Cottonwood Valley Charter School

Governing Council

April 10, 2002

 

I.          Call meeting to order                                                            5 minutes                   Mary

 

II.          Pledge of Allegiance                                                            5 minutes                   All

 

III.         Ascertain quorum                                                                  5 minutes                   Mary

            Present—Keith Elder, Jeanne Gacanich, Frances Deters,

Dolores Griego, Mary Dwyer, Barbara Oates

 

IV.        Reading and Approval of Agenda                                      10 minutes                 All

            Motion to approve agenda.  All Ayes

 

V.        Approve minutes of 2/13/02                                                10 minutes                 Jill

            Motion to approve minutes.  All Ayes  

 

VI.        Department Reports                                    

           

A.  Student Council Report                                                  10 minutes     Student Rep.

Omar reported the teachers want a gate by bus stop.  Kids want a basketball court with a hoop.  Jeanne reported the gate had to be special ordered and it would cost about $500.00.  Jeanne will look into the price and feasibility.  Omar asked if any playground equipment has been ordered from fundraiser funds.  Jeanne said that we have looked into a half-court basketball court.  She has looked into having the city or county help but that won’t happen.  Two hoops with four chutes will be ordered.   Dolores report that the dance date has been changed to April 26th.  It will be a Cinco de Mayo celebration with dancing, a tortilla booth and a bake sale.

 

B.  Business Manager’s Report                                          30 minutes     Mary Cox

March report

Mary handed out two budget reports.  One is the budget status for the fiscal year.  Mary is working with MPower to complete the financial statements.  MPower has not given her complete statements.  Mary warns to watch the spending for the rest of the year.  Mary Dwyer asked about using the IDEA and Title I money for the aides and diagnostician.

The second hand out is the proposed budget for the 2002-2003 school year based on present enrollment.  Budget will be presented to Santa Fe on April 16.  Mary says we need to have a public meeting Wednesday, April 17th, at 7:00pm.

 

Approval of BAR’s

No BAR’s at this time.

                       

 

B.  Administrator’s Report                                                   10 minutes                 Dolores

1.  Enrollment and Recruitment

 

Dolores reported on the current enrollment and the intents to enroll for a total of 144 students.  Mary says we will do what we have to accommodate the large 5th and 6th grades next fall.

Cheryl reported that the Charter School Conference would be held May 2-3 and we should think about sending some parents. 

 

Synergy Group will be at CVCS Monday, April 15th.  Dolores asked for personal leave April 22-24th.  The motion was passed.

 

2.  Update on Discipline meeting

Robin facilitated.  Francie reported on the progress of the Discipline Committee.  The next meeting will be April 16th at 7:00pm.  (Insert comments that staff and board members talked about during the council meeting)  The Board asked Dolores if the new discipline policy was helping and Dolores said the children and parents have been adapting to it and things seem to be calming down at the school.

 

VII.  Correspondence & Announcements

Mary talked about going to the meeting of New Mexico Coalition of Charter Schools.  Mary is on the interim board.  She says the board will meet during the NM Charter School Conference.  They will do things like lobby and help make regulations and procedures.

            Mary said some surveys are arriving.  She will need help tallying the results. 

Mary has asked Dolores and Mary to submit a quarterly report to SDE and the local school board.

 

Cheryl said that we are going to Three River’s campground the last weekend in April for Young Explorers.  A moonlight tour of White Sands.

 

VIII.      Old Business

A.     Committee Updates

1.  Facilities

Mary and Dolores went to the City Council meeting and the Lujan Building was approved for our use.  The insurance man from NMPSIA came and found some minor code violations so we cannot use the building until these items are fixed.  Mary Cox reported that the insurance man returned today and most things have been fixed.

 

Glen said that he and Harold are working on the wireless internet installation into each building.  They are working on the filter that will prevent the children from seeing inappropriate things on the net.  Socorro Public Schools use a machine that registers what each person logged on is looking at and it sends up a flag if someone is looking at the wrong thing.  Mary said to go ahead and get it going and we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

 

Capitol Outlay-Socorro School District does qualify for funds and CVCS was told by the State that we would get a small portion.  The school district says they will not give us any money because we would have to negotiate with the district to get these funds and the district has already budgeted all the money.  Mary was told that they would negotiate with CVCS for funds for the 2002-2003 school year.  Mary then called Joey Martin from Critical Capital Outlay and he came down last week to tour the facilities and agreed with Mary that we critically need a multi-purpose/lunch room.  He was so interested that he returned with his staff the next day.  We could be awarded money in December of 2002.  The head of a committee on school deficiencies read the report by the architect and said we would be getting funding by late July for a perimeter fence, an intercom, and connecting the building’s fire alarms.  Mary asked about the big deficiency of a lunch room and he said maybe a large awning.  Mary called a landscape architect about a master plan for the playground but his bill would have been over $4,000.00, so that idea was vetoed.  Maybe move the fence and use the blacktop area currently used for parking?

                  2.   Fundraising:  Yard sale 4/20/02                              10 minutes                 Mary

 

                  3.  Gifted                                                                          15 minutes                 Cheryl

Robin facilitated the last meeting.  She suggested another name for “gifted” as ALPHA.  They are trying to get away from just “gifted” children and work on assimilation with other children.  More kids could be in this group because they have common interests and want to participate in the group’s projects.  They are trying to put together a library of books, puzzles, games, and other things the children and parents could use.

 

                  4.  Election                                                                       15 minutes                 Cheryl

Three slots and one community member slot are open.  People must file their letter of intent.  People cannot be related to a board member or a faculty member.  Staff and board cannot endorse a candidate.   Cheryl needs help putting together the ballots.  Cheryl and Jill are currently the only members of the Election Committee.  Election will be at the school-8:00am-7:00pm.  Need help monitoring the election.

 

            B.  Friends of Charter 501 3 C                                            10 minutes                 Norm

                        Tabled until May meeting.

                                                           

 

IX.        New Business

.           Changes to the Bylaws                                                         20 minutes                 Cheryl

Some of the parents are not registered voters so a proposal has been submitted to change the rules from anyone who is registered to vote can vote for Governing Council to “all registered voters and all parents of children at CVCS can vote”.  Cheryl is also asking to change the Election Day from Thursday to Tuesday.  Motion was made to approve the bylaw amendments.  All Ayes

 

X.  Public Forum

           

XI.  Scheduling next meeting

            May 8, 7:00pm