DIXIE MONTESSORI ACADEMY
Agenda and Meeting Minutes for July 31, 2012
Location: 249 East Tabernacle, Suite 200, Saint George, UT 84770
Board Members Present:
Russell Armstrong, Michael C. Currie, Kevin Groke, Margaret “Meg” Groke, Tracy K. Mitchell, Paula D. Nelson, Kristin L. Nielson, Julie M. Wand
Members Absent:
Bobbie D. Forsyth, John T. Jones II, Assunta Marie Hardy, Jim Hardy; proxy vote for Michael D. Wand by Julie M. Wand; proxy vote for Scott Nielson by Kristin L Nielson
Agenda: review notes from meeting with Marlies Burns (July 25, 2012) and address each issue.
MOTION: by Kevin Groke to begin the meeting at 6:38 p.m.
Seconded by Paula D. Nelson
Unanimous
A resignation from Bobbie D. Forsyth has been tendered.
First item of business is to determine who will remain on the Board. Marlies Burns strongly suggested that no voting members be related to one another in any way. There are currently four sets of relatives on the Board. Julie M. Wand suggested that the Board decide which roles need to be filled in the next two years and decide who will fill those positions, regardless if it requires more than one family member to serve on the Board simultaneously. It is of the opinion of several Board members that there cannot be any conflict of interest having family members on the Founding Board.
Beginning on August 12, 2014, the first day of the 2014-2015 school year, the Founding Board will elect the Working Board. Tracy K. Mitchell will add the following statement to the Charter “Only one family member of a student(s) enrolled at DMA may serve on the Board at any given time.”
MOTION: by Kevin Groke that the maximum number of Board members on the Founding or Working board be limited to nine persons.
Seconded: by Michael C. Currie
Unanimous, proxy vote for Michael D. Wand by Julie M. Wand; proxy vote for Scott Nielson by Kristin L Nielson
Kevin Groke will contact Board members who have not attended recent Board meetings and ask if each person is willing to resign in order to help meet the nine person limit.
MOTION: by Kevin Groke that Michael D. Wand (Treasurer) be removed from the station of Treasurer to serve on the financial committee, and that Paula D. Nelson be assigned as Treasurer.
Seconded by Tracy K. Mitchell
Agree: Russell Armstrong, Michael C. Currie, Kevin Groke, Margaret “Meg” Groke, Tracy K. Mitchell, Kristin L. Nielson, Paula Nelson
Dissent: Julie M. Wand
Double check the rules for admitting children to the school with preference. Can only the first child be counted and then siblings be admitted by default? If so, the Board is considering the ability to give children of committee members the same priority enrollment.
Julie M. Wand did extensive research on the idea of adding Grade 9 or removing Grade 8. She believes that adding middle school students will be a burden on the overall school budget. The requiring of teacher endorsements or having a teacher with a Master’s degree causes difficulty in a Montessori environment and will cost monies not appropriated for. Also the rate of drop-outs at the middle school is high due to a number of reasons including sports programs, which would reflect poorly on DMA regardless of the student’s reason for leaving. She recommends that we not include middle school grades at DMA.
MOTION: by Russell Armstrong that DMA offer only grades Kindergarten through 7.
Seconded by: Paula Nelson
Unanimous, proxy vote for Scott Nielson by Kristin L. Nielson
Kevin Groke and Julie M. Wand will look at how much time should be allowed for Board members to complete State training for school Boards.
Margaret “Meg” Groke will look at Providence Hall, Harriman as a role model for issues brought up by Marlies Burns.
PP&P’s need a lot of clarification such as categories of purchasing, urgency/need, purchase requisition form, signatory authority, ability to remove a board member if he/she abuses purchasing power, Board reviewal of funds spent, etc. Tracy K. Mitchell will add the Director and Business Manager as signatory requirements for purchases above $5,000. He will rework that portion of the Charter and present it to the Board.
Should two buffer days be added to the Bell Schedule? No. Russell Armstrong will add a sentence to the Bell Schedule in the charter that states if the hours and day requirements are not met then time missed will be added to the end of the school year.
“Vacation Leave” is being considered for students if each student will be accountable for all learning he/she accomplished during time away from school. How are allowed absences defined?
Several of the Special Ed. portions of Charter must better address the curriculum, facility, and faculty. Julie M. Wand believes DMA must have two rooms for seclusion including transparent break-out rooms. Russell Armstrong will rework this portion of the Charter and present it to the Board.
Michael C. Currie will add to the Charter document that the Parent Board will participate in Dr. Jane Nelson meetings (also known as After Action Meeting). How and when will the leader of the Parent Board report to the DMA Board?
Next Board meeting will be Thursday, August 9, 2012. Deadline for revisions will be August 5, 2012, except for budget/financial portions of the Charter which will be turned in as soon as possible.
MOTION: by Kevin Groke to adjourn meeting 9:51p.m.
Seconded by Paula Nelson
Unanimous