like everyone is over 89%
[4:35] with a very, very slight dip at West Jordan
[4:39] from 23 to 25.
[4:42] But yeah, that graph is such a small segment
[4:47] of the product that any movement looks larger
[4:49] than it really is, of course, right?
[4:52] Well, that's great.
[4:53] I'm happy to hear that.
[4:54] I don't know.
[4:55] Do we have, remind me, wait, do we
[4:57] We have an attendance goal for our campuses or for our directors, we're always shooting
[5:05] for 90%, which we typically exceed, but we are still working on that, like in West Valley,
[5:11] we're still not hitting 90%, it did a little bit in West Jordan below 90 this past year.
[5:18] Okay, perfect, that's excellent.
[5:20] Thank you very much for sharing that with us.
[5:22] Any questions for Wade?
[5:26] Okay.
[5:26] Okay. Seeing none, then we'll move to our finance report, Dawn. I'll turn the time
[5:31] over to you. Thank you so much. The financials this month look a little different with that
[5:37] big red draft word on there. And that's because the financial, the books for last month do
[5:42] not close until tonight. So I didn't want to have, you know, no financials to present. So
[5:47] we went ahead and did it and I just put that word draft on there. And then also just so
[5:51] you know, even the ones that come out tonight could possibly change as we are working through
[5:55] those end of your entries with the auditors and trying to make sure that we've got everything
[5:58] cleared up. So it says draft, but that's, you know, it's mostly done. This first page here,
[6:05] I notice you guys usually compare where we're at right now compared to the end of last year,
[6:08] so it's really only that one month of difference there. And you can see cash is up. So we've received
[6:13] that a lot memo from the state that's been entered. That's really the only difference on this sheet here
[6:19] for comparing July 31st of 26 to June 30th of 26.
[6:24] And then if you want to go to the other sheet here, no?
[6:28] So this is your profit and loss.
[6:30] This is showing all of your revenue coming in
[6:31] and then how it's going out.
[6:33] And it's comparing it to that budget.
[6:34] So the budget that weighed was referencing
[6:37] where we're above that.
[6:38] That's what you're seeing here.
[6:40] So the only we're 8.2% through the year,
[6:43] the only couple that are off from that local
[6:45] seems low at 42,000, which is 2.9% of what you budgeted.
[6:49] And that's because the PTIF interest has not been entered yet.
[6:53] So that will be in before tonight.
[6:55] State looks high at 9.7.
[6:57] We did receive the land trust funding,
[6:58] which is a once a year thing.
[7:00] So that's come in.
[7:01] And then as Wade said, also, we do expect that to actually go
[7:04] higher once your enrollment counts are finalized.
[7:07] And then federal is at zero and it will stay that way
[7:09] until applications have been approved
[7:10] and reimbursements have come back after the money's been spent.
[7:14] So that'll stay zero for a while.
[7:16] Down in the expenses, a couple are above that 8.2, professional and technical services because of that PD that mostly hit there. That's a little bit higher. It's what we expected that it just gets spent right now.
[7:28] Purpose property services is that 14.9% lawn care happens in the summer. So you expect to see that and then there's something else in that one.
[7:38] Oh yeah, there was a summer repairs as well, hit in that category.
[7:41] And then supplies and materials are at 15.1%, you're buying curriculum right now for
[7:47] the first school year.
[7:48] So that will always be higher and then it'll kind of taper off at the end of the year.
[7:51] But everything that we see here is in line with your budget and also in line with kind of
[7:54] what's expected at this time of year.
[7:58] If we see an increase in enrollment as we're hoping and expecting, will that not start
[8:08] heating until the October 1 Council finalize and then it will bump up.
[8:11] So we'll be a little bit lower at the beginning and then bump up as we see that as that correct.
[8:17] That is correct.
[8:18] Yes.
[8:18] So the state will adjust your allocation that they send you every month after those Council
[8:22] finalize.
[8:23] So November, we start to see those changes,
[8:25] and then December, we see a few more changes.
[8:28] Perfect, perfect.
[8:29] Okay, any other questions for Don from the board?
[8:35] Don, thank you so much, appreciate it.
[8:39] Okay, and good luck with the rest of the day
[8:42] and the auditors, we appreciate that.
[8:44] Let's, we have a couple of voting and discussion items today.
[8:47] Let's hit those.
[8:48] We've got first awarding an RFP
[8:50] for food service management company.
[8:53] Wait, are we turning to you on these here?
[8:54] or there was a justification statement put in the board packet that kind of explains why the committee
[9:03] chose lunch pro as our food service management company. We did post an RFP, our committee reviewed,
[9:11] we had four companies respond and we gave the scoring and lunch pro came out with the highest score.
[9:19] Okay. Excellent. Any questions for, did you have some else wait? Sorry. I was just going to say because it is a federal program, the state office of education is also reviewed this RFP and the understand our decision and their supportive of it.
[9:33] Okay. Great. And lunch pro does a great job. They've been with us since the beginning. And so that that's excellent. Okay.
[9:42] Okay, I will take a, well, first I'll see if there are any questions for Wade on this RFP.
[9:51] Okay, seeing none, I'll take a motion to approve, award the RFP for food service management
[9:55] company to lunch pro.
[9:58] That's a move.
[9:59] I'll say some emotion from Mike and a second from Tyler, that Edward, gentlemen, I love it.
[10:04] I love the enthusiasm.
[10:06] Any discussion to that item?
[10:09] Hearing none, all those in favor say aye.
[10:12] Aye.
[10:13] Any opposed say no? We'll rule that passes unanimously.
[10:18] Okay, we have an RFP for the occupational therapy services. Wait.
[10:22] Yeah, so as we grow larger and our students also have needs,
[10:27] we have come to the point where we're contracting enough occupational therapy services
[10:31] at the dollar amount constituted in RFP.
[10:34] We do get responses from three companies including the company we've been using for years
[10:39] and a separate committee from the lunch program committee, of course, I tried to bring in experts for this RFP.
[10:46] We reviewed the applications or the responses, and there's our justification statement.
[10:51] We would submit that the educational therapy professionals, which is the organization we have been using,
[10:57] is awarded the RFP for this contract.
[11:01] Okay. Any questions for Wade on this RFP?
[11:05] see
[11:08] none I'll take a motion to approve the RFP for Occupational Therapy Services
[11:14] awarding that to Education Therapy Professionals, correct? Wait, did I say that
[11:20] right? Yes, yeah, okay, perfect. So this is Mike. Yep, we'll say good. Motion for
[11:27] Mike, a second from Jim, any discussion to this item? See none, all those in favor say
[11:33] Aye, aye.
[11:34] Aye.
[11:35] Aye.
[11:35] Oppose, aye.
[11:36] No.
[11:37] We will rule that passes unanimously.
[11:39] Okay.
[11:40] Gave, I assume I'm turning this next one to you on the insurance renewal.
[11:45] Yeah.
[11:46] Yeah, we got the insurance renewal.
[11:49] Kim, is about a 10% increase.
[11:54] So it said that the renewal premium was 133,000, 418.
[11:58] means that that's for property casualty, for all the buildings, general liability, educators
[12:05] legal liability, directors and officers, professional or employment practices.
[12:11] I just want to make sure you have a good DNO policy that we love, that is a board always
[12:17] perfect.
[12:20] And we are staying with, so is one digital, the name of the, our insurance group.
[12:25] That's the broker.
[12:26] Yeah.
[12:27] That's the problem. Yeah, the insurance is through Hanover. Okay. I was didn't know if Hanover
[12:32] had changed their name because I know we had been with him for a while. So that's what the broker was
[12:37] American insurance investment. They were acquired. Oh, when did you choose it? Okay, national broker.
[12:43] Well, Gabe, is this information or do we need to vote to accept this? Yeah, go ahead and vote on that.
[12:50] Okay. Great. Any questions for Gabe on our insurance renewal? Hanover insurance company?
[12:57] Okay, if not, I'll take a motion to approve the renewal premium for 20, 20, 26, 27 for $133,000, $418.
[13:14] I have a motion from Tyler and a second from Mike.
[13:19] Mike, love it. Thank you. Any discussion to that item?
[13:24] Seeing none. All those in favor say aye.
[13:26] Hi.
[13:28] Hi.
[13:29] We'll rule that.
[13:31] Passes.
[13:31] I've been in any.
[13:32] Any new votes.
[13:33] Sorry.
[13:33] I'm losing my mind here.
[13:35] Hearing none.
[13:36] We'll rule that.
[13:36] Passes unanimously.
[13:37] Thank you.
[13:38] Gentlemen.
[13:39] Okay.
[13:40] The Convertute purchases.
[13:42] I always have love saying that name.
[13:43] Gabe, is this.
[13:44] Is this something that's.
[13:45] Excuse me.
[13:46] Wait.
[13:46] Is this coming to you?
[13:49] I can speak to it.
[13:50] I don't know if Donald wants to speak to it.
[13:51] I think the idea is that.
[13:53] Convertute is part of.
[13:55] our land trust plans, or is this the different thing that we're going to be talking about right now, Don?
[14:01] That's correct.
[14:02] Yeah, so we put comfort to expenses in our individual land trust plans, and then the board approves our land trust plans,
[14:08] including for the 26, 27 school year, and we hit dollar amounts within those purchases that sometimes we bring it back
[14:16] to the board and say, although you approved the land trust plan, now here's a purchase that went to Yukon that's over the 25,000.
[14:24] So this information kind of outlines for you the costs that were expended for
[14:31] comfort to. Again, even though they were part of a land trust plan. Okay. Okay, great guys.
[14:38] You approved the plans and we just wanted to clarify that we needed that you were also
[14:42] approving these purchases. They've already happened. We just kind of wanted the board to,
[14:45] you know, be aware that this is what you were voting. Yeah. So if we vote no today, Dawn,
[14:51] what are you going to do here? We can try to fight that battle, but I think since we've approved
[14:58] the plan that makes sense.
[15:00] Any questions for a waiter gone on the conferred to purchases? Seeing none, I'll take a motion to approve the conferred to purchases in the total amount of $61,610.55 and authorize the director to execute the associated payments.
[15:18] Like that motion. Motion from Jim. Second, second from Tyler. Any discussion to that item? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed say no.
[15:31] will rule that passage unanimously. Wade hit on the benchmark, or we were on
[15:37] benchmark, right? Yeah, benchmark curriculum invoice and just the increase in
[15:43] that or special ed. If there's no questions for Wade, I'll take a motion to
[15:49] approve the benchmark curriculum invoice. You scroll down just a little bit
[15:54] So I can, yeah, for 53,350 dollars, this is supplemental materials invoice motion motion.
[16:08] Great. I have a motion from Tyler.
[16:11] Second, second, second from Jim. And so that's going to go well then. All those in favor say aye.
[16:18] All right. Any opposed say no. We'll rule that passes unanimously. Okay. It looks like we have a couple of
[16:27] policies here, Gabe, are you taking these or somebody else?
[16:31] Yeah, I can go through those.
[16:33] And are we approving all of these?
[16:35] Yes.
[16:36] Do we need to do them individually or can we hit them all at once?
[16:40] We can do them all at once.
[16:42] I'll pull it through and you can do it a single vote.
[16:44] So, board members, if you have a question for Gabe after he finishes each policy,
[16:49] go ahead and let's ask that there.
[16:51] And then we'll prove them all at once at the end.
[16:54] Yeah,
[16:57] so kind of like usual, these are all changes that are, you know, brought on by statute, statutory changes or board rules.
[17:08] So with the electronic resources policy, there are probably more changes.
[17:14] I'd say to the administrative procedures, but as far as the policy itself, that's just the only change really there is adding specified.
[17:24] that it's reviewed every three years and that the late director will ensure that
[17:29] things that the rules and procedures are available at the school.
[17:37] The capitalization and expense policy just changing the threshold, the dollar threshold for
[17:43] items that can be capitalized for $5,000 to $10,000. The paid parental and postpartum
[17:51] recovery leave policy. This is one that's kind of surprisingly confusing to
[18:00] administer and the state legislature kind of made it even more complicated. So
[18:06] these changes address changes specifically to how adoption leave is handled and
[18:15] foster, foster, apparently, those are the main things that were revised in here and how that is
[18:23] what's available for under those categories and how that's administered.
[18:28] The procurement policy that is just reflecting changes to the administrative rule
[18:35] on purchasing mainly for things that are under the threshold that things that don't require
[18:42] requests for proposal or invitation for beds.
[18:46] So just gave or those amounts set by board rule.
[18:51] No, we couldn't.
[18:52] You know, it's set by statute and administrative rule.
[18:56] Okay. So we don't we adjust them accordingly.
[18:58] Okay. Yeah. No. Yeah. Unfortunately.
[19:02] So yeah, they're pretty kind of technical.
[19:05] They don't really change too much of the nuts and bolts
[19:08] of how we handle those procurements,
[19:10] but just trying to keep things in line.
[19:12] The purchasing and disbursement policy, this is changing the threshold for what's required
[19:19] for board approval from 25,000, which kind of way we mentioned earlier up to 50,000, just
[19:26] due to the nature of the school's expenditures, the size of the school, the size of the budget,
[19:31] felt this would alleviate the need to come back to the board for certain things,
[19:37] It was helped with the timeliness of purchases and approvals yet while still kind of maintaining
[19:44] appropriate fiscal oversight and internal controls.
[19:48] And then the changes to the six education instruction policy are mainly around kind of
[19:58] the definition, basically the definition of what all phases six education instruction, the
[20:03] legislature to revise some of that expanded of what falls into that category. So that's
[20:14] the gist of it. Excellent. Okay. I don't think you got any questions. So those are pretty
[20:22] straightforward, but any questions for Gabe on the changes to the policies there. Okay. Seeing
[20:30] Any none, I will take a motion to approve these 6-2-3-4-5-6 policy changes, motion from
[20:41] Mike,
[20:44] second from Jim. Any discussion to those items? Seeing none, all those in favor
[20:50] say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed say no, we'll rule that passes unanimously. Excellent, thank
[20:59] thank you everyone. We don't, we, you can see we have a
[21:03] tentative schedule for October 12th there for our next meeting.
[21:07] We'll work with Wade and, and I need to make sure we hit that.
[21:12] I don't believe we have any closed session items today unless somebody
[21:15] says differently.
[21:19] Okay. Wade, best of luck. What day does,
[21:22] what, what day do we start back up? Teachers come back full time on the 12th
[21:27] and students come on the 19th. Okay. Well, this will be a busy week
[21:31] then we would suggest let us know if you need anything and I will take one final
[21:35] motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Motion from Mike, second from Jim, all those in
[21:42] favor say aye. Aye, we'll pass unanimously. Thank you, everyone. Have a great day.
[21:48] Thanks, everybody. Thank you. Have a good day.