[0:22] Susan, you're muted.

[0:26] >> It's me, Alicia Milligan. Hello.

[0:28] >> Hi, Alicia. Welcome. We're glad you made

[0:30] it.

[0:31] >> Oh, thanks. Sorry you have to call me

[0:33] out in an individual text. [laughter]

[0:36] You're probably

[0:42] I've had like a two week long headache.

[0:44] So,

[0:45] >> Oh, no.

[0:46] >> Not Yeah, just decompression room.

[0:49] That's all.

[0:50] >> Yep.

[0:52] >> I still don't see an agenda. Um, Carol,

[0:55] I'm just going to start with your agenda

[0:56] that's on the screen, I guess, until one

[1:00] is sent. C. Sarah, could you try sending

[1:03] one over to me?

[1:05] >> I'll send you one real quick.

[1:07] >> Yeah.

[1:13] it's not in my regular email for

[1:15] some reason or in my Azure Fields email.

[1:20] All right, let's call our meeting to

[1:22] order tonight. It it's at at 7:04 now

[1:26] and we'll start with the America verse.

[1:29] Let me recite it as you listen. Um,

[1:32] thank you everyone for coming tonight.

[1:35] May our feeling penetrate into the

[1:38] center of our heart and seek in love to

[1:41] unite itself with the human beings

[1:43] seeking the same goal. With the spirit

[1:46] beings who bearing grace, strengthening

[1:49] us from realms of light and illuminating

[1:52] our love are gazing down upon our

[1:55] earnest heartfelt striving. Rudolph

[1:58] Steiner.

[2:00] and and our topic for study is not

[2:03] applicable tonight. Nor is our board

[2:06] capacity building

[2:09] um time our public comments. I don't

[2:13] believe we have any someone anyone from

[2:16] the public to make comment tonight. So,

[2:19] we'll move to our review. Oh,

[2:21] >> we do have Susan here.

[2:25] >> Oh, yes. Welcome Susan Owen.

[2:28] Did you have a comment you'd like to

[2:30] make in our public comments time?

[2:32] >> I don't have any comments this time. I'm

[2:34] just happy to join you tonight.

[2:36] >> All right. Thank you.

[2:37] >> Uhu.

[2:38] >> All right. And then we'll move to our

[2:40] review of the minutes. Um,

[2:44] and we have two tonight. Sarah, can you

[2:46] tell us about Did we not review the

[2:49] minutes at our board meeting? We didn't

[2:51] get to that the last time.

[2:53] >> No, we didn't. It was our board retreat.

[2:56] They have been emailed out to people. By

[2:58] the way, Susan, you should have a copy

[2:59] of the agenda.

[3:00] >> I do. I do have Oh, thank you. I do have

[3:02] a copy of the minutes that I've read

[3:04] through them. Um,

[3:07] is there any discussion about the

[3:09] minutes we need to do to talk about or

[3:11] has everyone read through them?

[3:16] » You you don't have the vote in there?

[3:18] >> Yeah, we don't have the vote section,

[3:20] Sarah, for the for the minutes.

[3:23] Yeah, we'll need to vote on both the May

[3:25] 27th and the the June 12th board retreat

[3:29] minutes.

[3:31] >> Oh, you're right.

[3:39] Do we need to add those in now or can we

[3:42] do the vote and have you just keep

[3:43] record of it?

[3:47] >> I can add it in. I'm just pulling it

[3:48] back up.

[3:49] >> Okay, that would be better. Yes. I think

[3:53] [snorts]

[3:54] while you do that, I'm going to print

[3:56] out mine. [laughter]

[4:06] [clears throat]

[4:21] While you're waiting for her to get that

[4:23] updated, Susan, you can ask if there's

[4:24] any comments or questions about the

[4:27] minutes and anything that needs to be

[4:28] updated.

[4:30] If there's any discussion on the

[4:31] previous minutes,

[4:35] » yes. Um, those were sent out in an email

[4:38] to everyone. Are there any questions or

[4:40] discussion that that anyone has would

[4:42] like to have at this time about the

[4:44] board minutes from the May 27th and the

[4:48] June 12th board May 27th board meeting

[4:51] and the June 12th um board retreat

[5:19] Sarah, did you want to just briefly

[5:21] review what was covered in each one?

[5:23] Yes, I can do it. I just got a phone

[5:25] now. I think

[5:30] so.

[5:43] at our

[5:47] board retreat, we discussed doing the

[5:48] oath of office and decided that we could

[5:50] do it in August at the beginning of the

[5:53] year. We had an administration review

[5:55] from Carol where we discussed our ready

[5:56] to miss to open our setbacks, our

[5:59] successes and issue and went over our

[6:02] readiness checklist that we were going

[6:04] with a state over. We also talked about

[6:07] our administration goals for the year,

[6:09] paying our contracts, decreasing our

[6:12] overhead, and making sure that we could

[6:13] manage things. And we also had

[6:15] conversation with Jeff about how our

[6:18] cash flow will be tricky and that we

[6:20] need to

[6:21] um budget very well with that. We had

[6:25] our planning meeting where we planned

[6:26] our dates for the year, created training

[6:29] topics and our starter study for the

[6:32] year. We went over our policy and

[6:34] approved our discipline policy. Um we

[6:38] also approved our data security policy,

[6:41] our hiring firing policy

[6:46] and our we approved our handbooks. We

[6:50] took a break and then we decided to pass

[6:53] the board review on to this meeting and

[6:56] then we did do an administration

[6:57] evaluation of peril and we decided to

[7:00] continue her contract into the next year

[7:03] and then we adjourned

[7:06] and that is the June 12th. I will pause

[7:08] for a minute before I do June May or May

[7:10] 19th if there's any discussion on that.

[7:16] [clears throat]

[7:22] because I think we have to approve them

[7:24] separately, don't we, Carol?

[7:26] >> You think so?

[7:27] >> Yes. I don't see the Well, maybe Carol

[7:29] hasn't brought it down. The motion to

[7:31] approve the June meeting. Oh, there it

[7:34] is down below. Okay.

[7:36] Retreat board retreat minutes. Yes.

[7:41] >> Okay. I guess um is there someone who

[7:43] would make a motion to approve the June

[7:46] 12th board retreat minutes as as

[7:48] reviewed by Sarah Archbald?

[7:51] >> I would move to approve them.

[7:55] >> Thank you, Alicia.

[7:58] And um any Is there someone who would

[8:01] second the motion to approve the

[8:03] minutes?

[8:07] » I'll second it.

[8:09] >> Thank you, Sarah.

[8:11] Um, and let's have a vote now. I don't

[8:14] see because I've got my screen on the

[8:17] review of the minutes. I don't see

[8:18] everyone's face on the the screen. So,

[8:23] let's have let's just go

[8:24] >> stop sharing for a second so you can see

[8:26] everybody.

[8:26] >> Okay, there we go. Good to see everyone.

[8:31] Hi, Thisa and Martha. I saw the others

[8:33] earlier. Okay, so let's have a vote to

[8:36] approve our minutes from June 12th's

[8:38] board retreat. All in all in favor say I

[8:42] or raise your hand. Let's see. We have

[8:45] um

[8:52] trying to find the place for that on my pages.

[8:56] Okay. Um,

[8:59] so we have Susan, Sarah,

[9:03] Marta,

[9:05] Christian,

[9:08] uh, Thesisa, and and Alicia.

[9:12] Okay. The motion has been approved,

[9:15] voted, and approved um for the um the ME

[9:20] board meeting on June 12th. The re I

[9:23] mean the board retreat minutes. Um,

[9:26] let's move on to our May 27th minutes.

[9:30] Now, if you could review those for us,

[9:31] Sarah.

[9:32] >> Yes. So, we had our call opening. Our

[9:34] Steiner study went over Gen Z and Jen

[9:37] Alpha and their question the basic

[9:39] assumptions including seeing the self

[9:41] differently than other generations. We

[9:44] had the board capacity building which is

[9:45] chapter 2, the charter school, board

[9:47] university.

[9:51] Um, we had a review of the previous

[9:54] minutes from April where they were

[9:56] approved. We discussed open meeting

[9:59] compliance, the possibility of deferring

[10:01] opening and various plans for that

[10:03] deferral. We discussed board member

[10:06] recruitment and the June meeting we were

[10:08] planning our board retreat at that time

[10:11] and the need to set up a schedule for

[10:12] this year. We had an admin report, our

[10:15] marketing and enrollment, hiring staff,

[10:17] grants and budgets, teachers and student

[10:20] success app. And then we had reports for

[10:23] our finance community and we were

[10:25] discussing the startup grant and red

[10:27] apple and how we were working with them

[10:29] and we would need to do our budget

[10:32] approval at this meeting.

[10:34] We discussed our marketing and outreach

[10:36] team and we had an adjournment at 8:46.

[10:42] » All right. Thank you very much. Do I

[10:44] have a motion from the board to approve

[10:46] our May 27th

[10:49] um our May May 27th board meeting?

[10:52] >> Any discussion before a vote?

[10:54] >> Oh, thank you, Carol.

[10:58] Is there any discussion or notes that

[11:00] someone wants to share with us?

[11:11] Okay. Uh, Carol, can you put on the

[11:14] screen the um

[11:17] the the things that were added into the meeting minutes for this motion and

[11:22] this vote?

[11:24] Oh, I do have it here. Okay.

[11:28] So,

[11:29] um,

[11:31] if there aren't any comments or s or

[11:34] ideas that need to be, uh, discussed,

[11:36] let's Could I have someone make a motion

[11:38] to approve the May 27th minutes?

[11:42] >> All motion.

[11:43] >> That's right. Thank you, Christian.

[11:47] And someone to second that motion to

[11:49] approve the minutes from May 27th. Thank

[11:52] you, Thesisa.

[11:55] Okay. And we'll have a vote now. um by

[11:58] the members. Um I'm

[12:02] um let's see I see Susan in voting I

[12:07] Sarah

[12:09] Marta Christian

[12:13] Fisa and Alicia. Thank you. The the the

[12:17] motion was approved

[12:19] um to app that to approve our um our

[12:22] board minutes from the May 27th.

[12:26] Okay. Um, we'll now move to an

[12:29] administration review by Carol Gregory.

[12:33] >> Okay.

[12:34] >> We'll give her the time. [clears throat]

[12:36] >> Okay. The main topic um being the final

[12:39] review of the budget. So, I'm going to

[12:41] pull up the detailed report and make

[12:44] sure that it's big enough for you guys

[12:45] to see. Um, so I have a couple of things

[12:49] to compare it to. Um this was the

[12:51] proposed budget from the startup grant

[12:54] that we were working on. Um so we had um

[12:58] $20,000 allocated to tuition

[13:01] reimbursement for Waldorf training for

[13:03] our people. We had my salary. We had a

[13:06] lead teacher um doing curriculum

[13:09] development. We had um our workshops,

[13:11] conferences and training. We had um our

[13:15] contract services for um support to to

[13:19] get we had advertising and and

[13:21] marketing. We had curriculum and

[13:24] development, travel expenses, office

[13:26] supplies, our dues and fees, background

[13:29] checks, and things like that. So, that's

[13:30] kind of what we allocated um in the in

[13:35] the startup. Um

[13:37] >> Carol, do you want to be sharing your

[13:38] screen right now?

[13:39] >> Yeah, we can't see it. Oh, I thought I

[13:42] was sharing it. No, [laughter]

[13:45] >> that makes a difference. [clears throat]

[13:48] >> It's a little easier to follow. Thank

[13:49] you.

[13:50] >> There we go. This is this is where I

[13:52] was. Um, so we um approved this a year

[13:55] ago um as we were heading into the

[13:58] startup year

[13:59] >> with what we were going to be

[14:00] purchasing. Um, so we also throughout

[14:04] the school year, um, decided with the,

[14:08] um, we also were approved for the

[14:12] revolving loan. And so some of the

[14:14] things that we, um, additionally

[14:16] allocated from the revolving loan were

[14:18] some additional people to help us out

[14:21] with the load and get things ready for

[14:24] um, opening, some additional funds for

[14:27] marketing, and some additional supplies.

[14:30] Um so those are kind of everything that

[14:32] we've been working through. Um so we

[14:36] have the instructional services um

[14:39] Chalice, Antonia and Veronica um paid

[14:42] out according to their contracts as

[14:44] contract service providers. Um they are

[14:46] categorized as instructional services

[14:48] because they were doing work for setting

[14:51] things up for the the students. um

[14:54] myself and the registar were our

[14:56] professional education services and so

[14:58] those were our salaries um that were

[15:01] allocated. We then have um the

[15:04] professional training and development

[15:06] from the workshops and um training that

[15:08] we participated in. We did get a little

[15:11] refund um from from one of the um they

[15:14] gave us a discount in one of the

[15:17] programs that we pro did professionally.

[15:21] Um, other contract services was um, Red

[15:23] Apple, their contract for um, helping us

[15:26] manage. We did have the lawyer that

[15:28] helped us review our documents and make

[15:31] sure that they were all um, aligned. We

[15:34] have our website and mass communication

[15:36] system through Edio as well as the

[15:39] initial setup of the website through

[15:41] Ionos.

[15:43] We had um, the work space, the um,

[15:47] office space that we rented this year.

[15:50] Um, and this came in um, a few thousand

[15:54] dollar lower than we had originally

[15:56] budgeted for. Um, so that was good. We

[15:59] have our um, office telephone um, that

[16:03] we're paying for every month. And then,

[16:05] um, we had the marketing um, the

[16:08] different supplies um, um, print flyers,

[16:12] the Scola contract, the um, swag items

[16:17] to hand out at events.

[16:19] um and the different events that we

[16:21] attended. [clears throat]

[16:24] Um we had the road trip expenses for

[16:27] collaboration and professional

[16:28] development.

[16:30] [clears throat] We purchased um a a

[16:33] professional development library as well

[16:35] as training supplies for the teacher

[16:37] workshops. We um also had general office

[16:40] supplies just to be able to run um

[16:44] smoothly in in the things that we're

[16:45] doing and um things like a branded stamp

[16:48] so that we have some official things

[16:49] moving forward. Um we purchased math

[16:52] curriculum from Paradigm High School

[16:54] with a secondary math 1, two, and three.

[16:56] So we have the complete um resources

[16:58] there for that. Um we did purchase two

[17:01] office computers and some um keyboards

[17:04] and and mice for use. Um we had the

[17:08] frontline technologies um that we

[17:10] onboarded with for recruiting and

[17:12] hiring. Um this is where we put our job

[17:14] postings and manage the people that we

[17:18] hire with onboarding. Um we had

[17:21] background checks that we had to process

[17:24] throughout the year. Um everybody that's

[17:26] been connected with us has cleared the

[17:27] background checks. Um and then the fees

[17:31] and dues um just the the processing

[17:34] charges. um for making payments is is

[17:39] just a monthly um that's the service

[17:41] charges there. We also had our

[17:43] membership dues for the alliance. Um we

[17:45] had our tax um exempt application fee

[17:49] and and things like that. So that's

[17:50] where it is. Um and so our final budget

[17:54] um this includes the I don't think this

[17:57] one had the all of the income. So this

[17:59] includes the startup grant and the

[18:01] revolving loan. Um, and so we used um

[18:06] $349,45845.

[18:11] Any questions about the budget and the

[18:13] expenses and um anything here for the board to give final approval on?

[18:23] >> No, I thought we gave approval for this

[18:25] budget already. Why are we doing it?

[18:27] >> So, we approved it at the beginning of

[18:29] the year.

[18:29] >> Yeah. and and then we have to approve

[18:32] the final reconciliation of expenses.

[18:36] Okay, so this was the final

[18:38] reconciliation of all of the income and

[18:41] the things that we purchased.

[18:46] » And so once you approve this, I go in

[18:48] and put this in the state system to

[18:49] reconcile.

[18:50] >> Okay.

[18:52] All right. Um are there any discussion

[18:55] points? Anyone? This looks like what I

[18:58] remember approving. We looked at it last

[19:00] time. We didn't have there were still

[19:02] some We didn't have the detailed

[19:03] breakdown. We had category. Yeah, we had

[19:06] each category that you looked at. So,

[19:08] nothing has changed. We did were able to

[19:10] go through and clean up some of the

[19:11] expenses that were categorized

[19:13] incorrectly. Um, so this is the the

[19:16] clean version and and where all of the

[19:18] details were and there were some

[19:20] questions on what some of those

[19:22] categories were last time. And so, this

[19:24] is the clarification for final approval.

[19:27] Is there anyone else who has comment to

[19:28] make or discussion they'd like to have?

[19:32] Hi Carrie. I didn't know you were with

[19:33] us.

[19:34] >> I'm here. Yeah, sorry I've been eating.

[19:36] So

[19:38] >> I was off camera. Um we had talked about

[19:43] the miscellaneous category in our board

[19:45] retreat and did did we get clarification

[19:49] on that at the end

[19:52] >> when you were just saying I I missed

[19:53] that part? So, there were multiple

[19:56] expenses that had been allocated in that

[19:58] category that were incorrect because it

[20:01] was like $33,000 and that's way too

[20:03] high. So, they've been reallocated to

[20:06] the other categories. Um, right now the

[20:09] so in final reconciliation there's only

[20:11] um three and a half thousand in the

[20:13] miscellaneous category and those are

[20:15] transaction fees and the um

[20:20] the

[20:22] where's it at? um

[20:25] our membership dues for the alliance,

[20:27] the um fees for renewing our um business

[20:33] account, things that don't really fit

[20:35] anywhere else. Um is what's there and

[20:37] it's it's um

[20:42] it's just shy of $4,000. So, we got that

[20:45] cleaned up.

[20:45] >> Great. Thank you so much for clarifying

[20:48] that.

[20:49] >> Yeah, not a problem.

[20:49] >> It looks looks great to me.

[20:52] I didn't see anything on the budget that

[20:54] was significantly different than what we

[20:55] had approved. Was there anything that

[20:57] was more than a couple hundred dollars

[20:59] higher? If it's lower, I'm not too

[21:00] concerned. Okay.

[21:01] >> Nope.

[21:04] >> Okay. Can I have someone then make an

[21:06] emot make a motion to approve the the

[21:08] school year 2026 final budget

[21:11] reconciliation?

[21:16] » I'll motion

[21:17] >> to approve that.

[21:19] And could someone second the motion?

[21:22] Thank you, Sarah. And then let's have a

[21:24] vote on that. And I'll be looking and

[21:26] calling names. I have approved it.

[21:29] Sarah, I see your approval. Marta,

[21:32] Christian,

[21:34] um Carrie, yes. Thesisa,

[21:40] thesa, are you there to approve? Thank you, Thesa. Alicia,

[21:48] are you there to approve our

[21:51] budget reconciliation?

[21:55] » Yes. Sorry.

[21:57] >> Okay.

[21:58] >> All right. So, that's a that's a yes for

[22:00] you.

[22:02] >> Yes. Thank you.

[22:03] >> Okay. Thank you. Our vote outcome is is

[22:05] unanimous. So, the motion has been

[22:08] approved. Um and then I'll have Carol

[22:11] continue for us then.

[22:13] >> Sounds good. Um so the next thing that

[22:15] we need to talk about is kind of our

[22:17] status update and moving forward. Um we

[22:21] did get um support from the state

[22:24] charter school board to defer for a

[22:26] year. Um that deferment looks like com

[22:30] um 9th through 12 9th through 11th grade

[22:33] next year. Um there are some challenges

[22:38] on this. So I'm going to present several

[22:40] different paths of our situation. Um,

[22:43] and there's still some pending

[22:46] information. So, um, the board I don't

[22:49] think needs to make an, uh, a decision

[22:53] today based on all of this information.

[22:56] Uh, my recommendation is that we revisit

[22:59] these options in August. Um, when we

[23:02] have um, access and more answers. Um,

[23:06] one of the challenges is that in July,

[23:09] um, state office people are at

[23:11] conferences and they're rolling over the

[23:13] systems from, um, one fiscal year to the

[23:17] other. And so there's there's systems

[23:19] that are down, so people are on vacation

[23:20] and not in the office for access to some

[23:23] of these answers. Um, so we'll go

[23:26] through just kind of the whole

[23:28] situation. If we continue the current

[23:32] path that we're on, um we have approval

[23:35] to defer open fall 2027. We're approved

[23:38] for grades 9 through 12. Our plan would

[23:40] be 9th through 11th grades. Um there are

[23:43] some budget concerns that we um don't

[23:45] have any additional funding available.

[23:48] Um and there is concern that if we don't

[23:52] open then we're defaulting on the

[23:54] revolving loan and there's major

[23:56] implications for that um in the whole

[23:59] charter community not just us. Um and so

[24:03] there's concerns and conversations to be

[24:05] had with people at the state offices

[24:07] around that. There are also enrollment

[24:10] concerns. Um we weren't able to get the

[24:12] enrollment this year. So, there's a

[24:14] little bit of a question of of how

[24:15] likely is it for us to get that

[24:17] enrollment next year. Will we be able to

[24:19] meet the enrollment requirements without

[24:22] having seventh and eighth grade? That

[24:23] was one of our biggest setbacks is this

[24:25] gap year that families are are leaving

[24:28] the Waldorf model and not staying and

[24:30] not coming back in that enrollment. Um,

[24:34] is our location also affecting that? um

[24:37] can we afford the very expensive land

[24:40] and limited opportunities that are

[24:43] closer to Mountain Sunrise that will

[24:44] make it easier for those families? Um

[24:46] and if we were able to find a way to

[24:48] afford it, would that even fix the

[24:50] enrollment concerns? Um so there's a lot

[24:53] of concern and question about being able

[24:55] to to go through that. Some of the good

[24:57] news is that we've done all of the other

[25:01] work. Um really it is just filling our

[25:04] marketing and enrollment. We have a a

[25:07] really good calendar put together for

[25:09] getting into the junior highs and

[25:11] letting more people know at their high

[25:13] school previews that we are an option as

[25:15] a high school. We have um events and and

[25:18] community things planned through the

[25:20] year. Um so that we I mean I feel like

[25:23] we have a pretty good plan for building

[25:25] that. Our name is out there. People are

[25:27] recognizing us. Conversations that we

[25:29] have with new people are, "Oh, I saw

[25:31] your billboard. Oh, you're that school.

[25:33] Oh, I got your flyer on my door." So,

[25:34] there's been enough touch points that

[25:36] people are starting to get to know us

[25:38] and the word is spreading. Um, and it's

[25:40] just a matter of of completing that. The

[25:43] option for adding seventh and eighth

[25:46] grade. Um, the the most recent answer.

[25:50] This one's tricky. Um, because there are

[25:55] some conflicting opinions on that path.

[25:58] Um and and so we're trying to get enough

[26:01] people into the same room in the same

[26:02] space to get a clear answer on exactly

[26:05] what that process looks like. Um the

[26:07] latest information is to complete the

[26:10] new school application um and kind of

[26:13] start the progress the the whole cycle

[26:17] over and requesting 7th through 12th

[26:20] grade. So really it looks like adjusting

[26:22] our previous proposal to the new

[26:24] proposal requirement format and and

[26:27] adding 7th through 12th grade.

[26:29] [clears throat]

[26:30] Chalice and I started this. I'll go

[26:32] ahead and pull it up and show you. Um

[26:35] we've started this application and um

[26:38] are I feel confident in being able to

[26:40] submit this to the state charter school

[26:43] board. Tomorrow um is the deadline for

[26:46] this um proposal. And Carrie, I see your

[26:49] hand. Let me go ahead and get through

[26:50] this whole section and then take

[26:52] questions if that's okay.

[26:54] Um,

[26:57] so we've got the um and then just

[26:59] adjusting our seats to include um 7th

[27:04] through 12th grade. Um and then just

[27:06] formatting. So this is there um and it

[27:09] should be ready to turn in tomorrow.

[27:12] um I recommend and plan on going ahead

[27:15] and starting this process because we can

[27:18] always pull our application out. Whereas

[27:21] if we miss this deadline and they tell

[27:24] us that really is what we have to do, we

[27:26] don't have another opportunity until

[27:28] next summer. Um so that's um starting

[27:32] the proposal. Um it is unclear at this

[27:36] moment how this process will affect all

[27:39] of the accounts that we've already set

[27:41] up as a school if we start over. Um

[27:44] there's conflicting feedback about that

[27:48] impact and the correct process. Um if we

[27:52] do that process, we're not opening until

[27:55] 2018 and so we kind of just lieowow next

[27:59] year as we complete the application

[28:01] process again. Um, but we're already

[28:05] ahead of the game because we've already

[28:07] been through this process once. We

[28:09] already have a lot of our things decided

[28:13] and ironed out. Um, I would need to seek

[28:16] other employment for this um, next

[28:19] school year and work on the application

[28:22] process in the background. Um, if we are

[28:26] fully committed to this, there's a

[28:28] likelihood that they do pull those

[28:29] revolving loan account um, funds. and so

[28:32] we're sitting with a bank account at

[28:34] zero. Um board members will need to

[28:37] assist in the writing of that

[28:38] application like we did the first time

[28:40] around. Um the good news is that we can

[28:42] reuse much of what we've already

[28:43] completed. It's a matter of adjusting it

[28:45] to the new format and making sure that

[28:48] we're including the junior high. We did

[28:51] learn a lot in this process. I think we

[28:53] have some very clear answers. We have

[28:56] better connections in our feeder

[28:58] schools. um we can get letters of

[29:01] support and and movement in the

[29:04] community to help support this choice.

[29:07] Um the state charter school board might

[29:10] be reluctant about another startup

[29:13] grant. Um I'm not exactly sure all of

[29:16] the steps and processes to that. I

[29:18] actually have a meeting with the um

[29:22] financial auditor and and executive

[29:24] director at the charter school board

[29:26] tomorrow. So, um hopefully some of these

[29:29] unknowns will be answered and resolved.

[29:31] Um but, um it will be a concern that

[29:35] we'll be defaulting on at least a small

[29:37] portion of that revolving loan. Um and

[29:40] that doesn't look good for us. Um and

[29:44] would mean that we will not be very

[29:47] likely to get revolving loan funds in

[29:49] the future, at least not until we have

[29:51] very solid financials for many years. um

[29:54] if we are approved and so that's another

[29:57] part of this process is that we might

[29:59] not be approved um in spring of 2027 but

[30:04] if we are then our opening date is 2028.

[30:07] Um potentially we do get another startup

[30:09] grant but not quite sure what that

[30:11] process is going to look like. um we

[30:14] have policies in place, we have um lots

[30:18] of answers and so I think we can work on

[30:21] a tighter budget in this second startup

[30:24] year if we do this process again and

[30:26] move on into that. Um and we've already

[30:30] invested in um in a lot of things that

[30:34] like we don't have to purchase the

[30:35] professional library again and and

[30:37] things like that. So, um we will be

[30:39] better equipped um to have a wise budget

[30:42] with whatever they allocate us in that

[30:43] process. Um potentially,

[30:47] um this one's like a big if. Um there

[30:50] might be space for requesting to open in

[30:53] fall of 27 under this. um it would be a

[30:56] waiver request, but we will have a very

[30:59] heavy burden to demonstrate that we do

[31:01] have enough students enrolled that we

[31:05] wouldn't need a whole extra year in

[31:07] order to get set up. Um some things that

[31:09] could help us with that is a memorandum

[31:11] of understanding with uh Mountain

[31:13] Sunrise that if we pick up seventh and

[31:15] eighth grade, we have um a clear path to

[31:18] write a um articulation agreement with

[31:23] Azure Fields so that their students can

[31:26] come and then we have um some very

[31:28] guaranteed enrollment ready to go um

[31:32] would be kind of the only path for for

[31:35] that. I I don't know how much I would

[31:37] recommend um trying to open early. Um I

[31:41] think it would just be better to follow

[31:42] the full 2-year cycle for that. The

[31:46] other options that we kind of have is

[31:49] that we could decide to close Azure

[31:52] Fields and find other opportunities for

[31:55] creating a um Waldorf High School in

[31:59] Utah. Um whether it is that we let it go

[32:03] and work on forming a new group and and

[32:07] working in the future um or we could

[32:10] potentially reach out to one of our

[32:12] feeder schools and help them with an

[32:14] expansion to expand the high school um

[32:18] that that then has a clear path for K

[32:22] through 12 in instead of being a

[32:24] standalone school. Um, we still have the

[32:28] nonprofit even if we let this charter go

[32:32] um and decide to disband the current

[32:35] charter of Azure Fields. Um, it's $18 a

[32:38] year for our state registration um with

[32:40] the Department of Commerce for Utah to

[32:43] keep Azure Fields running as a

[32:44] nonprofit. I think it's around $20 a

[32:47] year for our federal renewal. Um and and

[32:52] then there's questions like if we do

[32:54] keep the nonprofit going um do we want

[32:57] to try a K12? Do we want to push again

[33:00] for a 7 through 12? Um that's just kind

[33:04] of so that's my summary. Um Carrie, I'll

[33:08] take your question now on

[33:12] um on this process.

[33:18] Okay. So, I'm hearing a lot from a lot

[33:21] of p a lot of parents that

[33:24] it's very overwhelming to get their kids

[33:26] to Provo 5 days a week and that they

[33:28] would be very interested in like a

[33:30] hybrid program. Is that an option? And

[33:34] do we have to put that into the charter?

[33:39] Um like

[33:41] would that have to be done in that same

[33:43] process? Like do we have an option to

[33:45] have a one of the cohorts

[33:49] be like a part-time cohort cohort? Is

[33:53] that something that's too difficult to

[33:55] do? I think that would

[33:57] >> open up a lot of opportunities for

[34:00] parents and interest a lot of parents

[34:03] because there's a lot of parents who

[34:06] want their children home more but not

[34:08] all the time especially as high

[34:10] schoolers.

[34:11] >> Yeah. It's all those homeschool families

[34:13] that they,

[34:15] you know, they want to homeschool, but

[34:16] it's really hard to homeschool a high

[34:18] schooler and they they need someone else

[34:20] that their high schooler is accountable

[34:23] to.

[34:25] >> So, I I that's just what I wanted to

[34:27] bring up that if that might be an option

[34:29] that could help us. Um, tree I know that

[34:32] treeside did just um, so it would be so

[34:36] it would either be something that we put

[34:38] in the new proposal and application um,

[34:40] or we add an amendment depending on

[34:44] ultimately which path that we take. Um,

[34:47] we I think we always have the option of

[34:50] enrolling students part-time. Um, and

[34:53] so, you know, if they chose to come for

[34:55] just the academics from 9 until 1 or

[34:58] whatever it was, um, or if they were

[35:00] coming just for the electives, um, I

[35:02] think that's kind of always an option of

[35:04] enrolling part-time. We would

[35:06] >> that's always,

[35:07] >> sorry,

[35:08] >> we would need to write a clear policy

[35:10] around how we handle that.

[35:12] >> I think it's more that they want they

[35:14] don't want to do part day. They want to

[35:16] do, you know, half the days. So it's

[35:20] like they only want to be going to

[35:22] school two or three days a week.

[35:25] >> So they want like an AB. So that would

[35:27] change our schedule to like AB days and

[35:29] they only enroll for A days.

[35:32] >> Yeah.

[35:32] >> Um so that would that would be something

[35:35] that we would have to decide what the trade-off is there. Um,

[35:42] >> with the nature of the main lesson,

[35:45] it's harder to do that because you only

[35:48] have that main lesson block for four

[35:50] weeks and if you're only there for half

[35:52] the days,

[35:53] >> you've missed a lot. And and with high

[35:55] school, trying to get the credits is the

[35:58] other portion of that. Carol, I think

[36:02] >> I think it might help more if we had our

[36:05] school move to a location that was

[36:07] easier for them to to get to five days a

[36:11] week

[36:12] >> if we could find one that wasn't $2

[36:14] million for just the land for an acre of

[36:16] land.

[36:17] >> So, I mean, these are the the I'm not

[36:23] disagreeing with any any of that. Um, so

[36:27] another part of of hybrid, so hybrid

[36:30] often means that they take part of their

[36:32] classes online. Um, and and what that

[36:35] looks like. Um, so it it just part of it

[36:39] comes down to um

[36:43] understanding the model that we're

[36:44] offering and and um if that is still the

[36:49] model that we want to offer and how to

[36:53] make that work. Does that make sense?

[36:59] » Yeah. I was just I was wondering if it

[37:01] would be possible to have like one of

[37:02] the cohorts be a part-time or you know

[37:05] what I mean? But that would probably be

[37:07] tricky for our schedule. I mean, if

[37:09] they're only coming three days a week,

[37:12] um, how are like part of it is how are

[37:15] they going to get their credits

[37:17] >> because

[37:18] >> so it's like they would be doing the

[37:19] other part either

[37:22] >> on their own,

[37:23] >> you know, or with their parents or or

[37:27] whatnot. And but that's just the

[37:29] feedback I keep getting is I it's too

[37:32] overwhelming to get my kid to Provo or

[37:35] have my kid that far away all the time.

[37:39] If it was part of the week, then that

[37:41] would be something that I would consider

[37:44] is what I hear.

[37:47] So, I don't know. Just something to

[37:50] consider, I guess.

[37:51] >> Yeah. [laughter]

[37:53] >> Another option. Yeah. But but I really

[37:55] think with a high school, you just have

[37:57] to be there. I mean, I think you have to

[37:59] be there five days a week

[38:00] >> in order to get the credits. Like

[38:02] >> I think that's the part that that is

[38:05] tricky that you're getting credits

[38:06] towards graduation and um I mean I think

[38:10] it can be done and and there are

[38:12] options. Um it just there's a lot of

[38:17] thinking about how that looks. um and if

[38:19] it significantly changes our model and

[38:23] our plan to do it. Um Sarah and then

[38:25] Marta both have comments.

[38:27] >> I was just going to ask Suzanne if you

[38:30] have any um input here. I know that

[38:34] you're at that's the decision making

[38:36] level on this or part of the HR process.

[38:41] What are you guys feeling? because we

[38:44] very much see this as we got our legs

[38:47] shifted quite a bit as during this

[38:48] process because we lost our feeder and

[38:51] we want to do what's right by you guys

[38:54] but we also want to do

[38:55] >> Susan is with the

[38:57] >> Suzanne is not with the charter board

[38:59] she's with the um

[39:01] >> I'm with the association [laughter]

[39:03] >> well what can I sorry I'm certainly

[39:07] >> I'm still looking for advice I will take

[39:10] it

[39:13] Uh, you know, I think when Carol

[39:16] mentioned I I think you have to consider

[39:19] all things and location is key. And if

[39:25] it's not possible to move your building,

[39:27] trying to do a hybrid model, um, it's

[39:31] being done. It's been done. It's being

[39:33] done. Um, but as Caroline and mentioned,

[39:38] if you're going to stick true to your charter, the Waldorf model, um,

[39:45] there might be a little bit of a

[39:47] conflict there in in trying to do

[39:51] something that is Waldorf inspired,

[39:55] but get online and do it. Do you know

[39:58] what I mean? Yeah, that's

[40:00] >> if they're doing homeschool or working

[40:04] at home on courses, that could be a

[40:07] little more um doable, but then you lose

[40:11] part of your funding because if the

[40:13] student is attending your school only

[40:15] part-time,

[40:17] then you only get part of that WPU for

[40:20] that student. So having that many bodies

[40:24] doesn't translate into that many

[40:26] students full-time students enrolling.

[40:29] So it really you want to consider all

[40:32] things for sure. It's not a fun

[40:35] situation to be in. Um I

[40:39] you know I'm kind of at a loss myself.

[40:42] It's it's concerning on all ends and you

[40:47] know I I just I don't know that I could

[40:50] say I would go for that hybrid model. Um

[40:54] I think it would be good and and there's

[40:57] really nothing wrong with putting in a

[40:59] proposal now for 7 through 12. Um

[41:03] because you can withdraw it later if you

[41:05] just decide not to. If you don't meet

[41:08] the deadline to submit, you won't be

[41:10] able to submit this year. So, you know,

[41:15] it's kind of tough because time is of

[41:17] the essence here. So you could just

[41:20] decide to put in the application as um

[41:24] Caroline was mentioning and um

[41:28] then meet and discuss and get serious

[41:31] about that those conversations and uh

[41:35] decide whether you want to move forward

[41:37] with with that application or if if it's

[41:41] something you you really don't feel

[41:43] comfortable moving forward with, you can

[41:45] always withdraw it. And keeping in mind,

[41:48] you know, this first proposal is like

[41:49] the 10-page summary of like this is what

[41:51] we're thinking and we can adjust things

[41:54] a little bit as we go to the full

[41:56] application and we flesh things out like

[41:59] you know this this first one is this is the idea that we're shooting

[42:03] for. Um and the application process is

[42:07] designed to help us flesh out that idea

[42:09] more. Um, so just because we don't put

[42:12] hybrid in or something in in this

[42:15] proposal doesn't mean it can't also make

[42:17] it into the final application by

[42:19] November.

[42:21] >> And you might even consider um, and

[42:24] again, time is of the essence and you

[42:26] may just want to get something put in

[42:28] there so that you have a little bit of

[42:30] wiggle room to make a real concrete

[42:33] decision amongst the board. It's as a

[42:35] whole. Uh, but you might consider going

[42:39] back to view the state charter school

[42:42] board meeting um videos on YouTube.

[42:45] They're all posted. And go go view what

[42:48] the board has said to your school

[42:51] already

[42:52] >> and see if there's anything from there

[42:55] that you can glean. And as Caroline

[42:57] mentioned, it can even whatever you

[43:00] submit this time can and likely will

[43:03] change to a certain extent. And you

[43:05] could take input from the board um if

[43:09] they say, "Well, you know what? This

[43:10] sounds really good. However, we might

[43:12] recommend you do something like this or

[43:14] how are you going to get those students

[43:16] enrolled? Um how are you going to

[43:18] maintain the Waldorf vision?" They would

[43:20] come up with different questions to

[43:23] phrase and financial questions are going

[43:25] to hit you hard in that meeting. I will just be open and honest about

[43:31] that.

[43:32] >> You know, I have nothing to do with it.

[43:34] I'm not on the board. I don't, you know,

[43:36] but but I I know for a fact

[43:40] >> you will have to have your financial

[43:42] ducks in a row and you know putting an

[43:45] application does not guarantee that you

[43:47] would be moved forward for the full

[43:49] application.

[43:51] >> Marta had a question and then Susan.

[43:54] >> Yeah. Um mine is going off on a little

[43:57] tangent. Have you considered this is

[44:01] about location. Have you considered all

[44:04] those new units,

[44:06] industrial units that are being built in

[44:09] Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Bluffdale?

[44:12] They're all over the place. That's not a

[44:15] full $2 million, is it?

[44:18] >> To rent one of those places. We did look

[44:21] at them and they are high um high market

[44:25] real estate that is very um

[44:28] competitively priced meaning very

[44:30] high-end priced and they're in it for

[44:33] business. They've the people that have

[44:35] built those have paid $2 to $4 million

[44:37] an acre for the land. They've paid $10

[44:39] million to build the building and

[44:41] they're in it to make their money back,

[44:43] not provide a charity for a school. So

[44:46] getting a fair lease option from those

[44:48] buildings, we've looked at it. We did

[44:50] and the roundt funding was really great

[44:52] and we looked at options. Um those

[44:54] buildings weren't initially built for

[44:56] schools. So we're also looking at an

[44:58] initial um uh tag on build out before we

[45:02] could get into it and make it function

[45:04] as a school. Um so we have and are

[45:08] looking and and exhausting all of those

[45:10] um options. Um, and it it just even

[45:14] those spaces are highly competitive and not a friendly price point.

[45:23] » Question.

[45:24] >> The um Carol the um so you're saying

[45:28] that in or in order to add the seventh

[45:30] and eighth grade you would have to wait

[45:31] two years to open. Is that what you

[45:33] saying you're saying? Okay. So even if

[45:36] it's a possibility, it would take two

[45:38] years

[45:39] >> because this year would be the

[45:40] application process and the next year

[45:42] would be the startup year. Um and and

[45:46] there's also the chance that they won't

[45:49] approve us at any point in the process.

[45:53] >> Um like not that I feel like that's

[45:55] going to happen, but but that is also um

[45:58] and when we applied, there was really

[46:02] one other school that applied with us.

[46:05] um one or two and last year they had 14

[46:08] apply. Um so it's a little bit more

[46:10] competitive in um the schools that we're

[46:14] going up against in the application

[46:15] process. Um and you know the the

[46:20] discussions I' I've been in the board

[46:22] meetings multiple times this spring and

[46:24] this the thing keeps coming up of we're

[46:27] going to have to start telling schools

[46:29] no um because there's so many

[46:31] applications. we need to be more

[46:32] judicious about who we go through the

[46:35] process with um and so it will be more

[46:39] competitive and more people will get MO

[46:42] um just because of the the market um I

[46:48] don't know if we go through this

[46:52] proposal process in tandem with still

[46:55] planning to open um with 11th and 12th

[46:58] grade in this process I don't know if

[47:00] they'll allow us to kind of do that. Um,

[47:04] so I mean right now we do have the

[47:07] deferral to open in fall of 27 with 9th

[47:09] through 11th grade. Um, and I don't know

[47:11] if we go through this approval process

[47:12] and they don't approve that if we still

[47:14] have the option to open in the fall with

[47:16] 9 through 12. I I don't know if that

[47:19] would be on the table. Um, Suzanne, do

[47:21] you have any opinions about that?

[47:22] [laughter]

[47:23] >> I am inclined to think they would want

[47:26] you to do one or the other. I don't know

[47:29] that for a fact. I might recommend you

[47:31] reach out to uh Betty Jimenez or

[47:34] possibly um Director H uh

[47:38] >> Stacy Hudson. Yeah.

[47:41] >> So I I would reach out to them and find

[47:43] that out to one of the staff members to see that answer.

[47:47] >> I I really doubt that they would give

[47:50] you because it would require giving you

[47:52] two separate charters

[47:54] >> and I don't I don't personally think

[47:57] that would happen. Great.

[47:59] >> So if we do the deferment just one year,

[48:02] we still have a full year to do

[48:04] advertising and marketing. Is that

[48:06] right? Do we have

[48:07] >> no funding to do so?

[48:08] >> But no funding to do so. Okay.

[48:11] >> Yeah.

[48:12] and and no funding to really like get

[48:17] the desks and get the like I mean like

[48:20] it just is really tight all around and

[48:24] um so I don't think like we need to we

[48:26] don't need to make a decision tonight on

[48:28] any of this. This is really just like

[48:30] this is our situation. I am meeting with

[48:34] um Stacy and the financial person

[48:35] tomorrow um to get more clarification.

[48:38] and I'll be emailing updates to the

[48:40] board. Um, but July is kind of just this

[48:44] time that it's difficult to get a hold

[48:46] of people. It's difficult to get

[48:47] answers. The board isn't going to be

[48:49] meeting to make any decisions until

[48:50] August. Um, so we're a little bit in

[48:53] limbo right now. I don't think it makes

[48:56] a difference on trying to make a

[48:58] decision tonight or in August. And I

[49:00] think letting it sleep and and deciding

[49:03] full fully in August when we present our

[49:06] proposal to the state charter school

[49:08] board and we get more clear answers. Um

[49:10] just kind of waiting until August. Um

[49:14] my my sense is that things still depend

[49:17] on our location. We have to have some

[49:20] maybe a I don't know an investor or

[49:23] somebody who loves our our model that

[49:26] would invest and give us a location. I

[49:28] just think you can find one. Good luck.

[49:30] They

[49:31] >> No, I know that.

[49:32] >> It doesn't happen in Utah.

[49:33] >> I don't know of any school that had

[49:35] that. [laughter]

[49:36] >> Well, actually, I looked up American

[49:38] Heritage did have that in the beginning

[49:40] when they started. But anyway, I just

[49:42] I'm just thinking that I still think you

[49:44] cannot we cannot even market properly if

[49:47] we don't have a location. I just think

[49:49] we have to have a location. That's

[49:50] right. And that's the problem we're

[49:52] having. Carrie,

[49:58] do you still have

[49:59] >> Sorry. Sorry. It just took me a second

[50:01] to get unmuted. Um, I just wanted to

[50:04] make sure I'm understanding right. So,

[50:07] we had talked to Stacy about

[50:11] adding seventh and eighth grade and

[50:14] being able to start next year and have

[50:15] we decide have we found out that that's

[50:17] absolutely not an option? According to

[50:20] the lawyer for the state charter school

[50:23] board, our only options for adding

[50:25] seventh and eighth grade are to be fully

[50:28] established with our original charter

[50:29] and then add an expansion, which is like

[50:31] a 5 to sevenyear process, or to start a

[50:35] new proposal.

[50:37] >> Okay.

[50:39] But conflicting answers from when I

[50:41] reach out to the state that so the state

[50:44] charter board referred me to some people

[50:47] at the U Utah State charter I mean the the big USB um for some answers on

[50:53] how that affects us with where we are in

[50:55] the process and there's conflicting

[50:57] answers that we're still trying to iron

[51:00] out what the real truth of that is and

[51:02] we're probably not going to get those

[51:03] answers ironed out until August.

[51:06] So

[51:09] if we open if we try to open in a year

[51:14] from you know August

[51:17] is there any way to get funding to do

[51:19] that?

[51:22] There is a chance that they let us keep

[51:24] the revolving loan, but we have to prove

[51:26] that we're going to be able to pay it

[51:27] back.

[51:29] >> Okay. And that's the the big question

[51:31] now is you weren't able to get enough

[51:34] seats and and it's a very risky thing if

[51:38] we default on on this loan and and so

[51:43] it's not decided yet, but it is very

[51:46] risky and and there's some challenging

[51:49] conversations to have in the meantime.

[51:52] >> Okay. Thank you. Mhm.

[51:57] [snorts]

[51:59] >> Do we have any other discussions? Is

[52:01] there anyone else who wants to comment

[52:02] on what's

[52:04] >> So my plan is to go ahead and and finish

[52:06] the final edits on this proposal and

[52:08] send it into the state tomorrow so that

[52:10] we have that as an option. We can decide

[52:12] in August if we really want to move

[52:14] forward with that as our option or if we

[52:19] choose to go in in a different

[52:21] direction. Um, I think August is the

[52:23] time to go ahead and choose that. But

[52:25] this will be um go ahead and and finish

[52:27] and I'll email it to the board um as

[52:29] soon as I get the final edits done and

[52:31] get it sent in.

[52:33] >> Carrie,

[52:34] >> sorry, I have one more question. Um,

[52:38] we had talked in a previous meeting

[52:39] about all the unused office space

[52:44] since COVID around the Lehi area. I'm Is

[52:48] it right to assume that that's already

[52:50] been looked into? Yes.

[52:52] >> Okay.

[52:54] And it's I'm guessing more expensive

[52:56] than we hoped it would be

[52:58] >> or or was not suited to our purpose

[53:02] without

[53:03] extensive renovation.

[53:07] >> And we had looked into joining with

[53:09] another school

[53:12] uh like Rockwell or what was the other

[53:15] one?

[53:16] >> Oh yeah. um

[53:17] >> Hearth song or Hearth

[53:19] >> um help uh it was Rockwell um and their

[53:24] director came back and said putting two

[53:26] high schools in the same building even

[53:28] though technically they have empty

[53:29] classrooms, high schools take up a lot

[53:32] of space and and you have all of the

[53:34] elective classes and and it gets very

[53:37] tricky in sharing spaces and keeping

[53:40] your identity separate and um whose

[53:43] responsibility is what and if a student

[53:45] vandalizes something. How do we figure

[53:47] out whose student it was? Like there

[53:49] just becomes a lot of logistical

[53:51] difficulties.

[53:53] >> Do we have any other options of schools

[53:56] that we could share space with?

[53:58] >> What about Hearthstone?

[53:59] >> I'm not looking into that.

[54:00] >> I don't know what Hearthstone is.

[54:02] >> It's the one in Jordan that that

[54:04] eventually wanted to become K through

[54:06] 12, but they're starting at

[54:09] >> They are no longer moving forward.

[54:12] >> Yeah, they are.

[54:15] >> All right. They're not going to open.

[54:17] >> Yeah.

[54:17] >> Oh, okay.

[54:19] >> That's sad.

[54:21] >> I know. Was it a location issue for

[54:23] them?

[54:23] >> What happened with Yeah. What?

[54:25] >> I don't know details. I just know that

[54:26] they're no longer moving forward.

[54:28] >> Oh, wow.

[54:30] >> I think there were multiple multiple

[54:33] things that happened and and the board

[54:35] decided that they couldn't go through

[54:37] with the process.

[54:39] >> Okay.

[54:40] Um, so we the the most viable location

[54:46] that we have right now is um office

[54:48] spaces next to treeide. Um, the rent is really good. Um, includes all of the

[54:56] utilities. It's a it's a third of the

[54:58] price um that we were looking at with

[55:01] the um other building in Provo. And um

[55:04] and this one includes all of the

[55:06] utilities where the other one did not.

[55:09] Um there's flexible spaces. Um they have

[55:12] one whole building that is typically

[55:13] just empty. Um and they would be willing

[55:16] to get us upgrades enough to to make it

[55:19] usable. Um it would have enough space

[55:21] for us to grow into the f the adjoining

[55:23] suites. Um but it is on the south end of

[55:28] Provo which doesn't help with our um

[55:31] main original demographics. However,

[55:33] there are growing interest in this in

[55:36] the Spanish Fork area.

[55:39] um and the Provo area itself. Um so then

[55:43] the question is, do we want to switch

[55:45] the demographics that we're marketing to pull up people farther south? Um how

[55:50] many people can we hold on to from all

[55:52] of these locations? So multiple things

[55:55] to consider. Um

[55:59] but so so we do have a a space that we

[56:02] can continue working from which gives

[56:05] people some stability and knowing that

[56:07] yes we have a location and we will be

[56:09] opening here. Um and there the owners of

[56:14] those buildings love schools and love

[56:16] helping us out. we would have a lot of

[56:18] access to um the Rocky Mountain

[56:22] University and the Norda College which

[56:24] are very excited about um getting

[56:29] students um working with a high school

[56:31] for um career opportunities in nursing

[56:36] and healthcare. Um so our students could

[56:39] get um a nursing license by the time

[56:41] they graduate that fits into our CTE

[56:43] program. So, there are some really good

[56:46] bonuses there al as well as challenges

[56:49] in that location. Carrie,

[56:54] » I was just wondering if it might be

[56:56] possible to

[56:58] adjust our schedule

[57:01] so that it's possible for kids to do

[57:04] hybrid if they're wanting without really

[57:08] like

[57:11] changing so much because there there's a

[57:14] lot of kids that there's a lot of

[57:15] families that don't really care about

[57:17] the credits

[57:19] these days. Like it's it's so crazy how

[57:23] the

[57:25] I guess ideas of education are changing,

[57:28] >> you know, and

[57:30] so like is it possible that we could

[57:34] offer that hybrid program, but it would be like

[57:38] you're welcome to come part-time. You

[57:41] it's up to you to figure out which

[57:43] credits you miss.

[57:45] >> So back to what Susan said earlier,

[57:47] >> that doesn't help our ADA, though. Our

[57:51] Well, and there's additional problems to

[57:54] that, too. Um, so one of the metrics

[57:57] that we will always be graded on is our

[57:59] graduation rate. And and if we have a

[58:02] lot of families coming, they're like, I

[58:03] don't care if I graduate, then that's

[58:05] going to reflect very poorly on us and

[58:07] give us a lot of challenges. um as well

[58:10] as having to um provide space and

[58:14] resources for these people that are

[58:16] coming only part-time, but but also not

[58:20] we're not getting all of the funding. So

[58:22] on on one side, if it's the option

[58:25] between enrolling a part-time student

[58:26] and not having a student at all, then we

[58:29] get partial funding is one way to look

[58:30] at it. But if we're filling up our

[58:32] program and our seats and our our

[58:34] building space with these people that

[58:35] are only coming part-time and we don't

[58:37] have space for people that would be

[58:38] there full-time, um then that creates

[58:41] other funding issues. And then what kind

[58:42] of culture are we creating in our

[58:45] school? Um

[58:52] situations and allowances or whatever,

[58:54] if that makes sense. So like I I'm not

[58:56] saying no, there's not a path for that.

[58:59] I'm I'm just saying we need to like we

[59:03] we've done a lot of work to be very

[59:06] confident in the model of the thing that

[59:08] we are offering. Um, and there could be

[59:12] some conversations around are there

[59:14] adjustments to be made that I mean one

[59:17] of the the core things we started this

[59:20] because families were asking for it,

[59:21] right? We started it because families

[59:23] were saying we like this model and we

[59:24] want it to carry through and we've been

[59:27] very intentional about making sure it

[59:28] really is the model that does all of the

[59:31] things and and there's always a

[59:33] tradeoff. We can always consider other

[59:36] options, but at what point are we then

[59:39] deviating from our core values and the

[59:41] mission that we have established and um

[59:46] and how much like what are the things

[59:48] that we're actually valuing and what do

[59:51] um the families that are intending to

[59:53] come to us really want? And um and then

[59:58] how do we also meet all of the

[1:00:00] requirements to be a functioning

[1:00:03] successful school within that space?

[1:00:06] >> Makes sense. I'm just my my wheels are

[1:00:11] just spinning about it. My daughter is

[1:00:13] in my seventh grader will be enrolled in

[1:00:15] a charter school

[1:00:18] that's two and a half days in person

[1:00:19] next year and they just they do like two

[1:00:23] of the subjects at home.

[1:00:27] So I just wondered if and and up until

[1:00:31] you get into high school with credits,

[1:00:33] right? And and then so I mean one of the

[1:00:35] things that we've been saying is that

[1:00:37] we're an in person. your student isn't

[1:00:38] going to be on the computer all day, but

[1:00:40] if they're doing half of their credits

[1:00:42] on on on a computer at home, like is

[1:00:45] that a part of the model that we're

[1:00:47] wanting? And it does I mean our our

[1:00:49] technology policy is purposeful tech and

[1:00:51] maybe teaching our students how to do an

[1:00:53] online class is a valuable part of what

[1:00:54] we do, right? And providing that option.

[1:00:57] Um but one of the and and so I I assume

[1:01:01] that you're she's just doing those

[1:01:04] credits at home and not on a computer.

[1:01:07] um that's harder to do at a high school

[1:01:09] when we have accreditation and and just

[1:01:12] sending packets home, you know, for

[1:01:15] students to figure things out on their

[1:01:16] own. Like a lot of our families are

[1:01:18] coming to us because we say we're going

[1:01:20] to support your student through the

[1:01:22] curriculum in these ways. We're not

[1:01:24] sending you to do it on your own. So

[1:01:26] those are just the the things to

[1:01:29] consider as as we navigate these

[1:01:31] conversations,

[1:01:33] >> right? Yeah, I totally understand.

[1:01:44] We're not hearing you, Fisa. Oh,

[1:01:46] >> can you hear me?

[1:01:47] >> Yes, now we can.

[1:01:50] >> Um,

[1:01:52] I um I've been working all day. I'm very

[1:01:55] tired. I've been teaching all day and

[1:01:58] I'm in Boulder

[1:02:00] and I'm I've been teaching 27 teachers.

[1:02:04] >> Wow.

[1:02:05] So, excuse me for

[1:02:07] um

[1:02:07] >> You're okay. Keep your phone close to

[1:02:09] you because we can't hear you when you

[1:02:10] put it away.

[1:02:12] >> And my computer's going into the Boulder

[1:02:15] store tomorrow.

[1:02:17] >> Okay. Um but you know there is a model

[1:02:22] where main lesson is every morning for 2

[1:02:26] hours and then or a half a day of um

[1:02:30] with some languages you know and um

[1:02:34] foreign languages and and some electives

[1:02:37] that can be done um where children can

[1:02:42] um you know kind of make their own

[1:02:46] program.

[1:02:48] And um I think that um thinking of

[1:02:51] Carrie, I'm thinking that it can be

[1:02:53] something a little more creative as long

[1:02:56] as you have main lesson and you're

[1:02:59] taking them through

[1:03:01] um the main curriculum. The other things

[1:03:04] are complimementaryary

[1:03:08] » but that would be still every day

[1:03:09] though.

[1:03:11] Yeah, it would have to be every day or

[1:03:13] at least four days a week, however, you

[1:03:15] know, you arrange the school.

[1:03:18] >> Um, so,

[1:03:21] um, and I think for a high school, they

[1:03:24] do need a little bit more of a their own

[1:03:27] program,

[1:03:29] >> you know, and we can talk to somebody

[1:03:32] like Tom about that. the other schools

[1:03:34] have have, you know, um different

[1:03:38] programs.

[1:03:39] And for instance, Jamie York who is a

[1:03:42] math who has a math group there. He has

[1:03:46] uh students in a circle online and he

[1:03:50] puts them in rooms and they um solve

[1:03:54] problems and they become close and they

[1:03:57] have a social life, you know, and it's

[1:04:00] not just um by yourself doing things.

[1:04:05] Um, and teenagers I think want to be

[1:04:07] together. But, um, I just think that I

[1:04:12] think we could look at it more

[1:04:13] creatively, especially if we're thinking

[1:04:16] of seventh and eighth grade to as well

[1:04:19] where they can have main lesson and

[1:04:22] electives like woodworking and really

[1:04:25] things that are interesting to young

[1:04:27] people.

[1:04:29] And that's just what I wanted to say.

[1:04:31] >> Thank you, Tesa. Um definitely worth the

[1:04:34] worth those conversations especially if

[1:04:36] we decide to move forward with that

[1:04:38] proposal and application and the

[1:04:40] opportunity of are we going to change

[1:04:41] things. Um but then also keeping in mind

[1:04:43] that the high school is like we do have

[1:04:46] a responsibility to make sure that the

[1:04:48] students get the minimum credits to

[1:04:49] graduation and um and like we're we're

[1:04:54] offering um a very robust preparation

[1:04:58] for life. Um and and and so ju I don't

[1:05:03] know just kind of reevaluating like this

[1:05:05] is what we're offering. Um and there are

[1:05:07] plenty of people that are interested in

[1:05:09] that. Um, and you know, I think some of

[1:05:12] these concerns Carrie is the distance

[1:05:14] and and things like that and um and how

[1:05:17] do we infold the community in a way that

[1:05:20] answers those concerns while still

[1:05:22] meeting our mission and goals.

[1:05:24] Uh Sarah,

[1:05:28] » I was just going to say I've gone

[1:05:30] through a lot of these programs and

[1:05:32] there's pros and cons to all of them. I

[1:05:33] graduated from an online high school.

[1:05:35] I've been homeschooled. I've gone well I

[1:05:37] haven't gone to Waldorf school but I've

[1:05:38] got through a Waldorf program before. Um

[1:05:41] and there's pros and cons to all of

[1:05:42] them. We are however limited by our

[1:05:45] charter and I think that's kind of what

[1:05:47] we have to do now with Carol is decide

[1:05:49] what we want to do. Um one of the

[1:05:52] benefits

[1:05:54] if we do close things up is it makes

[1:05:56] accounting a little bit easier. We

[1:05:57] talked to Jeff. If we were to close

[1:06:00] today we don't have to do any accounting

[1:06:02] for next financial year. That said,

[1:06:04] that's not where my heart is and I don't

[1:06:05] think anyone's emotionally prepared to

[1:06:07] do that quite yet. And I think we should

[1:06:09] wait and listen to what the charter

[1:06:10] school board has to say for that. Um,

[1:06:13] but since we can't really do anything

[1:06:15] right now, I would suggest we brainstorm

[1:06:17] like crazy for the next two months, but

[1:06:20] move on to our board evaluation

[1:06:23] because we can't do anything right now.

[1:06:27] I I am in agreement with that, Sarah. I

[1:06:29] think we need to move forward now. that

[1:06:32] we kind of know the options and we're

[1:06:34] going to have to think about everything

[1:06:35] and

[1:06:36] >> and I'm happy to have conversations with

[1:06:38] anybody on the board, brainstorm things

[1:06:40] with you. I can do that over email. I

[1:06:42] can do that over phone calls. Um I'll be emailing with the board

[1:06:47] throughout this um process.

[1:06:48] >> Yeah, I was wondering about that. Are

[1:06:50] you going to just kind of let us know

[1:06:52] how things are going with the state and

[1:06:54] Okay.

[1:06:55] >> Yeah. Is that legal for us to just get

[1:06:57] emails from you about how things

[1:06:59] >> if you're not making so there's no um

[1:07:02] don't reply to the emails in a group

[1:07:05] we're not don't don't discuss it over I

[1:07:07] can give youformational updates but it's

[1:07:10] not a discussion and there are no

[1:07:11] decisions until in in meeting um the

[1:07:14] discussions also need to happen in a

[1:07:16] public space so um like I can answer

[1:07:19] clarifying questions but as far as like

[1:07:21] the the work itself we would need to

[1:07:23] wait for the board meeting. Okay.

[1:07:28] All right. Let's let's move forward then

[1:07:30] now to our new business, which is our self-reflection on the board

[1:07:36] throughout the year. Um I think some

[1:07:39] questions apply to us and some don't

[1:07:41] anymore. So maybe we could um Carol, I'm

[1:07:44] going to have you help me kind of

[1:07:46] whittle down some of these so we don't

[1:07:47] spend a lot of time on something that

[1:07:50] doesn't really apply right now to what

[1:07:51] we're doing. So, um, I love the

[1:07:55] questions that you put together for us,

[1:07:56] Sarah, and I know that we've looked at

[1:07:58] these in in the past. Um, so let's go

[1:08:02] through some of the ones that we have

[1:08:03] here on our Do we First of all, Carol,

[1:08:06] we don't need to make any motions or

[1:08:08] vote on any options yet

[1:08:10] >> from me. No.

[1:08:11] >> Oh, okay.

[1:08:12] >> No, none. None of the um I mean, you

[1:08:14] approved the budget and the rest of it

[1:08:16] was really just an update and some

[1:08:18] things to think about and the current

[1:08:20] situation. So there's no other action

[1:08:22] items on on my part.

[1:08:24] >> All right. So let's look at our

[1:08:25] pre-operational report votes. Um

[1:08:29] uh let's see. Did the votes to approve

[1:08:32] monthly reports feel like meaningful

[1:08:34] engaged conversations?

[1:08:38] How are you feeling? How's everyone

[1:08:39] feeling about that?

[1:08:42] Susan, might I suggest a logistical

[1:08:44] thing for each section kind of go all

[1:08:48] three questions together and like any

[1:08:50] thoughts and comments about this section

[1:08:52] that are relevant and and that will

[1:08:54] condense it quite a bit of just talking

[1:08:56] about the areas and these are guiding

[1:08:57] questions and people can propose others

[1:08:59] as well.

[1:09:00] >> Okay. And did our report approval start

[1:09:02] to feel like a mere formality? What

[1:09:05] specific steps can we take to make these

[1:09:07] moments count moving forward?

[1:09:12] This is not referring to approving the previous month's minutes, right?

[1:09:17] That's a required thing, correct?

[1:09:20] >> No, this is Well, I guess I could refer

[1:09:23] to all votes, but I think it's a vote

[1:09:25] approving monthly reports, you know,

[1:09:27] like the financial reports and the

[1:09:30] administrators reports and and other

[1:09:33] reports that we voted on, parts of the

[1:09:36] vote. I just wanted to clarify. Are we

[1:09:39] required to approve the previous m

[1:09:42] minutes?

[1:09:44] >> Yes.

[1:09:44] >> Previous meeting minutes. Okay. Thank

[1:09:46] you.

[1:09:48] >> Yeah. So, we're required to post the

[1:09:50] draft minutes after the meeting and

[1:09:52] we're required to post the approved.

[1:09:54] Well, I don't think I don't there

[1:09:56] Suzanne, maybe you can clarify. There's

[1:09:58] something about the draft minutes. Best

[1:10:00] practice is to go ahead and post the

[1:10:02] draft. um you you post what you're going

[1:10:05] to talk about beforehand, you talk about

[1:10:07] it, you post that this is what we talked

[1:10:09] about, we ratify it the next month

[1:10:11] within 30 days that yes, this is what we

[1:10:14] talked about, that record is correct and

[1:10:16] it's it kind of rolls that way. So, it's

[1:10:18] a part of our accounting and that's a

[1:10:21] part of those um lawsuits that could

[1:10:24] potentially come and cause us problems

[1:10:26] if we're not following that process. So

[1:10:28] the the it's the minute approval is very

[1:10:33] important.

[1:10:34] >> Yes, you do need to uh post your

[1:10:37] approved minutes. You don't necessarily

[1:10:40] have to post the draft minutes, but your

[1:10:42] agendas must be posted at least 24 hours

[1:10:45] in advance of the meeting as does the

[1:10:47] meeting notice. And uh you do need to

[1:10:50] post your recordings of your uh you need

[1:10:54] to make them available and it's

[1:10:55] typically easier just to upload them to

[1:10:57] the public meeting website, public

[1:11:00] notice website. So

[1:11:03] I personally really I'm amazed at how

[1:11:06] Carol and her and the people working

[1:11:08] with her Tanya put together reports that

[1:11:11] were so accurate and so easy to to read

[1:11:15] through and understand. I I think our

[1:11:17] financial and our other proposed um

[1:11:20] budget

[1:11:22] um pages for a pre-operational for our

[1:11:25] meetings were were really well

[1:11:27] constructed and easy to for us to

[1:11:30] >> read through [clears throat] and easy

[1:11:31] for us to understand. So I really like

[1:11:33] that.

[1:11:34] >> Thank you.

[1:11:37] » How is there anyone else who had an

[1:11:39] opinion about that about our what we've

[1:11:42] worked on in pre-operational work?

[1:11:49] No other comments.

[1:11:55] Let's go to our next one then. Uh fiscal

[1:11:58] policy and procurement compliance. Did

[1:12:00] we actively verify that bid thresholds

[1:12:02] were being followed? Did we actively

[1:12:04] verify that dual signatures were being

[1:12:06] used appropriately? Did we rely too

[1:12:09] heavily on trust rather than active

[1:12:11] verification?

[1:12:12] Why have our procurement procedures not

[1:12:14] been formally board approved?

[1:12:18] Uh what is our immediate concrete plan

[1:12:20] to get procurement procedures approved?

[1:12:24] >> I would like to

[1:12:26] >> just put a note on this one.

[1:12:28] >> Okay.

[1:12:29] >> Some of these came from our initial

[1:12:31] setups. So we no longer need dual

[1:12:35] signatures because we changed our

[1:12:36] account type. So that's why the dual

[1:12:38] signatures did not get put through. Um

[1:12:41] all right and the reason we are not

[1:12:44] doing procurement we don't have a

[1:12:46] procedure is because we were using state

[1:12:48] be best practices and I'm understand the

[1:12:51] standing Carol we following those

[1:12:52] instead of having ratified our own which

[1:12:55] I still recommend that we copy and paste

[1:12:57] theirs and then ratify those

[1:12:59] >> much better yes that's that was a good

[1:13:01] decision then yeah I agree with that so

[1:13:05] it sounds like these don't apply

[1:13:06] necessarily

[1:13:09] Um,

[1:13:11] >> they don't they were in our beginning

[1:13:14] documentation.

[1:13:15] >> Um, and that's why I left them in there

[1:13:17] is I thought we should at least have

[1:13:18] that discussion and discuss why we're

[1:13:20] not doing it.

[1:13:21] >> Okay.

[1:13:22] >> Even if we know we're doing the right

[1:13:24] thing.

[1:13:26] >> Is there anyone else is there anyone

[1:13:28] else who would like to have a any more

[1:13:30] discussion about these issues?

[1:13:33] I think I'm going to move forward then

[1:13:35] with number three. Treasurer role and

[1:13:37] oversight. Is the treasurer consistently

[1:13:39] reviewing monthly reports in practice?

[1:13:42] Are the treasurer's reviews being

[1:13:43] formally signed off? Is an independent

[1:13:46] board member not directedly involved in

[1:13:48] preparation checking these reports or

[1:13:51] those reports? And what does the

[1:13:52] treasurer need to be fully set up for

[1:13:55] success?

[1:13:56] Marta, do you have any comments about

[1:13:59] those questions or

[1:14:02] ideas,

[1:14:03] thoughts?

[1:14:05] um because we haven't opened yet, it's

[1:14:08] been kind of hard to determine whether

[1:14:11] um we're following that or not. As far

[1:14:14] as preliminary, um, I do look at the the

[1:14:19] budgets that that are submitted, but I

[1:14:23] can't see much of a change from time to

[1:14:26] time except maybe the what um, our

[1:14:32] guys are getting paid, you know, and

[1:14:34] what's being shelled out to keep us

[1:14:37] pre-operational.

[1:14:38] I don't think we can really answer that

[1:14:41] until we are operational.

[1:14:44] >> Yes. And fullness. You're right. I think

[1:14:46] you're right about that.

[1:14:47] >> Right.

[1:14:48] >> But I can't I I'm pretty happy with how

[1:14:51] we've been doing it so far.

[1:14:54] >> Yeah. Everything's transparent and

[1:14:57] >> and fully disclosed and

[1:15:01] >> and Red Apple has been really

[1:15:02] responsive. anytime that we have and

[1:15:04] anytime we have a concern um they've

[1:15:06] been able to send us those reports and

[1:15:08] clarify um the different things. Um uh

[1:15:12] and and so again like under normal

[1:15:14] operations we're receiving monthly

[1:15:16] aotments and we're having monthly

[1:15:17] expenses and um this year really the it

[1:15:21] we had our um one lump sum um that we

[1:15:25] received. We had you know this is how

[1:15:28] we're going to spend it and and it just

[1:15:30] followed course. Um and and so it is a

[1:15:34] little bit of a different um process

[1:15:38] as we're getting um established.

[1:15:42] So it looks like for number four it's a

[1:15:45] little bit similar in that some of these

[1:15:47] were changed from pre-operational to

[1:15:50] when we were trying to to start op uh

[1:15:52] the operational board. [snorts]

[1:15:54] But let's go through them. Was the

[1:15:55] finance committee active, engaged in

[1:15:57] regularly reporting back to the full

[1:15:59] board? Was the marketing outreach

[1:16:01] committee actively engaged and regularly

[1:16:03] reporting to the full board? Was the

[1:16:05] building committee actively engaged and

[1:16:07] regularly reporting to the full board?

[1:16:09] Did any of these committees exist mostly

[1:16:11] on paper rather than doing real work?

[1:16:14] Well, we transferred marketing and

[1:16:17] outreach to not a committee from the

[1:16:20] board, but we paid Skola and others to

[1:16:24] work with our with Carol on the

[1:16:26] marketing and outreach.

[1:16:28] And we just talked about the finance

[1:16:31] committee. Marta's um Marta's the

[1:16:35] finance um board the finance or the

[1:16:38] treasurer from our board. We we didn't

[1:16:41] put together a full finance committee if

[1:16:43] I'm right about that. Is that true? In

[1:16:46] pre-operational we never had a full

[1:16:48] finance committee. We just had a a

[1:16:51] treasurer. Is that correct, Marta?

[1:16:54] >> Well, it was Carol, Jeff, and I mostly.

[1:16:57] >> Oh, okay. So there was a a committee.

[1:16:59] Okay. Were they all actively engaged in

[1:17:03] your reporting and in your meetings? Did

[1:17:06] you feel like that was you were part of

[1:17:09] that and actively engaged in that?

[1:17:11] Marta.

[1:17:12] >> Yes.

[1:17:13] >> Um as far as far as what I could do um

[1:17:18] in their pre-operational state.

[1:17:20] >> Yes. And we we had a building committee

[1:17:24] with Carol. Right. Carol, did you work

[1:17:26] with

[1:17:27] >> round funding and roundt funding and um

[1:17:30] Sarah was often in those meetings as a

[1:17:33] vote representative um to to stay a

[1:17:35] breast of what was happening. Um so

[1:17:37] yeah, we we definitely worked on that.

[1:17:40] >> I mean I we had regular reports from you

[1:17:43] about your building committee. I do

[1:17:44] remember that coming through every

[1:17:46] month. Did you feel like those meetings

[1:17:49] went well and that you worked through

[1:17:51] those what

[1:17:54] were

[1:17:55] >> Yeah.

[1:17:56] >> Okay.

[1:17:58] Is there anyone

[1:18:03] I would just want to put a note out

[1:18:05] there. Um

[1:18:08] the one area that we did not have

[1:18:11] board connection on was the marketing.

[1:18:14] And while I don't have any problems with

[1:18:16] what Carol and Tanya and Veronica and um

[1:18:21] sorry I'm forgetting his name for a

[1:18:22] second did

[1:18:24] >> I do notice [laughter]

[1:18:25] that that is the one Brandon that is the

[1:18:27] one area that we struggled in

[1:18:29] >> and going forward even if we just have

[1:18:33] one board member that touches bases with

[1:18:35] them weekly if for no other reason than

[1:18:38] governance I do think we need to have a

[1:18:40] established marketing outreach

[1:18:42] committee. um

[1:18:44] >> next year for sure.

[1:18:49] » I was going to say the same thing.

[1:18:50] >> I think we had a committee, but we may

[1:18:52] need a board member a part of that

[1:18:55] committee because we did have a

[1:18:56] committee that worked on marketing this

[1:18:58] year. It just wasn't I I think we

[1:19:01] >> we did have a a board member originally

[1:19:04] in marketing and then we gave that work

[1:19:07] over to to Carol and the board and her

[1:19:11] marketing

[1:19:12] uh representatives and and then the paid

[1:19:15] marketing representative

[1:19:18] later. I was just thinking if we hire

[1:19:20] someone to do our marketing in the

[1:19:22] future, can we have that per person

[1:19:27] somehow be reporting to the board

[1:19:30] >> more closely?

[1:19:31] >> Yeah,

[1:19:35] » that would be nice. Yes.

[1:19:40] » Or would they report to the marketing

[1:19:41] outreach person that's part of the the

[1:19:44] board? What what would you prefer? Would

[1:19:47] you like the company to actually have a

[1:19:49] reference have a person

[1:19:52] the company we hire like Skola? Would

[1:19:55] you would have you have

[1:19:58] >> requested that Claire come to our board

[1:20:00] meetings? We just never decided that

[1:20:02] that's what we wanted to do.

[1:20:04] >> Okay.

[1:20:05] >> But [clears throat] that could have

[1:20:08] >> Okay, Sarah, that sounds good. Let's

[1:20:10] write that as a recommendation. Yeah.

[1:20:39] Okay, that looks very nice. Thanks

[1:20:41] Sarah. That's good to add in, I think.

[1:20:44] All right, let's move to governance and

[1:20:45] administration

[1:20:47] administrative boundaries. Did the board

[1:20:49] stay focused on its highle strategic

[1:20:52] priorities? Did we maintain clear

[1:20:54] appropriate boundaries with the school

[1:20:56] administration?

[1:20:58] Where, if any, did the lines between

[1:21:00] governance and administration get

[1:21:01] blurry?

[1:21:07] Well, I had some trouble knowing where

[1:21:10] to board work going to Carol and her

[1:21:14] work and the people working with her or

[1:21:16] to Sarah. So I now understand better

[1:21:19] some of the administration work on the

[1:21:22] board that needs to be done with between

[1:21:24] Sarah and I and and leave Carol's work

[1:21:29] separately from the board work you know

[1:21:32] in in some respects and the

[1:21:34] >> responsibilities Please,

[1:21:57] for instance, the issue of the school

[1:21:59] website

[1:22:01] and the issue of I'll just label those

[1:22:03] two things, the website and also the

[1:22:05] managing of the um the um board member

[1:22:09] packets, the initiation for new board

[1:22:12] members and their work. Those are the

[1:22:15] things I'm thinking of.

[1:22:28] And this for this um this

[1:22:30] pre-operational year and in into our

[1:22:33] functioning board year um we also um

[1:22:39] had to rely

[1:22:41] we didn't have reports for instance on academic work and and other kinds of

[1:22:47] things happening in you know from the

[1:22:50] school end because we hadn't We hadn't

[1:22:52] started school yet. So there were, you

[1:22:54] know, it was mostly Carol's reports

[1:22:57] and administrative reports this this

[1:22:59] year. There wasn't there wasn't as much

[1:23:03] to oversee because like we talked about

[1:23:05] with the finances, it was our original

[1:23:09] vote on the on the finances and they

[1:23:11] lasted throughout the year, the

[1:23:12] pre-operational year. So there wasn't as

[1:23:15] much to work through as we would have

[1:23:18] had in a normal school year.

[1:23:30] Is there anyone else who has a comment

[1:23:31] about that issue? our roles and

[1:23:33] responsibilities and that of of our our

[1:23:37] director our our um pre-operational

[1:23:41] director of the school.

[1:23:54] Okay, let's see. We're going now to um

[1:23:57] the board composition and skill gaps.

[1:24:01] Um, do we have the specific enrollment

[1:24:04] and marketing expertise needed to

[1:24:06] address where the school struggled most?

[1:24:08] Do we have the financial expertise on

[1:24:10] the board required to navigate the

[1:24:11] coming year's complexity? What specific

[1:24:14] skills or experiences are we currently

[1:24:16] missing at our ta at the table?

[1:24:20] Well, we had Marta who has a background

[1:24:22] in finance. I felt like we had enough of

[1:24:25] that for the the financial end.

[1:24:28] I have more expertise with with um

[1:24:31] curriculum and with um lit literacy and

[1:24:34] other goals. If if we had had students

[1:24:38] and I'd been looking over academic

[1:24:40] reports, I could have, you know, we

[1:24:42] could have had

[1:24:44] um my representation for the the the

[1:24:47] academic work in the school. Um

[1:24:52] uh marketing again maybe again that's

[1:24:54] what we need to mention again probably

[1:24:57] none of us seem to have expertise in

[1:24:59] marketing.

[1:25:04] » It would be very helpful if we could

[1:25:05] find a board member that did have

[1:25:07] expertise in marketing.

[1:25:09] >> Yes, that's right. That does seem to be

[1:25:11] something we may have missed.

[1:25:16] Although that's why I was happy to find

[1:25:18] Skola and to to give them, you know,

[1:25:21] they have the expertise to add to what

[1:25:24] we didn't have. And I I think that was

[1:25:26] our attempt to have the expertise that

[1:25:29] would help Carol to the

[1:25:31] >> And I will say that, you know, we um

[1:25:33] they provided a lot of um they did

[1:25:38] provide a lot of support and gave us a

[1:25:39] lot of direction. and they um helped us

[1:25:42] think about our um our audience and and

[1:25:46] helped us decide, you know, who who are

[1:25:48] we marketing to and where do we find

[1:25:49] them. Um they supported us a lot in the

[1:25:52] tricky um conversations that we've had

[1:25:55] to have in finding a building and

[1:25:57] navigating, you know, all of these

[1:25:58] things. Um and so there's like they they

[1:26:01] did provide a lot of helpful things. Um

[1:26:05] and and I don't know that we can really

[1:26:07] peg any one thing in our system as why

[1:26:10] we didn't get enrollment. Um I I think

[1:26:12] there were gaps all along the way and I

[1:26:15] don't know that the burden one way or

[1:26:17] the other falls on any particular entity

[1:26:21] um in that whole process.

[1:26:25] Oh, you muted yourself, Susan.

[1:26:28] Oh, I still think that our location

[1:26:31] became the the biggest issue we were

[1:26:33] dealing with. And that's

[1:26:34] >> I think our the things that hurt us the

[1:26:35] most is that location and the seventh

[1:26:37] grade gap is mostly what I mean if if

[1:26:39] we're going to lay burden somewhere

[1:26:41] that's that's the biggest challenge that

[1:26:43] we have to overcome

[1:26:44] >> and maybe not on Skola or on you and

[1:26:46] your staff working. You worked so hard

[1:26:49] to in every way that we could have

[1:26:51] >> and we made a lot of progress. I mean,

[1:26:53] the another part of this too, I will

[1:26:55] throw out since we're talking about it

[1:26:56] really briefly, is that um we're

[1:27:00] extremely different from anything else

[1:27:02] offered in in Utah County at the time, I

[1:27:05] mean, at the at this moment. And it

[1:27:07] takes people a minute to wrap their

[1:27:09] brain around that. Um, some of the

[1:27:12] conversations that I had with our

[1:27:13] families in in the deferment, there were

[1:27:15] a few of them that were actually

[1:27:17] relieved that they had an extra year to

[1:27:19] think about getting ready for this

[1:27:21] change in their in their educational

[1:27:23] program. And and so just a little bit

[1:27:25] more time to sit with it and look

[1:27:27] forward to it um is is a good thing for

[1:27:31] several of our families.

[1:27:34] I think it may be important to actually

[1:27:37] figure out where where those gaps were

[1:27:40] and like be able to name them and have a

[1:27:43] plan for how we can overcome them

[1:27:47] >> for the state board,

[1:27:49] >> you know. And I think that we didn't

[1:27:51] have enough follow through with

[1:27:52] >> Scola.

[1:27:54] >> I think it w it really hurt us that

[1:27:56] there was so many different people on

[1:27:58] their team

[1:28:00] >> and not one person following through.

[1:28:02] Yeah.

[1:28:03] >> Sorry, I'm working out. I'm a little out

[1:28:05] of breath.

[1:28:06] >> You're okay. [laughter]

[1:28:10] » Well, that's true. And I

[1:28:13] But even, you know, I'm just saying that

[1:28:16] without a location, you can't build a

[1:28:18] community around uh without the location

[1:28:22] that our community was at, you know, a

[1:28:24] location that they were already there.

[1:28:27] Then you have to have the whole

[1:28:28] marketing campaign of trying to create a

[1:28:31] new desire for this education. When we h

[1:28:35] we in the area of Saratoga Springs, we

[1:28:38] did have more people in the community

[1:28:41] that already understood our model and

[1:28:43] wanted to be part of us. So that was a

[1:28:45] problem.

[1:28:47] >> And then not being able to find a place

[1:28:49] that was accessible to that.

[1:28:51] >> Yes. To that community.

[1:28:53] >> So all right. Um how I'm going to move

[1:28:57] on to attendance and bylaw compliance.

[1:28:59] Did every board member keep their their

[1:29:02] absences to two or fewer this year? Was

[1:29:05] proper notice given for all absences?

[1:29:07] And do we need to address any ongoing

[1:29:09] attendance challenges?

[1:29:16] Well, my first thought is I've we've

[1:29:18] never had to cancel a board meeting from

[1:29:20] attendance issues. we've had we've been

[1:29:22] able in some way to cobble together a um

[1:29:25] a voting um

[1:29:27] >> quorum So I feel good about that. It's

[1:29:30] hard it's very hard for everyone to meet

[1:29:32] and to be present but I was happy that

[1:29:35] we were able to you know find a quorum

[1:29:37] and bring people together for in our

[1:29:39] board. That was nice.

[1:29:43] >> I really hesitate. I don't want to call

[1:29:46] anyone out, but I'm Alicia is not very

[1:29:50] steady in her attendance

[1:29:57] and I and we're grateful to have her.

[1:30:00] So, that's that's the hard part. Mhm.

[1:30:03] >> And I I think just, you know, some um

[1:30:06] specific conversations of of finding out

[1:30:10] like where that gap is and and what the

[1:30:12] reality of her schedule is and um some more she's in a a different

[1:30:19] situation than the rest of us, too.

[1:30:20] We've all been working together for a

[1:30:22] year and then she's coming in. And so it

[1:30:24] it's a challenge of having a new person

[1:30:26] to um how do we get them into the

[1:30:29] culture of what we're doing and the

[1:30:30] rhythm of what we're doing and the

[1:30:32] responsibilities required in that. Um

[1:30:35] and and so maybe um it's a conversation

[1:30:38] for some of the officers to um to work

[1:30:41] with and in that process of onboarding

[1:30:45] and and getting her feedback on how um

[1:30:48] she could be supported in in that

[1:30:50] onboarding process.

[1:30:52] I think she was expecting to come aboard

[1:30:55] and help

[1:30:57] the with with just the general um the

[1:31:00] opening of the school and be part of it

[1:31:02] and not so much of all the struggles

[1:31:04] we've had coming to bring

[1:31:06] >> that's possible.

[1:31:08] >> Um yeah, I think some some conversations

[1:31:10] would would be really helpful around

[1:31:12] that. And she she has been very um

[1:31:16] supportive and and really excited about

[1:31:18] um the with the work that we're doing.

[1:31:21] Um, and so I think there's definitely

[1:31:24] room for some conversations

[1:31:26] [clears throat] and we may want to bring

[1:31:28] more people into our board. You know,

[1:31:30] that's what I'm thinking too.

[1:31:32] >> Um,

[1:31:34] >> I did offer um to our our faculty

[1:31:37] members, we do have a team of faculty

[1:31:39] members that that we um took through the

[1:31:42] hiring process and and the communication

[1:31:45] to them was that you've already been

[1:31:46] through the vetting process. you're a

[1:31:48] part of our community and when we open

[1:31:50] we are dedicated to to providing a job

[1:31:52] for you. Um and in this interim time I

[1:31:56] have mentioned to the to the um faculty

[1:31:59] that we've already approved there is

[1:32:01] space on the board if they want to be a

[1:32:02] part of this their contracts haven't

[1:32:05] started yet and there's no conflict of

[1:32:07] interest until they're officially hired.

[1:32:10] um and that if they wanted to step into

[1:32:12] a board role and help us um help, you

[1:32:15] know, contribute to our community um in

[1:32:19] that way. Um so you and um I gave the um

[1:32:24] board application that's on our website

[1:32:26] to um several of those people that asked

[1:32:28] for it and so you may have one or two

[1:32:30] people at the August board meeting

[1:32:32] interested in joining um to help us move

[1:32:35] forward.

[1:32:36] Okay, let's go forward with Waldorf

[1:32:39] training and study requirements. Um, are

[1:32:42] we on track to have 50% of our members

[1:32:44] hit the 20 plus hour training mark

[1:32:47] before we open? Is the president on

[1:32:49] track to hit the 40 plus hours? Oh my

[1:32:51] goodness. [laughter]

[1:32:53] I did my own training last week for more

[1:32:56] than 40 hours. [gasps] Is the

[1:32:58] >> You're already certified.

[1:32:59] >> Yes. [laughter]

[1:33:00] Is the VP on track to hit the 40 plus

[1:33:02] hour training requirement? Is the PR

[1:33:05] representative on track to hit the 40

[1:33:07] plus hour training requirement? Did our

[1:33:10] mandatory annual Steiner study

[1:33:12] successfully happen?

[1:33:14] So, comments and ideas about that.

[1:33:19] Uh,

[1:33:21] we don't have a vice president. That is

[1:33:23] an issue. I would really like to have a

[1:33:24] vice president with me. So, we have to

[1:33:27] work that out.

[1:33:29] our PR representative. We we took away

[1:33:33] that position from the board and it

[1:33:35] looks like we may need to add that in

[1:33:37] again. But definitely had 40 plus hours

[1:33:41] training. The one the Christian, are you

[1:33:44] still there Christian with us?

[1:33:46] >> Yeah. So he definitely has more than 40

[1:33:49] plus hours training.

[1:33:51] >> Um

[1:33:53] let's see.

[1:33:55] >> And Disa, of course. [laughter]

[1:33:58] So yes, our board has um

[1:34:02] >> has met that 50% requirement. Yes.

[1:34:06] >> Uh our mandatory annual Steiner studies

[1:34:08] successfully happen. So we did do our

[1:34:11] Steiner studies at each of our board

[1:34:13] meetings. So I think that's and we even

[1:34:15] chose the literature that we're going to

[1:34:17] be learning from next fall.

[1:34:20] I have the book now.

[1:34:25] B freedom and form.

[1:34:27] >> Nice.

[1:34:28] >> Yeah.

[1:34:30] Betty Staley. So, is there any other

[1:34:33] comment or ideas for this section of our

[1:34:36] work?

[1:34:37] >> Sarah has her hand up. Okay. Oh, Sarah.

[1:34:39] Yes. Sorry.

[1:34:40] >> Just like to say that I would like to

[1:34:42] see that defined a little bit better

[1:34:45] because while you have teacher training,

[1:34:47] I've also gone to your um trainings in

[1:34:51] the past, Susan. I've gone to several of

[1:34:52] them. So, I would like to have that

[1:34:56] defined, especially with potential more

[1:34:58] parents coming onto the board later on

[1:35:01] what that means. Like, do they need to

[1:35:02] be teacher certified? Can it what can it

[1:35:05] include? And I know we've talked about

[1:35:06] like um community outreach and stuff

[1:35:08] with you, Carol, but I would like to see

[1:35:10] that listed out at some point. It's not

[1:35:12] a right now issue.

[1:35:14] >> It is It is listed out in the bylaws.

[1:35:16] >> Oh, is it all the things that it can be

[1:35:18] part of? Okay, never mind. I'm wrong.

[1:35:21] >> I'm I'm pretty sure. So it's it's um 20

[1:35:24] plus hours that include the alliance

[1:35:28] conferences and the inschool trainings

[1:35:30] and and different things like that. Um

[1:35:32] or a Waldorf certification um

[1:35:36] certificate, right? Like so it is there

[1:35:38] are multiple things listed in there. Um

[1:35:40] and that's in the bylaws.

[1:35:41] >> Did you include those community

[1:35:43] trainings like Julen's and like Waldorf

[1:35:46] like the Wasatch? Um,

[1:35:48] >> I think it's broad in in the wording,

[1:35:50] but it does include like, you know,

[1:35:52] there's multiple avenues to getting

[1:35:54] this. And um,

[1:35:56] >> okay.

[1:35:56] >> I don't know if if at some point we want

[1:35:58] to go through of like how exactly are we

[1:36:00] going to track that? Um,

[1:36:03] >> but are we just going to take it or are

[1:36:05] we gonna

[1:36:06] >> It might be nice to at some point at

[1:36:08] least with some of the training say we

[1:36:10] would like you to attend this training,

[1:36:12] you know, in the future. like the

[1:36:14] Wasatch training would be really great

[1:36:15] to have our board members

[1:36:17] >> or our school was putting our own

[1:36:19] together. So,

[1:36:20] >> yes, that's right. We're doing our own.

[1:36:22] Yeah, that would be

[1:36:23] >> and but I think that is described at

[1:36:26] least broadly in the bylaws

[1:36:28] >> and that would be the place that you

[1:36:29] would codify.

[1:36:30] >> I I remember that, Carol. I remember you

[1:36:32] had that described. Yes. I wanted to ask

[1:36:36] do we have it specified like is the

[1:36:40] board member responsible for the

[1:36:44] financial part of those trainings? Ah

[1:36:47] >> like for for instance like this year if

[1:36:49] we don't have any funding

[1:36:51] >> what are we are we not paying for the

[1:36:54] alliance training

[1:36:55] >> so I mean if you if you take the um what

[1:37:00] the 10 minutes so there's 120 minutes um

[1:37:05] so there's two hours a year that you get

[1:37:08] just at the board meetings

[1:37:11] um a minimum and so over several several

[1:37:16] years, you're you're moving towards

[1:37:17] that. Um I mean, we kind of designed it

[1:37:19] that way that you're moving towards

[1:37:21] that. Um and if you go to one weekend

[1:37:25] conference and the monthly meetings that

[1:37:29] kind of meets that 20our minimum. Um and

[1:37:33] the longer you're on the board, the more

[1:37:34] opportunities you have for that. So

[1:37:36] there's there's I mean getting the 40

[1:37:38] hours, you could do it in a year. Um,

[1:37:41] generally in the regular budget the

[1:37:43] school would I don't think we ever

[1:37:45] defined specifically whose

[1:37:46] responsibility that would be. Um, I

[1:37:48] think we have plenty I mean at the

[1:37:50] moment we have plenty of people that

[1:37:52] already meet this requirement. So then

[1:37:53] it would be new people coming in. Um,

[1:37:56] and once we're fully operational, we

[1:37:58] have a full operational budget and

[1:38:00] that's just a part of the PD budget. And

[1:38:01] the online trainings are really easy

[1:38:03] with the option of if you wanted to

[1:38:05] attend in person, you pay the difference

[1:38:07] um kind of thing. And um so so I don't

[1:38:12] know that at this time we need to codify

[1:38:15] that.

[1:38:15] >> Yeah, we don't need to worry about it. I forget that it's only 50% of the board

[1:38:20] that is required and we already have

[1:38:22] that. So we're not worried about that

[1:38:24] >> currently. Sorry.

[1:38:26] >> And then as we move forward Yeah. And we kind of left that flexibility a

[1:38:31] little bit. Um, just you I I I prefer

[1:38:34] more autonomy for people and I mean if

[1:38:38] somebody is really passionate about

[1:38:40] joining the board and they really want

[1:38:41] to be that board president, I think

[1:38:42] they're going to invest in what it takes

[1:38:45] to meet those requirements and and and

[1:38:48] maybe we encourage some people to take

[1:38:50] that path and meet those requirements.

[1:38:51] So, um I I think we the the distinctions

[1:38:55] are there and and we have multiple paths

[1:38:58] to making that happen. Um, and that's

[1:39:00] listed out in the bylaws.

[1:39:02] >> I do think we may want to in the future

[1:39:05] specify them a little bit more

[1:39:07] >> because we do really want to have people

[1:39:09] that are trained in some knowledge of

[1:39:11] Waldorf education before they're board

[1:39:13] president or all the members lose, you

[1:39:16] know, we lose all the members that have

[1:39:18] had the training and then we end up with

[1:39:20] a board that doesn't understand Waldorf

[1:39:22] education. So that's really important.

[1:39:27] All right. meeting minutes and

[1:39:28] documentation scrutiny. Our board member

[1:39:32] uh recusals clearly and legally

[1:39:34] documented in the minutes. Our budget

[1:39:37] amendments documented with absolute

[1:39:39] clarity. Our report approvals clearly

[1:39:42] detailed for public record.

[1:39:46] Um would our minutes confidently hold up

[1:39:49] to external legal or authorizer

[1:39:51] scrutiny?

[1:39:53] Well, Sarah's helped us so much on this,

[1:39:55] keeping us, you know, with her

[1:39:57] experience and knowledge. I think our

[1:39:59] minutes have been really well written um

[1:40:03] and defined. I think

[1:40:07] um we haven't had recusals or and

[1:40:11] recusals are when um

[1:40:15] when someone has a conflict of interest

[1:40:17] and they have to abstain from a vote.

[1:40:19] Um, and anytime someone has has felt um

[1:40:23] that that was necessary, it has been

[1:40:25] clearly stated and documented, but it

[1:40:27] didn't happen very often. We haven't had

[1:40:28] that issue coming up

[1:40:34] and we've been documenting online with

[1:40:36] the public records all the things that

[1:40:38] we've done as well.

[1:40:40] >> Yes.

[1:40:43] If there's ever been an issue, I've

[1:40:44] always talked to Carol about it. Um, and

[1:40:47] I'd be happy to talk to anyone else that

[1:40:49] has any questions about that, too. But I

[1:40:50] don't want to discuss that positively or

[1:40:52] negatively at the current moment.

[1:40:55] >> Okay.

[1:40:57] >> Uhuh.

[1:40:59] >> Okay. Deferral year strategy. Let's go

[1:41:01] over that one. What specific governance

[1:41:04] habits do we want to completely reset

[1:41:06] during that this deferral year? What

[1:41:09] operational practices should we change

[1:41:11] to maximize this extra time?

[1:41:14] Is there any ideas or thoughts about

[1:41:16] that?

[1:41:23] I think our board retreat when we had

[1:41:25] discussions about these things before

[1:41:27] about our dates and times and about our study work kind of um addressed this

[1:41:34] already.

[1:41:36] Things we wanted to change in our in the

[1:41:38] way we did governance.

[1:41:43] Do you have any ideas about maximizing

[1:41:46] time during this change process, Carol?

[1:41:50] What we what the what you would like to

[1:41:52] see of the board from us during all the

[1:41:54] changes that are going going to be

[1:41:56] coming up?

[1:42:00] Okay. Um,

[1:42:05] I I think that we've been finding our

[1:42:08] rhythm and and that I think, you know,

[1:42:11] some of the things that we've already

[1:42:12] discussed of making sure that marketing

[1:42:14] is reporting every month and that um

[1:42:17] that we have a board member connecting

[1:42:19] with them more often in those weekly

[1:42:21] meetings or whatever whatever iteration

[1:42:23] that is. Um, I think we've already come

[1:42:26] up with all of those strategies and and

[1:42:29] just continuing the work that we're

[1:42:30] doing and continuing to improve our our

[1:42:33] processes every meeting.

[1:42:36] Okay, let's go on to personal commitment

[1:42:38] and transitions. Is each member per uh

[1:42:42] personally ready and able to commit to

[1:42:45] the heavy workload of the coming year?

[1:42:47] Are there personal capacity gaps we need

[1:42:49] to fill? Should we thoughtfully plan for

[1:42:52] a board transition or resignation to

[1:42:56] make room for new skills?

[1:43:00] >> I think that

[1:43:00] >> I might I might mention that in uh one

[1:43:04] of the former meetings I I put it on the

[1:43:08] agenda to you guys be looking for a new

[1:43:11] treasurer. And so that's the only

[1:43:16] thing, you know, if you can find someone

[1:43:19] who

[1:43:21] has at least the skill level I do, if

[1:43:23] not greater,

[1:43:26] um, you know, to move into this

[1:43:28] position, I'll stay until such a person

[1:43:32] can be found.

[1:43:34] >> Great. And Christian, how do you feel

[1:43:36] about going back to being our our um

[1:43:40] marketing and

[1:43:43] uh strategy person on the board, keeping

[1:43:47] that as a title?

[1:43:49] >> Susan, in order to reinstitute that as

[1:43:52] an officer position, we have to do

[1:43:54] another amendment to the bylaws that

[1:43:56] goes through the charter board approval.

[1:43:58] But I I think that um having him as a a

[1:44:02] com the the leader of the committee um

[1:44:06] as just a member of the board um is is

[1:44:10] an easy path for that. [clears throat]

[1:44:12] >> How do you feel about that, Christian?

[1:44:14] >> Well, I'll do my darnest, but um I don't

[1:44:17] have any social media, so I'd have to

[1:44:19] grease the gears a little bit,

[1:44:22] >> which I can do. I've been thinking about

[1:44:24] going back, which is a weird thing for a

[1:44:26] Waldorfy person to say, but

[1:44:29] >> I don't know, you know, in the world.

[1:44:32] >> We'll have to see next year how things

[1:44:34] are going to obviously.

[1:44:40] » Okay.

[1:44:43] Any other ideas about things we you

[1:44:45] think we need to change in general? We

[1:44:48] have talked about trying to find a board

[1:44:50] member with law experience and

[1:44:53] advertising experience.

[1:44:56] >> So, put

[1:44:57] >> just a reminder of that.

[1:44:59] >> Okay.

[1:45:00] >> We we all know that, right?

[1:45:02] >> Yeah.

[1:45:06] » And does the board know where to find

[1:45:09] the the application for new board

[1:45:11] members? So there there's on our website

[1:45:13] under governing board there's a link for

[1:45:16] people to say I'm interested in being a

[1:45:18] future board member and and I check that

[1:45:21] periodically um and interface with

[1:45:24] anybody that comes through there. We

[1:45:26] haven't had many but um so if you do

[1:45:28] find somebody in your networks um as

[1:45:31] you're talking to to people or families

[1:45:33] and and just kind of mention hey if

[1:45:35] you're interested in being on the board

[1:45:36] and helping this happen um and then

[1:45:38] sending them that information. Um, and

[1:45:41] then I'll I'll bring those people um to

[1:45:44] the board meetings as they as they come

[1:45:46] up so that you can um interface with

[1:45:49] them and and invite them to the board

[1:45:50] meeting and see where it goes.

[1:45:53] Okay.

[1:45:55] Let's set some of our goals for

[1:45:57] this coming year. And it's a little bit

[1:45:59] tricky because we don't know what's

[1:46:01] happening during the coming year. But

[1:46:03] one, obviously, we want to increase

[1:46:05] enrollment for in our school. I mean,

[1:46:08] that's an obvious one. Um, and we're and

[1:46:11] I think we've talked about some

[1:46:12] strategies maybe having a board member

[1:46:15] more directly um involved in the

[1:46:18] committee for for um

[1:46:23] uh enrollment

[1:46:25] and recruitment.

[1:46:29] Did we want to look into changing who we

[1:46:31] work with at all, Carol, or are you

[1:46:33] happy with Skola? Um I we don't have the

[1:46:37] capacity to um renew that contract

[1:46:42] >> if we wanted to or not. Um and there are

[1:46:46] a few other options but at this point we

[1:46:49] don't have the capacity to contract with

[1:46:52] someone necessarily.

[1:46:54] >> Okay.

[1:46:57] >> But we have learned a lot from them and

[1:47:02] um have have some resources and and some

[1:47:08] things starting out that that help us

[1:47:11] with that.

[1:47:15] What would be goals that Well,

[1:47:19] one of Well, one of our goals is to be

[1:47:21] more actively involved in the marketing

[1:47:23] team, the board, the board member, a

[1:47:26] board member to be more actively

[1:47:28] involved each month with the with

[1:47:30] enrollment.

[1:47:44] and maybe find a board member. A goal

[1:47:46] could be maybe to find a board member to help uh come on the board and who has

[1:47:54] more experience in advertising and

[1:47:56] marketing.

[1:48:14] Can anyone think of any other goal we

[1:48:16] might want to set for

[1:48:19] this next year in enrollment?

[1:48:28] Okay. Have honest conversations with our

[1:48:30] state charter board.

[1:48:33] Um

[1:48:37] I'm not sure exactly what this means. Um

[1:48:41] do you have ideas Sarah about what this

[1:48:43] would mean?

[1:48:44] >> So it kind of goes back to building

[1:48:47] trust with our authorizer. Um, we're

[1:48:49] going they're going to come back in

[1:48:51] August and they're going to have a

[1:48:54] meeting and we I think we should have

[1:48:56] someone there also from the board to

[1:48:58] show up and ask questions or just be

[1:49:02] really honest with them and say, "Hey,

[1:49:04] we see that we are having X, Y, and Z

[1:49:07] problems. We see that we are risk from

[1:49:09] you. We do not want to hurt any of the

[1:49:11] charter schools in Utah. We want to

[1:49:13] support everyone, but we also want to do

[1:49:16] right by you.

[1:49:18] How can we best do that? Because they

[1:49:21] may want us to

[1:49:23] >> there's a couple of paths for that. Um

[1:49:26] so so yes, there's board meetings and it

[1:49:27] and it's good to be involved in the

[1:49:29] board meetings. Um keeping in mind that

[1:49:31] putting in this proposal, we will be

[1:49:34] reporting in the August meeting. Um so

[1:49:36] we do need to have people willing to

[1:49:37] show up to their August meeting with our

[1:49:40] proposal. Um and and discuss it there um

[1:49:44] after our August board meeting. in our

[1:49:45] August board meeting. That's something

[1:49:47] that we need to um discuss and and talk

[1:49:50] about who is going to attend that. Um

[1:49:52] but then there's also so there's the

[1:49:54] board themselves and then there's their

[1:49:55] office. Um and so there's Stacy and

[1:49:58] there's Betty and there's there's um um

[1:50:02] their communications person and there so

[1:50:04] there's a whole team of people in their

[1:50:06] office um that we can reach out to at

[1:50:09] any time um and building those

[1:50:11] relationships with them. Um, and so like

[1:50:14] you know part of my job as the executive

[1:50:16] director is to work with you and with

[1:50:18] them in both spaces and capacities. Most

[1:50:22] of the time I would say every single

[1:50:24] time I have a meeting with somebody from

[1:50:26] their offices they request a board

[1:50:27] member to be present. Generally that's

[1:50:30] the charter um the the

[1:50:33] um board chair or other officer if the

[1:50:36] board chair can't make it.

[1:50:40] » Okay. Let's could you also I I'll would

[1:50:45] you can write in our goals that I will

[1:50:46] be present for that board meeting in

[1:50:48] August. Maybe the board president will

[1:50:51] be present for that meeting.

[1:50:54] >> Yeah,

[1:50:55] >> I I still think we need to have some

[1:50:58] questions for them in August as well. uh

[1:51:01] because we have a lot of options and one

[1:51:04] of the things that I've heard is

[1:51:08] there's a lot of discussion going on and

[1:51:10] we know that

[1:51:13] they can't make decisions without the

[1:51:15] entire board being present and I kind of

[1:51:19] >> I think we need to have discussions with

[1:51:21] the office people so that we can get on

[1:51:23] the agenda for the board meeting. So

[1:51:26] just showing up at the board meeting

[1:51:28] doesn't mean that say anything because

[1:51:31] their agendas have to be posted just

[1:51:33] like ours. And so the proper channel for

[1:51:36] that is for us to have conversations

[1:51:38] with the office people through Betty um

[1:51:40] who's our liaison that we work

[1:51:42] specifically with with um Stacy as as

[1:51:45] the executive and the other people in

[1:51:46] her office um that we have those

[1:51:50] discussions with them so that they and

[1:51:53] they will know what needs to go before

[1:51:55] the whole board for discussion and

[1:51:57] decisions and what they can coach us

[1:51:59] through. So really it's being involved

[1:52:02] with the state charter schoolboard

[1:52:04] office people um to guide us through

[1:52:07] that process.

[1:52:08] >> Carrie did

[1:52:12] » go ahead Sarah with your follow-up

[1:52:14] question.

[1:52:14] >> I just added follow proper channels to

[1:52:17] be able to get feedback in August.

[1:52:19] >> That sounds great.

[1:52:21] Um, just to let you know, I believe that

[1:52:25] the board meeting that they will review

[1:52:27] proposals for new schools is September,

[1:52:30] not August.

[1:52:32] >> Oh, okay.

[1:52:32] >> So, okay.

[1:52:33] >> So, you know, you can still schedule

[1:52:36] meetings and uh conversations with the

[1:52:40] office staff that um Yeah. But the board

[1:52:44] meeting where you if you submit a

[1:52:46] proposal and you intend to present that

[1:52:48] proposal, that will be in September.

[1:52:51] >> I think they've adjusted their calendar

[1:52:52] a little bit over the past couple of

[1:52:53] years.

[1:52:55] >> Yeah.

[1:52:56] >> So,

[1:52:58] >> we better move forward.

[1:52:59] >> Working with the office will help us get

[1:53:01] on the correct board meeting agenda.

[1:53:04] >> Carrie, do you still have a question?

[1:53:06] >> Yes. I would love to see us find another

[1:53:11] dedicated parent that's local. Like

[1:53:14] Sarah's awesome for the parent

[1:53:15] perspective. Um, but we also need her

[1:53:19] for a lot of other things as well. Um,

[1:53:22] but I'm just like my capacity is going

[1:53:26] to be limited because I am now having to

[1:53:29] do a backup plan for the schooling of my

[1:53:31] children.

[1:53:31] >> Yeah. and a lot of my some of the my

[1:53:35] capacity that's going to the board will

[1:53:37] have to go to now schooling a 10th

[1:53:41] grader. So, I would love if you guys

[1:53:44] think it's a good idea to find another

[1:53:47] parent or

[1:53:50] if you're okay with or or if it will

[1:53:52] work for me to not I can't be giving

[1:53:56] more time than I am right now is

[1:53:57] basically what I'm saying.

[1:54:02] So just a thought

[1:54:04] >> we're adding that into the board

[1:54:06] transitions maybe.

[1:54:08] >> Thank you.

[1:54:12] » And I think so we also do need to get

[1:54:15] more parent involvement from the

[1:54:17] community and I think that will help us

[1:54:19] greatly with those marketing efforts of having passionate. I mean, Carrie,

[1:54:25] honestly, you have been one of our our

[1:54:28] biggest supports and helps in the

[1:54:30] marketing just because you are a parent

[1:54:32] that is connected with other

[1:54:35] uh families that have students

[1:54:37] interested in us. Um, and so the more

[1:54:39] parents in that situation that we can

[1:54:41] get and not just from the MSA community,

[1:54:44] but if we can pull in some of those

[1:54:45] treeside parents, some if we could get a

[1:54:47] Wasat parent like like looking at our or

[1:54:49] a honeycomb cottage parent um or or TC

[1:54:53] someone from these other communities um

[1:54:56] to join us from from parent movement

[1:54:59] side. That's the biggest connection. You

[1:55:02] guys are the most passionate. I'm trying

[1:55:04] to start the school for my kid. you're a

[1:55:06] very strong voice and you're connected

[1:55:09] with other people in that family

[1:55:10] situation. I can share on social media

[1:55:12] all day, but I'm not connected to people

[1:55:15] um with kids that are interested in

[1:55:17] coming to the school because that's not

[1:55:20] um where I'm at in my life situation.

[1:55:22] And so I I'll just throw that out there.

[1:55:26] um that we do need more parent

[1:55:28] involvement

[1:55:30] on the board.

[1:55:33] >> We did at one time start tried to start

[1:55:36] a parent community council

[1:55:38] >> and we didn't have very much nobody

[1:55:40] responded. Nobody signed up.

[1:55:43] >> Yeah, because you're exactly right,

[1:55:45] Carol. Like I need more parents to take

[1:55:48] some of that load so that I can do the

[1:55:50] board stuff and not all the things.

[1:55:54] Yeah.

[1:55:55] So maybe if we could approach it in a

[1:55:58] way of like asking each of those

[1:56:00] communities if they might have a parent

[1:56:04] that would be willing to take on the

[1:56:06] position of like parent representation

[1:56:08] representative

[1:56:10] for that community

[1:56:13] >> like hey we're looking for a parent

[1:56:15] representative from the MSA community

[1:56:18] you know and from the tree

[1:56:21] if you're interested like let us know.

[1:56:23] They don't on this on this marketing

[1:56:26] committee. Not everybody on the

[1:56:29] committee has to be a board member.

[1:56:32] >> Board member can oversee it, but we can

[1:56:34] invite other people to join this

[1:56:35] committee that aren't full board members

[1:56:37] and they don't come and and vote in

[1:56:39] board meetings, but but they can help

[1:56:41] with that work. We can also have a um

[1:56:43] you know, school employees. If we have

[1:56:45] the right configuration, that committee

[1:56:47] can also be our land trust committee

[1:56:50] that can also um do some some other

[1:56:53] things in our community. But we we need

[1:56:55] to get that um that land trust has to

[1:56:58] have two more parents or grandparents

[1:57:00] than any other type of person on the

[1:57:02] board. So, if we have two school people,

[1:57:04] we have to have four parents. Susan,

[1:57:07] you're muted. Carrie, I love the idea of

[1:57:09] having a a representative from each

[1:57:12] school that could help us too. That

[1:57:15] would be great.

[1:57:16] >> Or even like three representatives from

[1:57:19] each school, you know, like and form a

[1:57:22] council that way so that they like have

[1:57:25] cuz I feel like all the parents are

[1:57:27] like, "Oh, well, I want to help." But

[1:57:29] there's no commitment. There's no

[1:57:33] responsibility, you know, and so they

[1:57:35] just don't. Everyone's busy and so

[1:57:39] unless there's like specific things for

[1:57:41] them to do, a specific direction,

[1:57:43] nothing get nothing happens.

[1:57:52] Okay.

[1:57:53] Um

[1:58:00] let's see. Should we just go forward to

[1:58:01] the financial plan? Is is this

[1:58:04] applicable right now or should we just

[1:58:05] put this as not applicable?

[1:58:07] >> I I will share briefly um uh the

[1:58:11] conversation that I had with Jeff on our

[1:58:14] finances and the the bare minimum

[1:58:16] breakdown that we discussed.

[1:58:19] Um

[1:58:22] and and so um

[1:58:28] as as far as our

[1:58:33] um

[1:58:36] the the potential expenses,

[1:58:39] um it it just is really tight and and we

[1:58:42] recorded some numbers. Um we we kind of

[1:58:45] looked at, you know, we need um probably

[1:58:49] 10 to 20,000 for the contracts that were

[1:58:52] already on on contract 4. So that would

[1:58:56] be the website with Edlio, the frontline

[1:59:01] um platform, the um like our phone bill

[1:59:05] and and different things um to be able

[1:59:09] to to get through um depending on um I

[1:59:13] mean so if we're paying a person to to

[1:59:16] do certain tasks through this um I mean

[1:59:19] it just is we so we are having those

[1:59:22] discussions and um and pairing everything down um

[1:59:29] possible. Um and but then that makes it

[1:59:32] really difficult to um

[1:59:37] to Yeah, it's just a difficult situation

[1:59:40] and we are working on it.

[1:59:42] >> Okay.

[1:59:44] >> Sorry, just a thought. Um,

[1:59:48] kind of going back, I apologize, but is

[1:59:51] now the point that we could just be

[1:59:54] honest with our community and say like,

[1:59:57] listen, if you want this school to

[2:00:01] happen, we need some help. Like, we need

[2:00:06] more parent involvement. Like, cuz I

[2:00:08] know there's so many people that want it

[2:00:10] to happen and they just think that it's

[2:00:12] happening, right? And they don't need to

[2:00:14] contribute. But like we're at the point

[2:00:16] that we really do need more manpower,

[2:00:19] right?

[2:00:20] >> And more volunteer um parents. So like

[2:00:23] is there a way to just really um

[2:00:27] positively portray that to the parents

[2:00:30] and to be like

[2:00:32] we like the six of us cannot carry this

[2:00:35] by ourselves.

[2:00:37] You know,

[2:00:38] >> may I interject? We need one or two very

[2:00:41] rich sponsors. Every other charter

[2:00:44] school I've been at has had sponsors.

[2:00:48] Can't we appeal to some of these places

[2:00:52] like Zion's Bank or um some big rich

[2:00:59] educational

[2:01:02] >> or can we

[2:01:03] >> oriented or

[2:01:04] >> or can we ask our community to be to

[2:01:07] look for sponsors?

[2:01:10] Yeah,

[2:01:11] >> I've we've tried a lot. I mean, I've

[2:01:13] sent out emails to personal to people

[2:01:16] and asked them to, you know, to help in

[2:01:19] certain ways, especially with the

[2:01:20] enrollment, and I just didn't see a lot

[2:01:22] of response and there's I don't know.

[2:01:25] >> Utah is not a friendly landscape for

[2:01:27] that kind of philanthropy, and less so

[2:01:31] now than it has been in the past.

[2:01:36] But if anybody can find somebody to to

[2:01:40] do the thing, um,

[2:01:44] go for it. [laughter]

[2:01:46] Sarah and Christian both have comments.

[2:01:48] Maybe

[2:01:52] Sarah, go ahead.

[2:01:54] >> I was just going to say that something

[2:01:55] that I've run into because I've talked

[2:01:57] to other parents about this is they

[2:01:59] don't feel qualified to be on the board.

[2:02:01] They feel like the school board is this

[2:02:03] magical thing that people who know all

[2:02:06] the things go and do and that they're

[2:02:08] just a parent and they can't be

[2:02:10] involved. And

[2:02:13] I think that we need to have a way to

[2:02:15] overcome that hurdle.

[2:02:18] Um

[2:02:20] I don't necessarily be more friendly

[2:02:22] with it, but just being really open

[2:02:23] about this is about being willing to put

[2:02:25] the time and effort in and it's not

[2:02:27] necessarily about knowing everything. We

[2:02:29] have lots of teachers that know a lot

[2:02:30] about education. We have all these

[2:02:32] things. We just need a lot of people

[2:02:34] that are willing to show up and help.

[2:02:35] It's kind of like putting the chairs up

[2:02:37] at the end of the day. We need someone

[2:02:39] to help get, you know, the chairs up to

[2:02:41] go get the kids at a place to go this,

[2:02:44] go do that. Um,

[2:02:47] and I think we need to have a message to

[2:02:50] parents about ways that they can help

[2:02:52] that seems a lot more accessible.

[2:02:56] Well, in specifics about ways to help

[2:02:58] maybe too. I mean, we we do have

[2:03:01] platforms like the c the Utah

[2:03:04] um home school and and other

[2:03:08] communities, the Utah Waldorf community

[2:03:11] Facebook account. I mean, some of those

[2:03:14] we can put things out, but we have to

[2:03:16] have maybe more specific things that we

[2:03:18] need help with.

[2:03:20] I don't know. And I know

[2:03:22] >> how about a a a TV commercial or a

[2:03:25] Facebook ad, an actual video

[2:03:29] um from one of us that can really appeal

[2:03:34] to those types of people. Like Carrie,

[2:03:37] you're so good at that. Um Carol, you're

[2:03:40] good at it. I'm not good at it. I can't

[2:03:44] even talk my husband into $500 extra

[2:03:47] dollars a month for my budget. So, I'm

[2:03:51] not the person to go after financial

[2:03:54] stuff, but I think people, you know,

[2:03:59] like I've been moved by by ads,

[2:04:04] you know, that just when I'm scrolling

[2:04:06] Facebook, you [snorts] know, make me

[2:04:08] want to tune into something or donate

[2:04:13] money or pray for somebody,

[2:04:16] you know, or GoFundMe type things.

[2:04:22] [snorts]

[2:04:23] >> That's just an idea.

[2:04:24] >> Yeah.

[2:04:25] >> Ben has a comment.

[2:04:29] » Were you asking about me if I had a

[2:04:30] comment?

[2:04:31] >> Yes. Your hand is raised.

[2:04:32] >> It is raised. I just didn't hear my

[2:04:34] name. I think you cut out for a minute.

[2:04:35] But um a split second. I'm going to make

[2:04:38] an a suggestion that might be stupid. Um

[2:04:41] has anybody reached out to Bridget

[2:04:43] Swenson? She can do anything. And it I

[2:04:46] mean I I don't know what her kids are

[2:04:47] doing, but I know she's done

[2:04:49] extracurricular things that don't

[2:04:51] involve her kids. Um I think she could

[2:04:54] be a useful resource if anybody wanted

[2:04:57] to reach out to her. She [laughter]

[2:04:58] >> the last time we reached out to her, she

[2:05:00] was tapped out with other things,

[2:05:02] >> but not that we don't visit that again

[2:05:05] and and reach back out and see where

[2:05:06] she's at.

[2:05:07] >> I would suggest that I think she could

[2:05:09] be a real asset if we could recruit her.

[2:05:11] That's all I wanted to say.

[2:05:17] I think there's a lot of parents that

[2:05:19] can be real assets. They just need to

[2:05:22] understand how desperately we need their

[2:05:25] help without us appearing so desperate.

[2:05:29] >> There's a fun way we could do that. Just

[2:05:31] put up a really ugly Facebook post and

[2:05:35] said, "Are you a parent that has Canva

[2:05:37] and can do better than this? We need

[2:05:39] your help. please contact [laughter]

[2:05:42] like get that ugliest brownest grossest

[2:05:44] post and just be like we need help with

[2:05:46] Canva. Can anyone help with Canva?

[2:05:49] Because there's a lot of parents that

[2:05:50] they're like I left doing Canva and

[2:05:52] they'll help us but I think we need just

[2:05:55] a really

[2:05:57] specific

[2:05:59] ask.

[2:06:01] I honestly don't even think we need

[2:06:03] Canva

[2:06:05] >> because AI can do all of that now.

[2:06:07] >> Well, then

[2:06:08] >> so much faster.

[2:06:09] >> Yeah, I'm just saying whatever it is.

[2:06:15] » I think a lot of us are very hesitant to

[2:06:20] use AI in just who we are. And I think

[2:06:24] that that is something that we need to

[2:06:28] get over and and use it more because it

[2:06:32] is our reality right now. And like we

[2:06:37] like AI can help us advertise in so many

[2:06:40] ways and we need to be better at using

[2:06:42] it using that free resource.

[2:06:46] >> Christian, are you still there?

[2:06:48] >> I'm here. I will just vote for that.

[2:06:51] >> Yeah. Um, another good source for

[2:06:54] getting stuff done is Kirsten All Good.

[2:06:57] She was always good at stuff like that.

[2:07:00] So, that's just a couple of MSA parents

[2:07:03] that I remember could do anything.

[2:07:06] >> Yeah, Kristen. I remember Kirsten. She

[2:07:08] her daughter was in my class.

[2:07:10] >> Yeah. So the question with this is these

[2:07:13] are great ideas but what is the action

[2:07:15] item from the board of of who is going

[2:07:18] to take this on and how is that going to

[2:07:21] get done

[2:07:28] » um

[2:07:32] well we already discussed it we we need

[2:07:34] to have people with better better skills

[2:07:38] you know some skills that we don't have

[2:07:40] and try to work towards bringing someone

[2:07:43] on the board with those skills.

[2:07:46] >> Yeah. Appeal to the parent community.

[2:07:48] That's an action item.

[2:07:54] » Or I've done that over and over and over

[2:07:58] again

[2:08:01] » like with anyone that with the MSA

[2:08:03] community at least because I don't have

[2:08:04] connections to the other communities.

[2:08:07] I've done it in the Utah Waldorf page.

[2:08:12] But like how

[2:08:14] maybe they're tired of hearing from me

[2:08:16] and need someone else or someone or like

[2:08:20] we need a way to help

[2:08:23] them understand that it's not like if

[2:08:26] they want this school everyone's going

[2:08:28] to have to pitch in a little bit.

[2:08:37] » It is getting late. I think we need to

[2:08:38] move forward with some other we do have

[2:08:41] some ideas already in that in that area.

[2:08:49] Um let's move forward with um

[2:08:54] >> close the compliance gaps. I don't know

[2:08:56] what that means exactly that.

[2:08:58] >> Oh, you have that governance calendar

[2:09:01] and policy review calendar. Oh, yes.

[2:09:04] That's those are good.

[2:09:07] any any other ideas for compliance? Um,

[2:09:16] uh, board compliance and

[2:09:20] I think those are good things to look

[2:09:22] through

[2:09:23] building that calendar. So we have at

[2:09:26] every board meeting some things we can

[2:09:28] look at

[2:09:31] from policy review and then honoring our

[2:09:34] bylaws completing Waldorf training

[2:09:36] requirements hold an annual Steiner

[2:09:38] study actively recruiting one to two

[2:09:41] members marketing role well that's what

[2:09:43] we were just discussing so let's go to

[2:09:45] build trust with our authorizer

[2:09:50] is that the board is that what we're

[2:09:52] thinking

[2:09:55] Yes, the charter school board. We

[2:09:56] realize that our um failure to open this

[2:10:00] year and some of our financial issues

[2:10:03] will probably cause stress with the our

[2:10:05] governing body.

[2:10:07] >> And I thought it would be really good to

[2:10:09] address how we plan on rebuilding that

[2:10:13] trust because we want them to see us and

[2:10:15] respect us as a school and know that

[2:10:17] they can work with us easily.

[2:10:21] They're going to have to see that we can

[2:10:22] bring in more enrollment. I mean, bring

[2:10:26] more enrollment in some way.

[2:10:45] And maybe we need to bring families,

[2:10:47] Waldorf families to these meetings at

[2:10:49] the board.

[2:10:52] You know, maybe bring in just ask

[2:10:54] Waldorf families to come meet so they

[2:10:56] can see them, you know, and see that

[2:10:59] there there are Walder families in the

[2:11:02] community that really are interested.

[2:11:08] Maybe we have a meeting like just a zoom

[2:11:11] meeting at a very accessible time for

[2:11:14] people that says like if you are

[2:11:19] interested in a school, we need some

[2:11:22] help. Please come to this meeting and we

[2:11:24] can maybe ask for suggestions at that

[2:11:29] meeting.

[2:11:31] >> Mhm.

[2:11:33] or volunteers for different things or

[2:11:38] I'm not sure

[2:11:39] >> attended attended by state board

[2:11:42] members.

[2:11:44] >> We can invite them to any events that we

[2:11:47] have and they may not always be able to come but they're they do like to um

[2:11:54] participate in in things that are

[2:11:56] happening. Um

[2:11:58] >> we can make us look bad. what

[2:12:02] >> it to invite them to a brainstorming

[2:12:04] meeting. That might make us look bad.

[2:12:06] >> No, not necessarily, but but like I mean

[2:12:09] our birthday party or a graduation or

[2:12:11] like they they like to be involved and

[2:12:13] see what schools are doing. Um

[2:12:21] so help help celebrate with them.

[2:12:26] And I don't know that I mean I I would

[2:12:28] say that I don't think we've lost trust

[2:12:30] with the authorizer. Um I I I don't

[2:12:33] think um that it's necessarily a loss of

[2:12:36] trust. They understand the the risks

[2:12:39] involved in starting new schools. Um

[2:12:41] we're not the first school to um go

[2:12:45] through the process of of um deferment.

[2:12:48] We're not the first school to to have to

[2:12:51] potentially put in multiple

[2:12:53] applications.

[2:12:55] um before we get it right. Um and and I

[2:12:59] think they have they do have respect for

[2:13:02] our commitment, for our vision, for the

[2:13:04] hard work that we are doing. They

[2:13:06] recognize that it's messy and not

[2:13:08] perfect. Um so I don't know that we've

[2:13:10] lost trust um necessarily. I think we

[2:13:13] are in a hard situation um and and they

[2:13:17] recognize that and and we're not the

[2:13:19] only one to have been here. Um so so I

[2:13:21] don't know that it's they're not the

[2:13:24] enemy. They they are really excited

[2:13:26] about what we're offering and and we are

[2:13:29] meeting their

[2:13:31] um directive to provide more options for

[2:13:34] education. Um and and that is also a

[2:13:38] challenge that we are so different from

[2:13:39] the other things like you know a lot of

[2:13:41] the models that are out there are um the

[2:13:46] classical education. It's, you know,

[2:13:48] there's liberal arts education and

[2:13:49] there's a lot of online programs um that

[2:13:51] are kind of in vogue right now. Um and

[2:13:54] we are not those other things. We are we

[2:13:57] are a different thing. And then and they

[2:13:59] recognize that that poses unique

[2:14:00] challenges. Um as we try and and get

[2:14:04] traction and and get going. Um so I

[2:14:07] would just say I don't know that it's

[2:14:09] about rebuilding trust. I don't think

[2:14:10] we've lost trust to rebuild.

[2:14:12] >> I don't have a feeling of that either. I

[2:14:15] think we can continue to work with them.

[2:14:18] >> Yeah, they've worked really well with

[2:14:19] you, Carol, as far as I've seen

[2:14:21] >> and and and our whole team

[2:14:23] >> and they wanted us to succeed. I mean,

[2:14:27] >> yeah.

[2:14:32] Okay. I would encourage you guys to go

[2:14:35] look up some of their past meetings um

[2:14:37] especially in the past three or four

[2:14:39] months um and just kind of be a breast

[2:14:41] of of what they talk about and how they

[2:14:44] handle their discussions um and I will

[2:14:48] forward out some summaries um that I've

[2:14:50] been sent from their communications

[2:14:52] person on on like this is what they

[2:14:54] talked about and these are the highle

[2:14:55] things that they're concerned about um

[2:14:58] so that you can get a feel for what they

[2:14:59] do. Um I I'm a firm believer in um

[2:15:04] connection breeds um leads to support

[2:15:09] and community. Um a lot of times when we

[2:15:12] feel distanced from someone, we don't

[2:15:14] know them, we don't see them, we don't

[2:15:16] talk to them, we are then prone to

[2:15:21] seeing them as others, seeing them as

[2:15:22] the enemy, seeing them as against us. Um

[2:15:25] and and it's just kind of a natural

[2:15:27] tendency. But when you see them face to

[2:15:29] face and interact with them, it

[2:15:30] humanizes them. Um, and so it would be

[2:15:32] worth everyone's while to and you don't

[2:15:34] have to listen to the whole board

[2:15:35] meeting, but but just kind of skip

[2:15:37] through some of the high points, look at

[2:15:39] what the agenda is and listen to a

[2:15:40] section of their discussion and and how

[2:15:42] they um how they work. Um, both as a

[2:15:46] model of how a board runs. It would be,

[2:15:48] you know, good for board training as

[2:15:50] well as to get to know them and how they

[2:15:53] approach their work. um so that you

[2:15:56] understand the process of how to um how

[2:16:00] to work through that process. So I mean

[2:16:02] I think like sure having having families

[2:16:05] come and help represent us if we are

[2:16:07] presenting at a meeting is a really good

[2:16:09] thing to just randomly show up at a

[2:16:11] board meeting to you know let's let's

[2:16:13] give a plug for Waldorf education the

[2:16:15] public comments that isn't relative to

[2:16:16] what the board is currently doing would

[2:16:19] actually hurt us rather than help us. So

[2:16:21] understanding the process of how to

[2:16:23] communicate with them, how to go through

[2:16:25] the offices um and following the proper

[2:16:28] procedures for open public meetings

[2:16:30] would would be helpful.

[2:16:35] Um

[2:16:38] so our next the next thought is are

[2:16:40] there any concerns we've brought up that

[2:16:42] we think the board should discuss at our

[2:16:44] ne on our put on our next agenda for the

[2:16:48] um for the August

[2:16:51] a board meeting.

[2:16:55] Um, Carol, I think I would like to wait

[2:16:58] until we know more about what's

[2:16:59] happening with the school before we put

[2:17:01] more agenda items on our

[2:17:04] what how is everyone feeling about that

[2:17:08] for our board meeting in August? I mean,

[2:17:10] I think there were several things here

[2:17:12] that we we talked about in this board

[2:17:14] review that that should be revisited and

[2:17:17] followed up on, right? some of the

[2:17:19] action items that that we kind of talked

[2:17:21] about in in adjusting um for instance

[2:17:29] where was it

[2:17:31] um

[2:17:31] >> oh creating a position again for or can

[2:17:35] we have to do that through the charter

[2:17:37] don't we

[2:17:37] >> right I mean but like the committee work

[2:17:39] following up with the committees and

[2:17:41] making a decision about what committees

[2:17:42] we're going to have for the for the

[2:17:44] school year like that should be

[2:17:46] potentially an action item for August of

[2:17:50] who's going to be on what committees and

[2:17:51] what does that look like. Um revisiting

[2:17:55] the proposal and um and preparing for

[2:17:58] the presentation to the state charter

[2:18:00] board will be a part of that August

[2:18:02] agenda. Um reviewing um so the board

[2:18:06] kind of already decided these are the

[2:18:08] monthly meetings, but revisiting that

[2:18:09] now that the school year has started. Um

[2:18:12] making sure that that um agenda carries

[2:18:15] through. um some of these um things that

[2:18:19] we've been putting in the goals for the

[2:18:21] 2627 school year. These are our goals.

[2:18:24] So, which of these goals is most

[2:18:25] relevant to revisit in August and make

[2:18:29] sure that we are hitting that goal? Does

[2:18:31] that make sense?

[2:18:35] » I just I'm getting too tired to think

[2:18:38] here actually. We've got we got to Can

[2:18:40] you help us put those in? If you think

[2:18:42] there are some that we should put in,

[2:18:44] can you help us list or write those in?

[2:18:47] Have you have you written some of those,

[2:18:49] Sarah?

[2:18:50] >> I'm putting a few in. I was also going

[2:18:52] to say I think we should have a moment

[2:18:54] and kind of think about what we can do.

[2:18:56] For example, I can go on Facebook and

[2:18:59] make a post asking for someone to help

[2:19:01] with marketing. Um, I do think we should

[2:19:04] have a conversation about that. Um, but

[2:19:08] with Carol losing a lot of her

[2:19:10] administration team, we're going to have

[2:19:12] to step up

[2:19:14] uh and do

[2:19:16] >> that's a discussion for that August

[2:19:18] meeting of like what tasks and

[2:19:20] assignments, what committees we're

[2:19:21] actually going to put together and how

[2:19:23] the board can work with those committees

[2:19:26] um to to get that work done. Um, I think

[2:19:30] you talking specifically about which po

[2:19:32] I I I don't know that sending out a post

[2:19:35] today because we talked about we're

[2:19:37] going to ask for new help, but crafting

[2:19:39] those um either in committees or

[2:19:43] discussing that and making a decision in

[2:19:45] the board meeting of of giving that

[2:19:48] specifically.

[2:19:49] >> I like that idea.

[2:19:54] » I think things will sleep between now

[2:19:55] and October.

[2:19:57] >> [laughter]

[2:19:58] >> and and then we can come back with with

[2:20:00] fresh eyes and um not that we're not

[2:20:03] doing anything in July, but letting it

[2:20:06] take the time that it needs um to be

[2:20:08] able to make good informed decisions.

[2:20:11] >> Yeah.

[2:20:20] » Okay.

[2:20:28] I think I think we're here. Reminder of

[2:20:30] the next meeting and the German.

[2:20:32] >> Yes. Let's read our let me read out loud

[2:20:35] the uh the uh verse for our closing

[2:20:38] verse and then we'll make a motion to

[2:20:40] assure. A healthy social life is found

[2:20:44] only when in the mirror of each soul the

[2:20:46] whole community finds its reflection and

[2:20:49] when in the whole community the virtue

[2:20:51] of each one is living. Rudolph Steiner

[2:20:55] is there someone who tonight who could

[2:20:58] make a motion to adjourn our meeting.

[2:21:01] I make a motion to adjourn our meeting

[2:21:04] tonight.

[2:21:05] >> Is there someone [clears throat]

[2:21:06] that motion?

[2:21:07] >> Thank you, Sarah, for putting your name

[2:21:08] in already.

[2:21:11] Okay. And um so let's do a um let's do

[2:21:15] the vote with the members that are left

[2:21:17] for our meeting to adjourn. Um if you

[2:21:22] can um raise your hand if you're in

[2:21:24] agreement to adjourn the meeting

[2:21:26] tonight.

[2:21:28] That's Susan and Sarah and Marta and

[2:21:32] Christian

[2:21:35] Carrie

[2:21:37] and and then that vote has that is the

[2:21:42] out the outcome is positive for our vote

[2:21:44] to adjourn the meeting tonight. Thank

[2:21:46] you all for being here and for all the

[2:21:48] work that you've done. And I do want to

[2:21:51] I do we do look forward to little

[2:21:53] updates from Carol about how things are

[2:21:56] going if she could send us those those

[2:21:58] updates.

[2:22:00] And you're all wonderful. I hope we can

[2:22:02] work things through this summer and have

[2:22:05] a plan. Have a

[2:22:07] >> good evening everyone. We'll see you

[2:22:09] then.

June 29 2026 Board Meeting

Transcript