Bernadette Lacap

The board meeting covered several operational and academic topics. Discussions included the approval of the regular board meeting minutes from January 27, 2026. Financial matters involved updates on grants and federal assistance reimbursements for the Job Nutrition Program for December 2025, and a requisition for the American program expenses for January. Furthermore, there was an extensive update on curriculum instruction, detailing feedback charts for January and February related to teaching experiences and content organization, noting strong agreement percentages from responders. An update on FEMA projects indicated two projects were verified, with waiting for the next step for three others. Finally, the board reviewed the first-semester student achievement data for School Year 2026-2027, recognizing students achieving 'A Honor Roll' and 'B Honor Roll' based on GPA, absences, and teacher evaluations across all grades, noting a pattern in grade-level performance compared to prior assessments.

The session resumed to regular session following an executive session. A key discussion involved a Motion of Agreement (MOA) that could not be fully addressed. The primary focus was on an unenforceable claim from a 2016 vendor, which appears to be past the statutory limitation period. The Board recommended seeking legal counsel to draft a formal letter to the Office of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to update them on the status of this claim, asserting that payment would violate legal parameters related to the statute of limitations. The discussion concluded with a motion to return to executive session.

The proceedings indicate a return to regular session following a recess, confirmed by a unanimous vote. The final discussions involved a motion to adjourn the meeting, which was seconded and carried.

Discussions during the regular session included updates on federal assistance programs, specifically the Child Nutrition Program, detailing the amount built and seeded, and reimbursement schedules. The board also reviewed student data, noting zero recorded behavior referrals for August, and presented data on average daily attendance across grade levels, specifying the criteria for secondary student presence. Furthermore, the board addressed the required updates and refinement of the suspension and expulsion policy to ensure compliance with federal law, targeting an October submission. Construction updates included presenting value engineering results from the architecture firm and coordinating a meeting with the Governor's office to provide construction progress updates, particularly regarding an MRI status awaiting Attorney General signature. Governance items involved reviewing the status of the council and the impending expiration of a five-year contract, necessitating the preparation for a new RFP. Financial matters involved reviewing monthly allotments and disbursements, noting a significant balance of $1.6 million and discussing budget utilization, especially concerning legal expenditures which seemed to be maxed out due to numerous contract reviews and audits.

The board meeting resumed for governance discussions, focusing on the composition of the Governance Committee. The board accepted the application of Mrs. Marshall Barnes to become the fifth voting member, filling the parent representative role following the departure of a trustee. Discussions also covered the ongoing dual enrollment program with GCC, noting that five applicants applied, with two officially registered and started classes. The committee highlighted that the school is ahead of legislative proposals regarding dual enrollment and discussed potential legislative actions concerning student assistance and college credit attainment. Furthermore, the board addressed staffing vacancies, noting that the College and Career Education Teacher (Full-Time CRT) position was filled, while several others, including Attendance and Safety Officer, School Aid, Accounting Assistant, and Licensed Practitioner Nurse positions, remain vacant due to candidates being recruited elsewhere or immediate certification/licensing challenges. Finally, the board discussed and moved to reaffirm the change in schedule for PD number eight from February 9, 2026, to February 6, 2026, ensuring parents would be notified via multiple channels. The organizational chart changes concerning the alignment of LPN and Nursing Assistant positions with the staffing package were also reviewed.