Welcome and Call to Order

The Meeting will be called to order by the Vice Chair, Janaun Ivy, as Chair Kelly Swinks is absent.

Mission: The mission of The Museum School of Avondale Estates is to inspire students, teachers and the community to collaborate to develop strong critical thinking, interpersonal and academic skills in our students, which will prepare them for real-world success.

Core Values: Responsibility, Respect, Cooperation, Sustainability, Creativity, Kindness

Public Comment

There were no public comments.

Approval of Agenda

Review and approve the meeting agenda.

Approve Previous Meeting Minutes

Approve previous meeting minutes.

Principal's Report

Principal Mike Stewart will update the Board on staff, academics and student body.

Highlights - There's a lot that will happen in the next 6 weeks, given the coming end of the school year. Milestones testing began, many students are taking it for the first time due to changes related to the pandemic. Ms. Galicia's hard work has helped the testing go smoothly.

The staff have been preparing for a transition to the Commission.

We will have several departures of staff - reasons include relocation and leaving the profession. We have already made offers to candidates, and will continue to work on hiring.

Executive Director's Report

Executive Director Dr. Katherine Kelbaugh reported on the management and expense of CARES II and ESSER grant funds. In addition, Dr. Kelbaugh reported on additional funds coming to teachers through the office of Governor Kemp.

Dr. Kelbaugh shared about several community events TMS is participating in or presenting at.

Dr. Kelbaugh shared information about our preparation to move to the SCSC. This includes several documents that were prepared for review by Board members and upcoming budget, operations and staffing shifts. They are creating a Transition Task Force to help guide the process and ensure a smooth transition.

DeKalb County will have a special called board meeting on April 26, related to TMS.

Dr. Kelbaugh invited Anne Huff to present to the Board and community on updates from the TMS Foundation. At the event, the Foundation raised $54,083 and netted $46,393.

Finance Committee And Treasurer's Report

Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair Andrew Tashiro reviewed school financials. Highlights:

1) Overall, actuals are trending better than budget in both March and YTD 

2) Museum visits slightly higher than budget, returning to pre-pandemic levels

3) $20k over budget in legal expenses related to invoices received the past few months. Expected given our ongoing legal needs, but worthy of a callout

4) The balance sheet is in good shape, with the higher cash balance due to timing differences from previous months on when checks were run

Facilities Committee Update

Facilities Chair Jade Yang provided updates, including to the playground and also about an area of concern where there's a gap between the side of the road and the road. The committee will be working on solutions to fix the problem.

Diversity Committee Report

Diversity Committee Chair Christina Cassidy provided a report on the most recent meeting.

Governance Committee Report

Governance Committee Chair Richard Piercy shared that the Board Retreat will be April 26-27 via Zoom. The board is anticipating a vacancy in the Secretary position and seeking candidates. Also, vetting several potential board members in the next few weeks.

Board Chair Update

Board Vice Chair Janaun Ivy updated on behalf of Kelly Swinks, who was absent. He thank everyone for their hard work on the charter renewal and now transition to the SCSC.

The Meeting was Adjourned

The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:15 pm