Our Children S Academy s1

Our Children’s Academy

Executive Board Meeting

5:04 P.M., August 26, 2014

Attendees: Debra Johnson, Kim Nguyen, Tony Nguyen, Steve Nolen, Keri Callaham, Kara Mashmeyer, Leah Knutson, Katie Ingram, Kay West, Kayla Lane, Donna Nobles

TOPIC /

DISCUSSION

/ ACTION/RESOLUTION/F/W /
Call To Order / Rusty Ingley called the meeting to order at 5:04 P.M.
Pledge of Allegiance / Rusty Ingley informed board member that the student who was to lead the pledge was not able to attend and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Recognitions / Steve Whitaker asked that recognitions be moved to the next meeting. Steve Whitaker staff members, Kim Nguyen & her husband along with many others who helped with facility over the summer from landscaping to painting.
Approval of Minutes / Rusty Ingley informed board members that the minutes from the last meeting were not available for this meeting.
Financials / Steve Whitaker spoke about the middle school being in the hole more than expected due to not receiving FEFP payments in June further saying that the transfer as of June 30th could not include payroll due to hold back through August. Funds were transferred to OCMA to cover payroll. Kevin Kohl asked if the payment was not received due to the school closing. Steve said that Brian Warren thought that we were getting a payment but the Finance Dept. said that no school receives a FEFP payment in June. Kevin asked if the hold back and if the school had other liabilities had been cleared up. Steve Whitaker talked about the Inventory and a few items that were inventoried were missing. Robert Fletcher mentioned that the only liability would be the pending lawsuits. Steve asked if they were referring to the Ex-Principals. Kevin said he wasn’t but he assumed that it was Fletch meant. Priscilla asked if there was an increase in FEFP. Steve said that there was an increase on the base student allocation but did not know the percentage of the increase. Steve W told members that a new accountant had been hired, George Miarecki, who worked with Charter Schools since 2001. Making sure system is complete and up to date and has one more item to finalize and would be up to date. Steve W asked Kay West if George said when he would be back, Kay West said that he was waiting for Brian Sherwin to give him a trial balance. Kay said that he (George) did the best he could to give a starting balance but was waiting on Brian. Priscilla told Steve W that we could email Stacy McCrady to send an email asking Brian to give a starting balance. Kay West said that she had emailed Brian asking him saying that the last time that she had received OCCF and this time she received OCA. Donna Nobles said that she had emailed Brian and that he was waiting for some things from Terri and that it may be a few days due to Terri’s situation. Fletch asked if the accountant would help on an as needed bases, Steve W said that he was helping to set the system up and is making sure everything matches. Priscilla said that with Terri being out for a while to ask George to take it as it is and then George can make adjustments as needed. Kevin asked if he had any opinion on our accounting or infrastructure. Steve asked as far as what. Kevin further asked if he thought that it looked ok or that we needed to make changes. Kay said that he looked at everything and plugged in and understands how Brian did it but locally we would like to zero everything out. He took accounts, balanced them out. He didn’t see anything wrong-wrong but just move us forward. Rusty asked if we were talking about OCCF right now. Steve Whitaker said that Lake Wales Charter had all of their items under one board meeting and did not have to open different ones. He didn’t see the need to have 3 separate meetings. Rusty said that he was curious about the pledges receivable and what we are doing to follow up, saying that they were about 2 years old and there is half a million dollars there and is not sure what makes up the number and would like to know. Rusty said If we need to send out a quarterly reminder. Priscilla said that we could probably look at OCCFs audit from last year and could probably use that. Rusty said that wrong because it was zero in 2013 but was $578,000. Priscilla said that was because she was not able to get the information but she did. Rusty wanted to know who the people are and be in good communication with them. Kay West said only one person had been donating now that has paid and has only booked it this for one pay and that he had been a whole year since the had put anything into the system and Brian said that it was a good thing that they didn’t because only one person had paid. Rusty asked for any other questions about the finances. No questions. Kevin said alright so since this is the last next time it will all be one (meaning financials from OCA & OCMA). Rusty asked if a motion would be needed to approve the financials. Fletch asked if we would approve them on the next meeting. Kevin said that we do not vote in the financials.
Executive Director’s Report / Steve talked about only 20-30 students from both schools withdraw to go to the Winter Haven campus, which is roughly 10%. We have made phone calls to parents. A lot of them were to proximity. With busing, a lot it is getting on the bus at 6:30 opposed to 7:30 or getting home after 5:00. So it is understandable. He further said that the Winter Haven school made numerous attempts to call out parents on a continual basis and kind of gave them improper information on our school status that his Sharon, Heike, Geni. He has names of everybody that has called. Some said we are not serving ESE kids anymore, not offering therapy, we have roaches and mold in the building and classrooms, a lot of interesting stories told to parents. They pushed the issue looking to push the issue with some of the parents who do not know to disregard some of that information. One parent went to the newspaper and a couple were voiceful in taking up for the school this all went up to the Saturday before school started. It wasn’t the mass exodus what they were trying to do but there were some things going on behind the scenes and he has shared things with Joe, the attorney about not necessarily not playing by the rules. Steve said that he understands that parents do have a choice but the way it went about was pretty bad. Fletch asked how many left to go to the other location. Rusty asked Kevin it that was interference. Kevin said the problem is that we are not profitable-profitable, we are not a private school, we are providing a government function so I don’t know, I am kind of speaking out of turn but I think that might create a hurdle setting even if we have a business relationship just like Hillcrest could not sue Polk Avenue for kids going from on to the other, now if we were private school, that might be different but we are not. Rusty asked so even saying things like we are not serving ESE students anymore. Kevin said that may be more of defamation of a defamation suit. Steve said that he will turn the next piece over to Priscilla. Priscilla says that we have filed a lawsuit, everybody knows, they have 20 days to respond 9/3 is their deadline. Further saying that we had hoped that when the suit was filed and a copy was sent to Mike that we would like to negotiate if you are interested we had hope that might get some response from them but so far there is nothing so my guess is we will wait the 20 days which is the 3rd and they will file to dismiss or do a counter, I don’t know. She said that we filed on the 11th and they were served on the 13th. Kevin said that he thought that they were served on the 15th but it all depended on when they were served. Priscilla said that is what he (Joe) told her when she asked him to give a scenario to share. Priscilla said it would be early the next week and that is what happens. Rusty said that it was a waiting game and asked that the board be kept posted on that.
Steve said that we are working to facilitate numbers and through a partnership with Lake Wales Charter that we have already received students from Polk Avenue and Janie Howard who they thought would be better served at our schools. We are working on better communication with Lake Wales Charter and he has a meeting with their leadership on a Tuesday to discuss that with everyone. He didn’t see Bok having that kind of students but thought that the Elementary school would and the services who would be a better fit. He shared that his wife had a student that was mainstreamed back and did well on the FCAT and just so y’all know it’s both and just as quick as the first few days of school, we had a few schools already contact us. Rusty asked who was doing their therapy portion. Steve said that for speech it was Speech Services something, SS something. He gave them the info from Invo that we are using for PT & OT. He wasn’t sure if they had secured anyone for those services. He said that speech is really 90% of their services. Fletch thanked Steve for working to repair the relationship saying that in the past it had been kind of adversarial saying that he want it to become a relationship that compliments each other and having a good working relationship. Steve said that it is the same with McLaughlin and it is a unique opportunity for everyone to work together and if they work together that they could really complement each other. Fletch asked if we were reaching out to McLaughlin and Spook Hill. Steve said that he will meet with Debbie at Roosevelt on the middle school and he has not had the chance to meet with Eric yet. He said had received permission from Brian Warren and out talking to the schools and that he is now over HR for PCSB. Fletch said Good work. Rusty talked to Jesse a few weeks ago and he was complimentary as well. Steve asked if there were any questions and no was the response.
Human Resources Report / Steve Nolen talked about having a full staff when school started totaling 83 staff members of which are 21 teachers, 33 paras and 14 therapists which included OT, PT, Speech & Behavior, 12 administrative, 2 maintenance, 1 nurse and 2 contracted therapists, an OT & PT on campus. We completed OCAs benefit packed that had significant savings. We offer 2 health care plans one that is 100 % employer paid and another that is 90%. Even with the higher option employees are still saving. The current bi-weekly payment is $11.40 per employee. Last year OCA contributed $413.92 per month per employee. This year we are paying $340.24 which is a significant savings moving to an ACA compliant plan and we have very much benefited from moving to our own plan this year. Steve W said we would have the total numbers once we get everything situated but we are offering better services for less than what we budgeted. Rusty Ingley said nice. Steve N. said have similar savings in dental, vision, long term disability. We used some of the savings to increase the benefit in life insurance from $15,000-$25,000 in life and accidental death and dismemberment. We also added an Administrative Class that covered at $100,000. We moved from Aflac with Supplemental to Colonial Life to have better service and to help with the way our benefits are explained. We also for the first time this year be partnering with Tampa Bay Financial Group. They will be coming after Labor Day which will offer 457, 457 ROTH and 403b with a match that has no administrative cost to us for the first year and as long as we 25% of employees participate. We are able to offer much more than we have in the past and the employee feedback that we have is it is well received. The employee handbook is at the PCSB for approval. We hope to have it at the next board meeting next month so that you can review it and vote on that. Then we can get it back so if gets approved then by the PCSB. On the IT side, we also have OCA mobile app that is in the I-tunes and Android store. We anticipate using it to improve communication that way. It will have some messaging pieces to it and we can start advertising the campaign and get people involved in it too. Steve W says that it is another way for communication and that LW Charter is already using the apps. It already has our website and our staff loaded on to it and it’s free so make sure you get Our Children’s App.
Fletch asked what we finalized through the Payroll piece. Steve Nolen said with Paychex, Fletch responded, yes. Steve N said we have been doing that since 8/8 and had a run on 8/15 as well because we converted. 8/8 was the last of the holdback from the 13/14 school year and on 8/15 we did as a short run to tie them over as we converted from bi-weekly to semi-monthly and our next semi-monthly will be this Friday. Kevin asked about the difference in the cost of services between what we are paying and what we were paying. Steve N said that he didn’t have an answer and that we do not have an actual number right now and part of that was we are looking to get final real numbers as we move to an online time clock for our salaried non-exempt employees which are formerly our hourly employees. Part is a cost based on that and part based on a per paycheck W-2 and as we have shifted around to make sure what our number of employees looks like we will be able to talk at that point. Fletch said good job putting that together and he knows that it was a lot of work and at the same time that was a moving target, putting that benefits together. Priscilla asked if we were able to close the TD Bank Acct now. Steve N says that we have to have one more FRS payment go through it and we have rolled people over now so that it one of the last piece. Steve N asked Kay if she thought that it would sit for a few months. Kay said that we thought that we would let it sit for a month or two and just let it saying that it would just be given back anyway. Rusty asked if TD was moving out of town. Kay said that she had heard that. Rusty said so they will not be in LW anymore. Rusty said I am not sure if that makes a difference but. Priscilla said that we would get notification but we would want to close it out by them. Rusty asked if Steve had anything else and thanked him.