International Spanish Language Academy

ISLA Board Meeting Minutes

Sep 25^th, 2007, 7:00 p.m.

ISLA School Building

12007 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, MN

1. Call to Order

Meeting called to order at 7:10pm

ISLA BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:  Melody Brombacher (Board Chair), Rolf Brombacher, Lily Johnson, Mark Mathison, Sonia Miller-Van Oort, Michael Valley, Steve Semler, Kerry Krawczyk-LeMieux, Molly Quinn (Board Secretary), Jenny Brockman

EX-OFICIO MEMBERS:

Karen Terhaar (Director) Present, Diane Schimelpfenig (Hopkins District) Present

VISITOR(S): Karen Utt (PTO representative)

ISLA BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Angie Cabrera

2. Acceptance of Aug 28^th minutes

Steve moved to approve August 28 minutes, Sonia seconded, motion carried

Acceptance of Sep 25^th agenda

Mike moved, Lily 2^nd to approve Sept 25^th agenda, motion carried

3. Public Input – 10 minutes

None – no public present

4. Director’s Report – 10 minutes

MARSS reporting is complete and has been submitted and accepted (ahead of schedule).

MARSS reports are due in fall and spring, and potentially one additional time during the year.

Lunch:  Volunteers have been set-up to assist on a regular basis.

We’ve posted a part-time position to assist with lunch and recess, haven’t hired anyone yet.  Would like to hire someone to help serve lunches and work outside.

Karen has had positive feedback regarding the start up of ISLA.

Recess: continue to work on refining.

Enrollment: At this time we do not have the numbers to cover a full time staff person working the recess playground.

71 total:

K 27, 1^st 17, 2^nd 12, 3^rd/4^th 15

Lunch:  2 days so far have served the bag lunches – first time went well, second time we were short 4 lunches.

Questioned the possibility of going to bag lunches every day or for a few days per week – interested to know why people are choosing the lunch program – convenience of having a lunch provided or desire for a hot meal.

5. PTO Report – 10 minutes

Vision of things to accomplish this year: 

Family oriented fundraiser – kids can dress up – “Dia de los muertos” (Day of the Dead) – Nov 2.

Spring festival (idea still in the works) – silent auction, adult oriented, community building event.

            Would like to avoid having to sell goods as fundraisers.

Web site to go shopping on line: schoolpop.com – shop on-line at designated stores and a percentage will be donated to school (info also noted on PTO web site).

501c3 study committee meeting is set for Friday.

Logo: Would the Board like the PTO to take charge of the project?  Suggested that PTO could bring a proposal to the Board and Board would have final approval.  Factors: potential costs depending upon choice of logo, etc.  Marketing committee (Steve) suggested that we could have an initial school year logo/shirt and then choose something for the future.  Steve brought up the fact that students/families have been told that students will have a say in the color/design and are looking forward to this.  Possibly Sra. Boeser’s class could collaborate in developing the design/choosing the color.  Mark noted the importance of determining some basic criteria.  Karen U. reiterated that the PTO would be willing to let others come to a consensus. 

Motion: Steve moved that we give PTO and school staff leeway to create the logo design for shirts/sweatshirts/etc for the fundraising purposes; and the marketing committee will establish the criteria for the official school logo, and work with the PTO in doing so.

Motion carried.

Question and Answer Session at PTO meetings: Would it be more helpful to have questions communicated in advance via e-mail?  Karen T. and Board rep could better address questions with advance notice.

6. Financial Report and Budget Review – 45 minutes

Reviewed Statement of Expenses as of Aug 31, 2007

There are large amounts, for example the curriculum, that come out of the grant.

September will be our first true month of full time operation.

Prior year budget would have been totally grant funds.  We have spent exactly what we said we would for the grant. 

First audit is being done now: Stenmark is working with MKR – minimal at this point.  Due at the end of the year.  MKR is the company that we are using to complete the audit – results will then be sent to the state and to our sponsor.

Reviewed Statement of Revenue:

School Care: Will break down the cost of the room, items purchased, staff benefits and salary to have a more specific idea of what is spent on school care. 

Monthly cash flow statement?  This would require a monthly budget, but currently we only have an annual budget.  Creating and maintaining a monthly budget would be a great deal of work.  .    

Reviewed Balance Sheet.

BUDGET

Only changes are for operational, not for grant.

Reviewed updated version of the budget reflecting current enrollment numbers and more accurately reflecting sources of revenue that we can actually expect. 

Also revised to remove previously budgeted expenses that we no longer anticipate.

Revised budget reflects an estimated surplus of over $20,000. 

For Special Ed, it was noted that we need to be prepared for costs that may arise suddenly.

Discussed how revenue generated through PTO fundraising would be directed back to ISLA.  Diane indicated that for Meadowbrook PTO, they funded residencies, etc but did not fund permanent staffing positions.  PTO purchased items, etc for school but not through district.

How do we recruit more students?  PR needs to be foremost and constant.

Need to spend over $40,000 of first planning grant by end of month. 

Karen will investigate how the numbers are derived regarding student numbers and funding.

7. Review and approval of the following: - 10 minutes

1. Employee Handbook – Presenter: Steve Semler

Took all suggestions for clarifications and modifications and put them into the most recent version of the document.  Steve has received a few more comments since latest revision.  Steve would like someone to take a fresh look at it from a legal perspective.

MOTION

Steve moved that the Employee Handbook version sent out with the September meeting agenda be accepted for this school year subject to three edits for clarity and final review by Mark.

Seconded.  

Discussion: concern with request for approval pending legal revision.  Question as to job outline/benefits for hourly employees – need to draft a document regarding the hourly positions and non-licensed staff.

MOTION

Sonia moved that we table the previous motion.

Steve seconded.  Discussion: none.

All in favor, motion carried.

8. Committee Chair assignments – 10 minutes

1. Strategic Plan Committee Chair – Nominate and Elect

Need a chairperson who can then form the committee and look into direction for the future.  Sonia voiced interest. 

MOTION

Create a committee whose purpose would be to build a 5 year plan which would build on the mission of the school building on the concrete goals working with School administration and Board.

      Steve seconded.

      Discussion: Sonia recruits

      Motion carried.

Steve nominated Sonia as Strategic Plan Committee Chair. Mike seconded.  Discussion: None.    

Motion carried.

2. Finance Committee

Sonia nominated Mike as Treasurer and chair of Finance Committee.  Seconded.  Mike accepted nomination.  Motion carried.

9. Standing Committee Reports – 10 minutes

1. Personnel

Melody has been working to put out ads for very part time lunch assistant.

Will get it out to parents as well as on the web site.  Put it in the church bulletin?

2. Facility

We need to move on the facility.  We need to get feelers out for the future.  Need parents on this committee as well.  Communicate with broker – need someone who can go to daytime meetings, etc.

Need to determine financial status regarding our underage of students.  We paid for an enrollment of 80 students for the month of September – 80 students according to their per pupil unit multiplied by the determined amount ($1200).  Karen is asking for direction from the Board regarding payment.  At this point, September has been paid.  The Board will review future payments.

MOTION

Mark moved that the Board explicitly restrict the executive director from any future compromised lease action without Board approval.

Seconded. Motion carried.

3. Communication

Must develop plan to recruit students.  Establish boundaries for committee and clarification of committee duties.

10. Old Business – 10 minutes

1. Resolution to amend bylaws – Article 3, #2 – “Board of Directors of the school shall consist of no less than 5 and no more than 13 as determined by the Board from time to time.”

MOTION

Mark moved that we adopt the resolution.  Mike seconded.  Discussion: none

Motion carried.

11. Other Business

School Care and Admin Asst contracts: 

Marks opinion is that we do not need contracts for them but create a package – identify wage, benefits, anything else.  It is also Mark’s opinion that we develop two separate packages to address the hourly guidelines and the administrative assistant independently of one another.

What would cost be for sick leave?  Approximately $720 for 6 hours.

MOTION

Rolf moved that for our hourly non-licensed staff that we do not offer sick leave or any paid time off.

Mark seconded.  Discussion:

Motion passed.

Include in the handbook guidelines regarding requesting time off without pay.

Mark and Karen need to determine and clarify status of administrative assistant position regarding overtime.  

MOTION

Melody moved that we would accept the same policy for the non-licensed exempt positions that we have for our teachers for personal leave and sick leave benefits which is 6 days of sick leave and up to 2 days of personal leave.

Seconded.  Discussion: What other positions would qualify apart from administrative assistant?  Suggested that motion be amended.

Friendly amendment:

To change the “non-licensed exempt positions” to administrative assistant position.

Discussion.

Motion carried.

12. Set next meeting – October 23^rd, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

13. MOTION to adjourn at 10:55pm

14. Action Items

1)      Grants –We need people working on looking for other funding sources.  PTO or Finance or combination?

2)      Fundraising from PTO – TA costs and school needs in general

3)      Marketing/Communications Committee will report on our recruitment campaign.

4)      3 things that need to go into employee handbook – clarify sick leave for salary/hourly employees, vacation, and whether salaried admin position is exempt.

5)      Legal review of employee handbook needs to be done before next meeting.

6)      Steve needs a copy of our teacher contract.

7)      Advertise in Faith bulletin regarding lunch time assistant position.

8)      Recruit members and chair for Facility Committee. Sonia will update a letter to families and get out next week.  Karen will contact our broker as well as a designated person at a possible location noted last Spring.

9)      Melody suggested that each committee hold a meeting to determine tasks, etc.