School Board Meeting Minutes

Regular Meeting

Odyssey Charter School

6201 Noble Ave. N

Brooklyn Center, MN 55429

July 18, 2007

6:30 PM 

Odyssey Board Mission:

The purpose of the Board, on behalf of Odyssey Charter School membership, is to create sustainable conditions in which Odyssey Charter School achieves desired results for students, parents and staff in a financially responsible manner. 
 

Members in attendance: Mike Auld, Jessica Driscoll, Tim Hedberg, Jeni Holm, John Sedey, Steve Skramstad, and Heather Wincek.  Ken Wright attended as an ex-officio member. 

1. Call to order and roll call at 6:45 P.M.
2. Additions to agenda: Be it resolved that Kenneth W. Wright be authorized to sign checks within the guidelines and policies of Odyssey Charter School and that his name be added to the official check signing documents required by Park Midway Bank.
3. Jeni moved and Tim second to accept agenda.  Voted and passed.
4. Acceptance of minutes from May meeting. John moved and Jess second to accept minutes.  Voted and passed.
5. Community Comment: None
6. Presentations and Special Reports
   1. Odyssey School Building Organization: Did not meet.  Ken spoke with Greg  Gredvig from OSBO.  He informed Ken that decision process was moving quickly.  There is a non-profit with serious interest in the building also. 
   2. Director’s Report: John moved that the position description for the Executive Director of Odyssey Charter School be approved.  Jeni second.  Motion passed
   3. Jeni moved that the position description for the Dean of Students of Odyssey Charter School be approved.  Jess second.  Passed.  Discussion of responsibility of opening/closing building to be had.
7. Committee Report:
   1. Community Action Committee: Did not meet.  Scheduled to meet beginning of August.
   2. School Improvement Committee: Merge with Marketing.  See Marketing comments.
   3. Recruiting and Marketing Committee: Kari and Jeni met with Ken.  T-shirts ordered for Ambassadors.  Yard signs for families to post in their yards.  Posters for open house posted at businesses and ad placed in paper.  Open House results: 4 families came for the Open House.  1 family enrolled.  A second Open House to be held beginning of August.  Incentive for referrals: $50 visa g.c. if the student enrolls.  Tim brought marketing materials used by other schools.
   4. Finance Committee: Did not meet.
   5. Financial Report:
8. Consent Agenda: John moved to accept and Jeni second. Motion passed.
9. New Contracts: None
10. Old Business:
    1. Grant writing discussion.  Ken spoke with Kari about her interest in continuing with grant writing. 
11. New Business:
    1. Request to extend waiver of teacher-majority board requirements:  Whereas the sponsor, District 279,conducted a site visit and program review in the spring of 2007 for the charter renewal process, and Whereas the site visit and program review found the board to be performing at above average levels with no creative actions cited, and Whereas the site visit and program review found no areas in which the intended results for the school of the waiver of the teacher majority requirement for the board were not being achieved, and Whereas the site visit and program review found no teacher, parental or community objection to continuing waiver of the teacher majority board requirement at Odyssey, and Whereas the sponsor has been formally notified of the intent to request a continuation of the waiver, Therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Odyssey Charter School requests a continuation of the waiver from M.S. 124D.10 Subd. 4c which requires charter schools to have a teacher majority board of directors and that this waiver is for the period coinciding with the present charter granted by the sponsor.  Jeni moved and Tim second.  Motion passed.
    2. Forming parent advisory group or groups made up of underrepresented segments of the parent population.  Discussion of parents that Ken could contact in taking on a role in leading groups.
    3. Scheduling a board retreat or work session prior to opening of school.  Board unable to coordinate schedules prior to school and will conduct retreat last weekend in September.

XII. Adjournment: Jess moved and Tim second to adjourn meeting at 9:02 P.M.  Motion passed.