THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON · @6:30pm in Room 321 on September 1st. The Parent Association also will welcome David Brown & Danette Day at that reception. 3. CSW Program Highlight

THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON 100 N. DuPont Road Wilmington, DE 19807

Board Minutes

Board of Directors August 24, 2010 Room 321 6:02 p.m.Prepared by Lynn Procak

In Attendance: Lynn Srivastava, Ray Seigfried, Keith Wing, Robert Fry, Leith Munson, Brian Magee, Irwin Becnel, Walt Warner; Lee Cross was available via phone conference

Not Present: Steve Martin, Andy Yatzus

1. Administrative• Lynn moved to review and approve the agenda, Lee Cross seconded the motion; the

motion was approved unanimously, 9 to 0.• Lynn moved to approve the following minutes and the management report; Leith

seconded the motion and the motion was approved unanimously, 8 to 0.

1) Board Minutes, June 222) Finance Committee Minutes, July 203) Governance Committee Minutes, August 104) Development Committee Minutes, August 3 (Advancement Committee)6) August Management Report

• Keith Wing made a motion to change the name of the Development Committee to the Advancement Committee. Ray seconded the motion; the motion was approved unanimously, 9 to 0.

Walt announced two additions to the Administration team; Danette Day VP of Academic Affairs and David Brown, VP of Technology & Research.

Walt also talked about Jim Kelly from ING Direct who was a speaker at the 2010 June Graduation Ceremony. Jim was so impressed with our graduating class and our school that he added CSW to ING’s Community Outreach program and they donated and installed over $50,000 of new technology & upgrades including a new wireless infrastructure.

David Brown is also submitting an application for a $25,000-$50,000 ING grant for additional technology for CSW.

Walt also reported that through donations raised through the Boosters and the Parent Association we now have a new scoreboard for our athletic stadium. Additional funds are still being raised to complete payment.

Chris Eddy & Walt met with Ted Amman, the new Red Clay Facilities manage,r and he has agreed to pay for the new permanent bleachers and the sidewalk repair on the visitor side of the stadium.

Ray Seigfried wanted to acknowledge the proactive & positive approach Walt took with the Facebook situation. Walt commented that the work was ongoing and steps were being taken to educate our faculty, staff and students.

2. Public Comment

• Yvonne Johnson thanked Lee Cross, Steve Martin & Ray Seigfried for their hard work, and long hours dedicated to CSW Board. She wished them well as they step down at the September meeting.

Yvonne also welcomed Irwin Becnel as our new Board member and talked about the years of experience he brings with him to add to the success of CSW.

Yvonne also spoke of the new CSW sign on the front of the building and reminded everyone about the official unveiling/ribbon cutting ceremony that would take place on 8/31 @6:45pm. There is also a reception being held for the Administrative staff @6:30pm in Room 321 on September 1st.

The Parent Association also will welcome David Brown & Danette Day at that reception.

3. CSW Program Highlight - Academic Integrity Policy

• Walt reviewed the draft of the Academic Integrity policy via overhead. He explained that originally the entire faculty came together to give feedback on the topic and then a smaller group (including someone from administration) took over led by Stew Wilson. Doc Hollstein also did extensive research and spent a significant amount of time gathering data on the topic. Doc used resources from other schools in other states including colleges outside the state of DE. This document is a work in progress. A draft will eventually be up on the web and we’ll ask for feedback from parents through a Thursday email once the document is ready. Some of the items still being worked out are:

1. Honor Pledge for student’s signatures2. Assembly to introduce to the students3. Creation of an Honor Council made up of students and faculty

The members of this committee were Stew Wilson, Rose Lounsbury, Rose Melendez, Sue Spilecki, Bobbie McGowan & Lee Middleton. Rita Vasta & Linda Brizendine who are no longer with us at CSW were also on the committee.

4. Preliminary Operating Budget 2010-2011 (For Board Approval)

• Jed reviewed the CSW Proposed Operating Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011.

One of the biggest impacts to our budget is the transportation formula. It has a negative impact on the budget by $116 per student.

The Department Chairs were involved in creating their own department budget and they will continue to be involved going forward.

A motion was made by Robert Fry to accept the Preliminary Operating Budget with the understanding that the final budget would be approved with the recommendation of the Finance Committee in October once all the final figures are in. Ray Seigfried seconded the motion. The motion was approved 9 to 0.

5. Employee Handbook Draft

• The Board has approved the current handbook/policies.

Quality of Life Committee (formally known as the Ad Hoc Committee) was instrumental in the creation and updates to the employee handbook.

The Governance Committee has reviewed the handbook and will post it on our website for review.

Jim Taylor has also been involved in the updates to this document and has approved what has been established thus far.

The timeline for the final draft is mid-October.

Lynn was pleased with the progress and has seen a significant improvement and believes we’re on the right path.

5B. Admissions Policy

• This topic has been tabled until a later date due to ongoing discussions and legal issues.

6. Update on Program Changes for 2010-11 School-Year

• The 2010-2011 Tactical Goals were introduced in a two year plan. This will be reviewed and finalized at the September Board meeting. Please forward any comments on this document to Walt Warner or Lynn Srivastava.

• Walt shared that Frank Hagan (his mentor) has agreed to step in and help out as the interim VP of Student Affairs.

The new modified block schedule was discussed. This schedule will alleviate stress for both the students and the faculty and give them both more time during the day for study and reflection.

Danette Day will chair the Curriculum Council with the Department Chairs that will meet monthly to review, discuss and create academic policies and review proposed curricular changes.

Stew Wilson reported that the CSW Envirothon Team finished second in the country and 4th nationally. Dr. Kurian hosted a party for the team to celebrate this amazing accomplishment. The University of Delaware has asked our team to write a paper on their experience.

Walt announced another new addition to our staff. Rick Schuder, who has been a Track and Field coach at Charter for several years, is our new Science Lab Academic Support person.

Board Meetings will remain the 4th Tuesday of every month.

Lynn Srivastava made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:04; Irwin Becnel seconded the motion, the motion was approved unanimously, 9 to 0.

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 4

Board Meeting Minutes, September 28, 2010 Approved 11/30/2010

THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON

100 N. DuPont Road Wilmington, DE 19807

Board Minutes

Board of Directors September 28, 2010 Room 321 5:40 p.m.

Prepared by Lynn Procak

In Attendance: Bruce Hough, Andy Yatzus, Leith Munson, Keith Wing, Brian Magee, Leland

Cross, Robert Fry, Raymond Seigfried, Walt Warner, Lynn Srivastava & Steve Martin.

By Video Conference: Irwin Becnel

1. Administrative

Lynn Srivastava made a motion to approve the Agenda. The motion was seconded and

the vote was unanimous.

Lynn made a motion to postpone the Employee Handbook discussion until the October

Board meeting. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

.

Lynn made a motion for consent approval of the following minutes, the motion was

seconded and approved unanimously.

1) Board Minutes, August 24 (available on our website)

2) Advancement Minutes, September 29 (available on our website)

Walt reviewed the monthly Management Report. The report is posted on our website.

Additional points by Walt include mention of his letter of apology to parents for the

confusion surrounding the new block scheduling. The letter points out that we misjudged

how complicated this change would be with a new data base. Some of our tech people

were unable to assist with the new scheduling system because of the work they were

doing with ING installing new technology and equipment. The challenges that we

encountered were not anticipated and we underestimated the impact it would have on

students and faculty. Since the beginning of school we have added several new classes

which were first offered to seniors.

2. Public Comment

Kim Hoeschel talked about Casino Night being scheduled for April 2, 2011. She gave out

Save The Date cards. There will be another car raffle this year.

Cheryl Potocki needs volunteer judges for the Science Ambassadors Expo. They have

approximately 150 students involved.



Mandy Gonye is still concerned about the amount of study halls some students have and she

feels it’s important for our students to have a full course load so that they can pursue their

goals for the future. She feels the Guidance Counselors should work harder to get the

students into electives that they will benefit from.

Yvonne commented that she received over 100 emails and phone calls from parents

complaining they hadn’t received their child’s schedule before school started. Parents felt

there were too many changes and they weren’t comfortable with these changes. The parents

send their students to this school to prepare them for college and they want them to be

challenged and have a full course load. They also feel that their students should be offered

more than two Advanced Placement classes. They are worried about the direction the school

is taking. Henry Clampitt distributed copies of a letter to the Board which he received from

parents listing the same concerns.

Yvonne Johnson wanted to thank Lee Cross and Steve Martin for their time and energy spent

serving on the Board of Directors.

3. Review Admissions Policy Draft

Walt reviewed a proposed draft with revisions to the admissions policy. There was

some discussion about whether or not to use 78 percentile or 78 percent. The current

rubric used to assign weights is still subject to adjustment. He would like to use a

different Placement Test this year but that is still to be determined. Our focus again

this year is to determine the level of interest in science and math. The preferences are

also still being reviewed.

Walt also noted that our faculty and administration will review the interview process

for students who do not meet the qualifying interest score. We will begin tracking the

progress of each class as they progress towards graduation. We will build on lessons

learned and evaluate and address any future concerns that may arise.

Henry Clampitt (in public comment) expressed his concerns with the current policy,

Placement Test and weightings.

Lynn S. wants to make sure that we have everything in place by the first Open House

on November 1st so that Walt can communicate this to the parents. It should also be

posted on our website before then. Lynn asked for a motion to approve the proposed

draft policy as written, this motion was seconded. Lee Cross said he felt the draft was

not ready at this time for a vote. However a vote was taken and the motion failed to

carry 2 to 9.

Walt will discuss with Red Clay the Board’s concerns regarding the above issues.



Ray moved to call a special Executive Session meeting of the Board to work on the

Admissions Policy on Friday, October 8. (The meeting was subsequently scheduled

for October 11th

, 2010). Lee Cross seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous.

4. Election of new Board Members and 2010 -2011 Officers.

The three individuals in the pool for parent representatives were Nancy Crain,

Paul Wallace and Kevin Sullivan. Lynn commented how strong all three

candidates were and we would be fortunate to have any one of them on our Board.

A roll call vote was taken; 6 votes were cast for Nancy, 5 votes were cast for Paul

and 0 votes for Kevin. Nancy was elected to the Board as a parent rep.

At this time Lynn also welcomed nominees for our new faculty rep., Robin Lober,

our “stated” parent rep. Henry Clampitt and our new corporate sponsor rep.,

Marsha Gilmore from Christiana Care. Lee Cross made a motion to elect all three

nominees to the Board and the motion was seconded. The vote was unanimous.

The new seated Directors are: Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Marsha Gilmore

and Robin Lober. They replace Steve Martin, Lee Cross, Ray Seigfried, and

Leith Munson respectively.

Lynn recognized Lee Cross and thanked him for being a great role model that

represented the tax payers of Delaware. He also took on the role of Governance

chair, where he was a tremendous asset to the Board. His experience and

leadership were instrumental in the success of this committee.

Lynn recognized Steve Martin commenting how he played an important role in

the growth of the Academic Excellence Committee. He also helped to create

internships for CSW students at the University of Delaware.

Lynn then recognized Ray Seigfried for his ten years of service to the Board of

Directors of CSW. Lynn presented him with a bust of Thomas Jefferson, and

quoted several similar characteristics the two of them had in common. His

leadership and passion helped this Board through turbulent times as well as

moved us into a future of growth and opportunity. He will be sorely missed. Ray

spoke about his experiences as Chair.

Lynn then moved to nominate new officers for the CSW Board; Irwin Becnel as

our new Chair, Keith Wing as Vice Chair, Robert Fry as Treasurer and Lynn

Procak as Secretary. Henry Clampitt seconded the motion and it was approved

unanimously.

Bec thanked Lynn for her help and support during the transition and Keith Wing

also commended Lynn for her incredible integrity and the values she exhibited as

Chair of the Board.



Keith distributed a Board Commitment letter for the new members to sign.

Bec thanked the outgoing Board Members for their time and service and said they

will always be remembered for their wonderful leadership and guidance.

5. Miscellaneous Business

There was a brief discussion about the budget. Walt stated that once we know the

level of funding that is available, it will be presented to the Board for approval.

Adjournment

Lynn Srivastava moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:03; the motion was seconded and the

vote was unanimous.


Board Meeting Minutes, October 26, 2010 Approved 11/30/2010



Board Minutes

Board of Directors October 26, 2010 Room 321 5:42 p.m.

Prepared by Lynn Procak

In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Bruce Hough, Andy Yatzus, Henry Clampitt, Keith Wing, Brian

Magee, Robin Lober, Robert Fry, Nancy Crain, Lynn Srivastava, Marsha Gilmore & Walt

Warner.

1. Administrative

Irwin Becnel (Bec) called the meeting to order, he then moved to observe a “Moment

of Silence” for Liz Rada at the beginning of the meeting. The motion was seconded

and a moment of silence was held for Liz Rada.

Bec moved for the Agenda and Board Minutes to be accepted, the motion was then

amended by Henry Clampitt to postpone approval of minutes until the next meeting.

The amended motion was seconded and accepted unanimously.

Henry reported on activity plans for the Ad Hoc Committee for the President Search

Process. He noted that the committee members (appointed by the Chair on October

11th) are Henry Clampitt, Robin Lober, and Marsha Gilmore to reflect respectively

our parents, faculty, and community. Lynn moved to expand this committee with

additional members, the motion was then amended to propose only the addition of a

student member, Aaron Weiner, then the amended motion was seconded and

approved.

Bec announced that Andy Yatzus has elected to resign from the Board for personal

reasons, effective immediately. Andy spoke briefly about his positive experiences in

working with Mr. Warner as well as with members of the Board, having served since

February of 2008 as a Community Director. Andy’s service was recognized by Bec

and by applause of the assembly.

Bec listed nominees for the following Standing Committees:

AESAC (Academic Excellence & Student Affairs Committee) – Lynn

Srivastava as Chair

Finance Committee – Robert Fry as Chair

Strategic Planning & Advancement Committee – Keith Wing as Chair

with Nancy Crain and Marsha Gilmore as members

Governance Committee – Henry Clampitt as Chair



In addition, Bec listed the following nominees for the Community Advisory Panel

(CAP):

Lynn Srivastava as Chair with Marsha Gilmore as a member.

A motion was made to accept the above nominees. The motion was seconded and the

vote was unanimous.

Walt did not present a current Management Report; rather, he suggested postponing

discussion of the most recent report until the next board meeting to allow for

consideration of board comments before posting it to the website.

2. Public Comment

Yvonne Johnson (President, Parent Association) – Graduation

Carla Markell and Yvonne were able to secure The Grand for this year’s Graduation

ceremony on June 4th

, 2011 at an acceptable cost.

Stephanie Messinger (Faculty/Staff) – Budget Constraints and the effects on the

student body

She expressed her concerns and that of her students over the possible budget

shortfalls that might be coming. She also offered her thoughts on the need for long

term substitutes. (Walt offered supplemental comments on the matter of substitutes.)

Andrew Donnelly (Student) spoke about all of the changes in the last few years and

the effect they have had on the student body. He felt that sometimes when changes

have been made the impact on students was not fully considered beforehand.

Rose Melendez (Faculty/Staff) – Budget

She is worried about freshman sports programs being cut, and described some of the

benefits they offer for students.

Diane Brown & Jacqueline Long (Parents) – Graduation

After Yvonne’s announcement, they are grateful that Graduation will be held at The

Grand. Diane also expressed some concerns about the effect of change on students.

Beth Engler (President-Elect, Parent Association)– Charter Fund

She talked about the fundraising parties coming up. She noted that the economy has

impacted all of us and that we have tough choices ahead to make. The Charter Fund

helps bridge our budget to help our students with the programs they need to stay

competitive.

Stewart Wilson (Faculty/Staff) – Budget concerns. He also talked about the specific

value of freshman sports. He also suggested that items for Board decision should be

posted well in advance of meetings to allow for public comment, and he feels that



everyone should have input before there are any budget cuts. Robert Fry suggested

that he come to a Finance Committee meeting where the budget details are discussed;

Robert also mentioned that FY2012 budget planning will start soon.

3. CSW Program Highlight – Science Department

Tom Fleetwood gave a report on what’s happening in the Science Department. The

presentation is available on our website.

4. CSW Program Highlight – Technology, Computer Science & Research

David Brown gave an update on technology, computer science & research. The

presentation is available on our website.

5. Approve Financial Reports; Approve 2010-11 Operation Budget

Jed Desmond & Robert Fry reviewed the annual 2010-2011 Operating Budget. Our

final student count this year is 970 (down from 979 last year). Our budget was

significantly impacted by the 2.5% increase in Red Clay salaries which we were

unaware of until after our initial budget was prepared. Bec moved to approve the

October 14th

Revised Budget as presented. The motion was seconded and passed

unanimously. The budget will also be available to view on our website. Note: The

athletic budget was not impacted therefore concerns expressed during Public

Comments were not realized.

Adjournment –

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40pm. The Board went into an Executive Session

with no public session to follow.

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 3 Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, November 30, 2010 Approved 01/25/2011


Board Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting November 30, 2010 Room 321, 6:00 PM

Note: The Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM to discuss legal and personnel maters. At 6:00 PM the Boad came out of executive session and the public session commenced as follows: In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Keith Wing, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry, Walt Warner. By Teleconference: Lynn Srivastava (voice-only; i.e., not eligible to vote)

Approval of Agenda The meeting agenda was approved by unanimous vote after the addition of Standing Committee member nominations.

Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes Minutes of the September 28 meeting were approved as presented. Minutes of the October 26 meeting were approved with corrections noted. Both approvals wee moved, seconded and passed unanimously.

Approval of Standing Committee Nominations

The following Standing Committee member appointments for FY2011 were made by Irwin Becnel:

Strategic Planning & Development: Existing Members: Keith Wing (Chair), Nancy Crain, Marsha Gilmore Appointments: Bruce Hough, Robert Fry

Governance: Existing Members: Henry Clampitt (Chair) Appointments: Robin Lober, Brian Magee, Paul Wallace

Finance & Compensation Existing Members: Robert Fry (Chair) Appointments: Irwin Becnel, Brian Magee, Joanne Schlosberg, Maribeth

Hoffman, Jeff Osberg Academic Excellence & School Affairs Existing Members: Lynn Srivastava (Chair) Appointments: Danette Day, Cheryl Potocki, Robin Lober, Nancy Crain


Robert Fry moved to approve these appointments; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Reports

President’s Report – Walt Warner reviewed highlights of the November Management Report. The report will be posted on the school website. Financial Report – Jed Desmond reviewed the FY2011 financial results for July through October; the financial reports will be posted on the school website. Jed reported that contributions to the Charter Fund now total $55,000 and that the Charter Fund mailing for this year will begin the first week of December. Jed also noted that the final FY2010 financial report will be available by the end of next week.

Ad Hoc President Search Process Update – Henry Clampitt reviewed the search process proposal developed by the Ad Hoc Search Process Committee, noting that the position description is being drafted and will be ready for review soon. After discussion of suggestions from several Directors, it was agreed to hold a Special Meeting of the board on December 10th to review, finalize and approve the search process and position description.

Policies Under Review for Action at the next Meeting

Walt Warner presented a draft of a revised Anti-Bullying Policy; the revised version is more detailed than the current policy and is consistent with Red Clay policy. The draft will be made available on the website for review by all stakeholders. The policy will be presented for adoption at the regular January Board Meeting.

Special Presentation – Middle States Re-accreditation

Walt Warner provided an overview of the accreditation process and stated that the pre-visit with Dr. Mark Stamm is scheduled for February 25th. Building on earlier preparation work from last year, the current work includes a new objective regarding Academic Integrity; in addition, updated community surveys will be collected prior to winter break and self-study write-ups will be complete by January 24th.

Public Comment

• Yvonne Johnson spoke about upcoming Red Clay elections and about the Parent Association’s cyber-awareness event held on November 29th .

• Robin Lober recognized Stewart Wilson for the amount of time he has dedicated to the Middle States Accreditation preparation.


Action Items

A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to approve the FY2011 monthly financial reports for July through October.

Adjournment of Public Session

Irwin Becnel adjourned the public session of the meeting to return to Executive Session at 8:28 PM.

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 3 Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, December 10, 2010 Approved 01/25/2011


Board Meeting Minutes

December 10, 2010 Room 321, 5:00 PM

Note: The Board went into executive session at 4:00 PM to discuss personnel matters. At 5:00 PM the Board came out of executive session and the public session commenced as follows: In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Keith Wing, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry, Lynn Srivastava, Walt Warner.

Approval of Agenda

The meeting agenda was approved by unanimous vote after revising the order of Action Items to address administrative contracts prior to the search process review.

Motion

Robert Fry introduced the following motion:

• All administrative contracts with automatic renewal clauses shall be acted on by the President such that they will not be automatically renewed; and

• The President shall be authorized to negotiate new contracts with the affected personnel by June 30, 2011.

Comments by Directors on the motion include the following:

• Irwin Becnel noted that the new building rent payments, plus the enrollment reduction order, are expected to create a $230K funding gap in FY2011 (with use of $230K in prior year funds) and a $400K funding gap in FY2012 (with use of $90K in prior-year funds). He also noted that the school is still determining how to restructure in light of these shortfalls, and therefore needs to consider this motion with an eye toward closing these gaps.

• Walt Warner noted that there are currently seven administrative contracts (six plus his own) and that five of these contracts do not have automatic renewal clauses. The motion allows flexibility in deciding on a recommendation to the Board to save money with a new streamlined administrative structure.

• Irwin Becnel noted that the school can only dip into financial reserve funds for a short period, not as a long-run solution. The Board will work toward seeking new financial donations to help close the gap, and will work with the Red Clay Board to seek relief from the enrollment reduction order. Mr. Becnel concluded by saying that these actions can not be an assurance of success and that the school must in any case resolve its funding challenges


• Walt Warner then concluded the discussion by saying that the two affected contracts are with administrators who are valued and who have his support.

Public Comment

Public comments were offered by the following individuals:

• Aaron Weiner (student) spoke about the President Search process and about administrative contracts.

• Kurt Hollstein (admin) spoke about administrative contracts.

• Stewart Wilson (faculty) spoke about administrative contracts.

• Yvonne Johnson (parent) spoke about administrative contracts.

• Mandy Gonye (parent) spoke about administrative contracts.

• Mark Thompson (faculty) spoke about administrative contracts. Action

Robert Fry repeated the motion which was then seconded and approved by the votes of Irwin Becnel, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Keith Wing, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry and Lynn Srivastava. (Robin Lober abstained)

President Search Process

Henry Clampitt led a discussion of the Search Process proposal which was introduced at the November 30, meeting, and also introduced the President job description in a Position Profile document to be published on the website for candidates to review. Included in the Search Process is a recommendation for the Search Committee members. Directors recommended as members are Henry Clampitt, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough and Robin Lober. Other members recommended for the committee are Andrew Donnelly, Rose Lounsbury, Carla Markell and Aaron Weiner. The composition of the Search Committee was explained as being evenly balanced at 50% Directors and with two students, two current parents, two faculty, and two Directors without students currently enrolled. Individual directors offered myriad suggestions for revision and/or consideration. Among these suggestions, key recommendations included:

• Ensure that student photos in the Position Profile have parental permission.

• The scope of the search does not include “interim leader” matters; these shall be left to the Board as necessary.

• The work of the Search Committee and of all Advisory Committees (ACs) should strive to be free from personal bias.

• The Search Committee shall review their selection of semifinalists with the Board, in executive session, before acting to establish AC interviews.


Action

• Approval of the Position Profile with amendments to reflect comments offered by the Board was moved, seconded and unanimously approved.

• Approval of the Search Process with the key recommendations of the Board included [noted above] was moved, seconded and unanimously approved.

• Appointment of Henry Clampitt as Chair of the Search Committee, and of Bruce Hough as Vice Chair, was moved, seconded and unanimously approved.


Irwin Becnel adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM.

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 4, plus attachments

Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, January 25, 2011 Minutes Approved February 22, 2011




January 25, 2011 Room 321, 6:00 PM

Note: The Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM to discuss personnel matters.

At 6:10 PM the Board came out of executive session and the public session commenced

at 6:15 PM as follows:

In Attendance: Keith Wing, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Brian

Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry, Lynn Srivastava, Walt Warner.

Presiding Member: Keith Wing, Vice Chair

(Irwin Becnel, Chair, was not able to attend)

Approval of Agenda

The meeting agenda was approved as-written by unanimous consent.

Prior Meeting Minutes

Draft minutes were distributed for the November-26th

and December-10th

board

meetings. Bruce Hough moved to approve the minutes as written; the motion was

seconded and unanimously approved.

President’s Report

Walt Warner distributed the January Management Report by email prior to the

meeting; it will be posted on the website. His verbal report to the Board included the

following highlights:

Walt received positive feedback from members of the Red Clay board related

to the show of support by the CSW community at their recent school board

meeting. Walt’s prepared remarks delivered at that meeting are included as

an appendix to the January Management Report.

The FY2011 Charter Fund drive has received $122,391 so far, with 41% of

families participating. Walt recognized the Strategic Planning and

Development Committee and the many parent volunteers for their initiative

and their help in achieving this success.

The 2011-12 admission process is underway. Among the 819 applicants, 773

of them completed the application process including the phase placement

exam. We currently have 184 applicants in the interest preference pool based

on rubric scores alone and another 420 applicants have requested interviews to

be considered. The school will fill 225 freshman seats consistent with the



enrollment management plan, with a possible increase if Red Clay grants the

school some relief regarding the authorized upper enrollment limit.

Officer & Committee Chair Reports

Finance Committee: Robert Fry asked Jed Desmond to field questions from the Board

regarding the FY2011 Nov-YTD report (distributed by email). Highlights include:

We expect an additional $55K in state funds (vs the October report)

We have received a second $50K technology grant from ING Direct (“ING”) in

January, bringing the total amount donated by ING to $98K for the fiscal year.

o Nancy Crain suggested that the school recognize ING in some way;

Walt Warner has discussed this with ING leaders previously and found

that they prefer to not have public recognition; Walt intends to send a

written letter of appreciation.

We have received an additional $164K in Federal stimulus funds (versus the

December report) for use over two years for the purpose of maintaining or

creating jobs. Some of these funds will be used to retain Frank Hagen this year.

We have incurred some negative cost variances include textbook costs; a

detailed variance report will be presented at the February board meeting.

Insurance costs will be reflected in the February report; Henry Clampitt

requested that the school distribute copies of the current Directors & Officers

insurance policy to board members.

Governance Committee: Henry Clampitt reported that the last two scheduled

meetings for January were cancelled due to weather closures. He provided brief

remarks on the status of policy reviews and on plans to develop a description of

Director attributes and capabilities to help guide the recruitment process.

Academic Excellence & School Affairs Committee: Lynn Srivastava reported that

mid-year student scores are being reviewed for outcomes and trends. She provided

brief remarks on the need to renew/develop the school’s Junior Research programs.

Walt Warner noted that the school seeks to focus on individual student growth

metrics rather than aggregate metrics for school populations. The DCAS is a

start in this direction -- a significant improvement over the DSTP method.

Community Advisory Panel: Lynn Srivastava moved to add Ben Attia (a CSW

student) to the CAP through FY2012; the motion was seconded and approved

unanimously. She also noted that Sue Rescigna will continue as a CAP member.

Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Keith Wing reiterated the YTD

success of the Charter Fund and recognized the efforts of many people in the CSW

community who have helped to achieve it.



Special Presentation

Rosemary Basquill delivered an engaging presentation about the English Department

and the curriculum. Also present were Sue Rescigna and Jennifer Hollstein who

fielded many questions from Board members.

Public Comment

Public comments were offered by the following individuals:

Cheryl Potocki (faculty) commented on issues related to the admissions

process and the school’s website content.

Yvonne Johnson (parent and Parent Association President) commented on:

o Red Clay and the CSW enrollment ceiling

o A likely candidate to run for a Red Clay board seat

o Dave Sokola’s support for charter schools

o Supportive comments about the CSW college counseling staff

Action Items

Robert Fry offered a Finance Committee recommendation for approval of the

November and December financial reports which were distributed to the Board

members and presented by Jed Desmond. Henry Clampitt moved to accept the

recommendation; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The reports

will be posted on the school website.

Comments:

Robert Fry noted that the FY2010 final report is not yet in a suitable form for

publication; he expects to put it forth for approval in February.

In response to a question by Lynn Srivastava, Walt Warner noted that last

year’s Annual Report has been completed and was sent to our authorizer (Red

Clay). It was noted in subsequent discussion that such reports should first be

presented to the Board for approval before submitting them to our authorizer.

Walt will email copies of the Annual Report to all Board members and it will

be put forth for Board-endorsement in February.

Walt Warner presented the draft of a revised Anti-Bullying Policy which was

reviewed and discussed at the November meeting. Henry Clampitt moved to approve

the policy as-presented; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved. A

copy of the approved policy is attached hereto.

Information Items and Updates:

Walt Warner noted that the degree to which the school might publish any

administrative rubrics and scoring weights related to the admissions process must be



balanced with the importance of protecting the confidentiality of middle-school

teacher recommendations.

Walt Warner confirmed that the visit by Dr. Stamm of the Middle States Association

is set for February 25th

and that the school’s self-study assessment will be complete

before then. Keith Wing asked Walt to provide an update on the accreditation

process at the February meeting.

Robert Fry, Jed Desmond, and Walt Warner all noted that the FY2010 ouside audit

process is underway.

Henry Clampitt provided an update on progress in the search for a new President.

The Search Committee has received 31 applicants and after review and selected

interviews it has arrived at a firm list of semifinalist candidates. Henry expects the

Advisory Committee meetings with each semifinalist to take place over the next few

weeks, and that three finalists will be recommended to the Board shortly thereafter.

The search process is on track to name a new President by the end of March at the

Board’s discretion and the current plan is for a start date of July 1st immediately

following Walt Warner’s year-end departure.


Keith Wing recommended that the Board return to executive session at 8:10 PM to

discuss personnel matters after which the Board would adjourn without returning to

public session. Bruce Hough moved to accept the recommendation; the motion was

seconded and unanimously approved.

(end)

Enclosures:

1. Anti-Bullying Policy, approved January 25, 2011

Anti-Bullying Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy Adopted January 25, 2011


I. Prohibition of Bullying

The Charter School of Wilmington prohibits the bullying of any person through any means on school property and at school functions. Retaliation against a target, witness, or anyone who has provided information about a bullying incident will by no means be tolerated and is prohibited by the guidelines of this policy.

II. Definition of Bullying

The definition of bullying as related to this policy is defined as any intentional written, electronic, verbal, or physical act against a student, school volunteer, or school employee that will result in the following outcomes:

a. Placing a student, school volunteer, or employee in reasonable fear of substantial harm to

his or her emotional or physical well-being or substantial damage to his or her property.

b. Creating a hostile, threatening, humiliating, or abusive educational environment due to the

persistence of actions or a power differential between the bully and the target.

c. Interfering with a student that prevents him or her from having a safe school environment.

d. Perpetuating bullying by inciting, soliciting or coercing an individual or group to demean,

dehumanize, embarrass or cause emotional, psychological or physical harm to another

student, school volunteer, or school employee.

Additional Definitions:

i. Physical bullying - pushing, shoving, kicking, destroying of property, tripping,

punching, tearing clothes, pushing books from someone’s hands,

shooting/throwing objects at someone, gesturing, etc.

ii. Verbal bullying – name calling, insulting, making offensive comments, using

offensive language, mimicking, imitating, teasing, laughing at someone’s

mistakes, using unwelcome nicknames, threatening, etc.

iii. Relational bullying – isolation of an individual from his or her peer group;

spreading rumors.

iv. Cyber-bullying – bullying by using information and communication

technologies. Cyber-bullying may include but is not limited to:

1. Denigration - spreading information or pictures to embarrass

2. Flaming - heated unequal argument online that includes making

rude, insulting or vulgar remarks

3. Exclusion - isolating an individual from his or her peer group

4. Impersonation - using someone else’s screen name and pretending

to be them

5. Outing or trickery - forwarding information or pictures meant to be

private.

III. School-Wide Bullying Prevention Program

The Charter School of Wilmington is committed to the prevention of all types of bullying. A school-wide bullying prevention program will be implemented to address the following goals:

a. Reduce existing bullying problems amongst students

b. Prevent the development of new bullying problems

In order to implement our prevention program a coordinating committee will be created.

THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON100 N. DuPont Road Wilmington, DE 19807


February 22, 2011 Room 321, 6:00 PM

Note: The Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM to discuss personnel matters. At 6:00 PM the Board came out of executive session and the public session commenced at 6:10 PM as follows:

In Attendance: Keith Wing, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry, Lynn Srivastava, Walt Warner.

Presiding Member: Keith Wing, Vice Chair(Irwin Becnel, Chair, was not able to attend)

Approval of Agenda

Robert Fry moved to amend the published Agenda to include mention of the President Search finalists; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved. The meeting agenda was then approved as-amended by unanimous consent.


Draft minutes were distributed for the January 25th board meeting. Bruce Hough moved to approve the minutes as written; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.


Walt Warner distributed the February Management Report by email prior to the meeting; it will be posted on the website. His verbal report to the Board included the following highlights:

• Technology: The training room setup is progressing, with help from students.• Research in the Curriculum: “Introduction to Research” was added to the

freshman curriculum this year. For this year and next, the Senior Research Project (SRP) will remain an elective; work is underway to assess SRP goals versus faculty workload, and to figure out the role of SRP versus internships.

• Anti-Bullying: Walt reviewed the administrative program and practices which appear in draft form as an appendix to the Management Report; he will work with the faculty to finalize it.

Bruce Hough asked if there were remaining open items on the construction “punch list” following Red Clay’s recent building renovation. Jed Desmond confirmed than

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 5, plus attachmentsBoard Meeting Minutes, Public Session, February 25, 2011 Minutes Approved April 19, 2011

open items have been reviewed, adding that roof work was not included in the original referendum. There was a general discussion of complaints regarding the condition of HVAC and lavatories.


Governance Committee: Henry Clampitt reported committee highlights:• An updated table of Directors’ seats/terms is now published on the website• An inventory of current Directors’ board/professional capabilities has been

assembled; next, will develop a Director Job Description.• Will confirm that the current Certificate of Incorporation is filed in Dover.• Reviewed a “governance concept” diagram (copy enclosed).• Described initial training communications sent to the board (Feb-18)• Described a policy framework based on board training materials

Henry asked for Board members to submit suggestions for Bylaws changes.

Academic Excellence & School Affairs Committee (AESAC): Lynn Srivastava reported committee highlights:

• Will work with Mary Maslar to find out what colleges expect regarding research by high school students.

• Reviewed committee responsibilities, will finalize in March.• Reviewed goals for the 2010-2011 school year• Working to align metrics with strategy, will use a dashboard (metrics TBD).• Will provide recommendations to the school for possible summer programs.• Will provide Middle States accreditation process oversight

Lynn moved to add Sue Rescigna as a new member of the AESAC; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Keith Wing reported committee highlights:

• The Charter Fund drive has received approximately $129,000 YTD, with 42% of families participating.

• Keith will review strategic planning at the March board meeting.

Public Comment

Public comments were offered by the following individuals:• Yvonne Johnson (parent and Parent Association President) commented:

o She has received very favorable feedback on the recent cyber-safety assembly at school (the speaker’s fee was funded by the Parent Assn)

o The Parent Assn is considering a program called “Step Up” in lieu of the Prom Promise program; the PA is working with the school nurse.


o Many thanks to parents who have participated on the President Search Advisory Committee; Yvonne has received very positive feedback.

• Joanne Schlosberg (parent and Finance Committee member) commented on the President Search process, advocating for inclusion of other charter school leaders to advise in the assessment of candidates.

Financial Reports

Jed Desmond (VP Finance, Operations, HR) presented the June 30, 2010 full-year report (copy enclosed). The report was previously circulated to the Board by email (copy enclosed). Jed noted that this report was prepared “pre audit” and is presented in last year’s format (which will not be used this year). Robert Fry moved to approve and publish this June 30, 2010 report as presented; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Jed Desmond also presented the January 31, 2011 YTD report (copy enclosed). Highlights of his comments include:

• Included in the $97K figure for Other Grants includes the final portion of the ING Direct grant.

• The Current Year Annual Fund shows $110,219 for the January month-end; the larger Charter Fund amount reported by Keith Wing is a February update.

• “Other Revenue” includes gate fees for football and basketball, as well as textbook fees.

• The large favorable YTD variance for land/Building/Fees reflects the fact that the landlord has not yet billed the school.

Robert Fry moved to approve and publish this January 31, 2011 report as presented; the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Henry Clampitt asked for the November 30, 2010 report to be recast in the same format as the January 31, 2011 report. Jed agreed to do this.

Lynn Srivastava asked Walt about the status of sending out a copy of the Annual Report (re: request at the January meeting). After some discussion, Lynn Procak said she would check into it.

Yvonne Johnson commented from the floor, asking how many Charter Fund dollars were designated to specific uses. Jed said he would report on this near year-end.

President Search Update

Henry Clampitt summarized the search process. Since last month’s report, the semifinalists of the Search Committee were interviewed by the Advisory Committees during the weeks of Jan-31, Feb-7 and Feb-14. These committees provided their recommendations to the Search Committee. There was good alignment across the Advisory Committees, enabling the Search Committee to arrive at a widely supported final recommendation of three finalists to be interviewed by the Board.


Henry recognized each member of the Search Committee, and each leader of the three Advisory Committees, for their efforts and unique contributions. He then named each of the three recommended finalists, describing their current and key-former roles in education. [N.B. A more detailed review of the recommended finalists was presented to the Board in executive session immediately prior to this meeting. The names of the finalists are not listed in these minutes, and have been redacted from the following motion, in order to help maintain the candidates’ professional confidentiality at the end of the search process and beyond.]

Bruce Hough presented the following motion: “Based on the recommendation of the Search Committee with input from the Advisory Committee, I move to have the Board accept the three recommended three candidates for the position of President come in for interviews for the final phase of the process. They are [names redacted]." The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Henry Clampitt then moved to have a student member of the Search Committee attend the board’s executive session(s) related to selection of the President, following all school visits and Board interviews, for the purpose of sharing student perspectives on the candidates and subject to all restrictions according to the Bylaws. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Information Items and Updates:

Middle States Accreditation: Stewart Wilson (faculty member) presented a summary of the preparation status for the Middle States visit. The visit will take place on April 12-15, 2011 and some of the activities will include meeting with board members.

FY2010 Audit: Robert Fry and Jed Desmond reported on the status of the external audit, noting that it will be slightly delayed since the auditor is recovering from a recent car accident. Jed will ensure that the auditor, Vince Barbone, will present his findings to the Board in person.

Admissions Status: Walt Warner noted the following status of Fall 2011 applicants:• 773 applications were completed in their entirety (819 applicants total)• 179 applicants were admitted to the qualified-interest pool based on the 78th-

percentile according to the Admissions Policy.• 424 applicant interviews were conducted, resulting in an additional 141

applicants being admitted to the qualified-interest pool.• 220 applicants have been given acceptance offer letters, the remainder of

applicants in the pool are on a waiting list.

Enrollment for Fall 2011: Walt Warner noted that additional acceptance offers from among those on the qualified-interest pool waiting list will be delayed pending the final outcome of an upcoming vote by Red Clay (CSW authorizer). The vote is with regard to our request to delay the implementation of the Jan-2010 Enrollment


Management Plan. The review of CSW finances by Red Clay’s Finance Manager is summarized in her presentation to the Red Clay board which can be found online.


Robert Fry moved to executive session at 8:15 PM to discuss financial matters after which the Board would adjourn without returning to public session. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

(end)

Enclosures:1. CSW Governance Concept (diagram)2. June 30, 2010 Financial Report3. January 31, 2011 Financial Report


PRESIDENT

Faculty & Staff

Board

Students

ParentsCommunity

Authorizer

Board … accountable to the Authorizer

… responsible for the President

President … accountable to the Board

… responsive to Parents & Community

“Owners” School “Customers”

CS

W G

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… responsible for the Faculty, Staff & Students

Click to advance animations

REVENUE BUDGET

Charter School of WilmingtonFor the Month Ending June, 2010 Anticipated

% ReceiptsBoard Approved REVISED Budget Receipt To Date Received Remaining

STATE FUNDS1 Operations (0213) 5,703,682.00 5,696,005.00 99.9% 7,677.00

2 Minor Cap (0870/0871) 0.00 0.00 100.0% 0.00

3 Other State Funds (Type 01) 0.00 0.00 100.0% 0.00

Total State Funds 5,703,682.00 5,696,005.00 99.9% 7,677.00

LOCAL FUNDS 2,812,659.00 2,723,974.00 96.8% 88,685.00

FEDERAL FUNDS (Current FY Only) 182,631.00 177,633.00 97.3% 4,998.00

All Funds Total 8,698,972.00 8,597,612.00 98.8% 101,360.00

EXPENDITURE BUDGET

Charter School of WilmingtonFor the Month Ending June, 2010

Operating Budget Remaining %

DescriptionBd Approved REVISED

Budget Encumbrance Expenditures Balance Obligated1 Salaries and Benefits 6,398,830.00 0.00 6,427,421.00 (28,591.00) 100.4%

2 Utilities 9,500.00 0.00 10,680.00 (1,180.00) 112.4%

3 Facility--Bonds 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.0%

4 Facility--Mortgage 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.0%

5 Transportation 970,000.00 0.00 857,961.00 112,039.00 88.4%

6 Contractor--Educational 242,880.00 0.00 201,803.00 41,077.00 83.1%

7 Contractor--Food Servcies 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.0%

8 Management Company 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.0%

9 Textbooks and Instructional Supplies 304,456.00 0.00 257,113.00 47,343.00 84.4%

10 Building Maintenance and Custodial Services 290,500.00 0.00 339,346.00 (48,846.00) 116.8%

11 Capital -Land/ Furniture & Equipment 37,700.00 0.00 37,700.00 0.00 100.0%

12 Other Expenses 128,634.00 0.00 219,726.00 (91,092.00) 170.8%

13 Contingency 133,841.00 0.00 0.00 133,841.00 0.0%

Total Operating Budget 8,516,341.00 0.00 8,351,750.00 164,591.00 98.1%

Federal Expenses 182,631.00 0.00 177,633.00 4,998.00 97.3%

All Funds Total 8,698,972.00 0.00 8,529,383.00 169,589.00 98.1%

THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTONFinancial ReportFor the SevenMonths Ended January 31, 2011

BUDGET ACTUALREVENUES Charges to school districts 2,612,869 2,569,892 State aid 5,683,736 4,287,058 Federal aid 27,588 - Federal stimulus aid 78,754 - Other Grants 97,986 97,986 Earnings on cash and investments 62,000 22,258 Current year annual fund 90,000 110,219 Other revenues 43,300 35,464 Total revenues 8,696,233 7,122,877

EXPENDITURES Current: Salaries 4,766,446 2,967,315 Employment costs 1,819,843 1,119,885 Travel 13,000 2,920 Contractual services 189,962 110,681 Communications 23,700 13,960 Insurance 28,000 Transportation-buses 895,000 523,918 Land/Building/Facilities 621,166 37,186 Repairs and maintenance 1,000 Other contractual services 109,265 64,686 Supplies and materials 189,615 143,377 Computer/Word Processing/Software 156,061 74,070 Capital outlay 76,000 1,703 Contingency - State assessment 38,430 Total expenditures 8,927,488 5,059,701

EXCESS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES (231,255) 2,063,176

RELEASED FROM PRIOR YEAR FUNDS AND RESTRICTIONS 231,255 66,581

NET CHANGE IN FUND BALANCES - 2,129,757



March 22, 2011 Room 321, 5:00 PM

Note: The Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM to discuss personnel matters. At 7:00 PM the Board came out of executive session and the public session commenced at 7:00 PM as follows:

In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Keith Wing, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Lynn Srivastava

Call-In (telephone): Marsha Gilmore, Robert Fry

Approval of Executive Session Consensus

Henry Clampitt moved to accept the recommendation developed in executive session and to authorize the Board Chair, Irwin J. Becnel Jr., to execute the contract in connection therewith.

The motion was seconded and unanimously approved by the members in attendance who were eligible to vote on the recommendation (i.e., all except Ms. Lober).

(end)

The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 1Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, March 22, 2011 Minutes Approved April 19, 2011



March 29, 2011 Room 321, 6:00PM

A quorum of the Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM as had been scheduled in advance. Following a brief discussion the Board determined that there were no current issues for review prior to the public session, so the executive session was promptly ended. In attendance were Irwin Becnel, Henry Clampitt, Robert Fry, Robin Lober, Lynn Srivastava and Walt Warner.

The Board convened in public session at 6:05 PM as follows:

In Attendance: Irwin Becnel (Chair), Robin Lober, Marsha Gilmore, Lynn Srivastava, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Robert Fry, Nancy Crain, Walt Warner and Lynn Procak. Chuck Baldwin (President-select) was present at the table as a guest of the Board.

Keith Wing and Bruce Hough were not able to attend.

Approval of Agenda

The published Agenda was corrected to read “President Report” instead of President Search. The revision was accepted by unanimous consent.


Several Directors noted that the draft minutes (for February) had been circulated by Henry Clampitt earlier in the day and that more time was needed to review them. It was agreed by unanimous consent to defer approval until the April board meeting.


Irwin Becnel introduced and welcomed Chuck Baldwin as the next President of CSW, effective July 1st. Chuck’s appointment was announced to the public on March 25th. Chuck then offered some opening remarks to the board, noting that “building school culture” is a common attribute of successful schools which he will focus on.

Walt Warner distributed the March Management Report by email prior to the meeting; it will be posted on the website. His verbal report to the Board included comments on the school’s attendance policy for April 15th i.e., the day of the Junior/Senior Prom.



Finance Committee: Robert Fry reported that the March committee meeting did not result in any Board recommendations. He also noted the need for a review of how financial reserves should be recorded for accumulated sick-day liabilities.

Henry Clampitt moved to have the Finance Committee review the school’s policies for sick-pay and vacations and their related financial reserves, and to have the committee work with the President and his designees to make a recommendation to the Board at the April meeting. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Nancy Crain reported that the Charter Fund has now exceeded 50% participation.

Governance Committee: Henry Clampitt reported as follows:• Concepts to consider for bylaws revision have been circulated to board members

(by email) for review and feedback.• A special board workshop session, for training on the Policy Governance®

model, will be scheduled as soon as members’ availability can be confirmed• The documents which constitute our charter are being collected and the effort is

nearly complete; our authorizer has been helpful in locating older documents.• An updated “Board Member Job Description” is being developed.• A format for the annual Board self-evaluation, as well as an approach for

surveying other stakeholders, is being developed.• A Board Policy Manual will be developed in line with the Policy Governance®

model; the board should expect approximately 30 policies as a starting point.

Academic Excellence & School Affairs Committee: No report

Community Advisory Panel: No report

Public Comment

Yvonne Johnson (parent and Parent Association President) commented as follows:• A reception for Chuck Baldwin is planned at the April 7th Parent Assn meeting• Appreciation for Walt Warner in his handling of Prom-day policy decisions• The Parent Assn is working with Karen Micale (CSW school nurse) on two

substance-abuse awareness meetings in the days leading up to the Prom• The Red Clay school board election will be held on May 10th; the Parent Assn has

invited the candidates to attend their May 4th meeting and present their views.

Action Items


Henry Clampitt moved to have the President and his designees develop and execute a new enrollment management agreement with Red Clay consistent with the wording of Red Clay’s recent board resolution and as close as possible to the exact wording thereof. In this context, the CSW Board understood the wording of the Red Clay resolution to be as follows:

Red Clay Consolidated School Board Resolution:

It is recommended that the Red Clay Consolidated School District Board of Education approve the enrollment waiver request from the Charter School of Wilmington as follows:

• CSW and Red Clay Consolidated School District shall enter into a written agreement consistent with this resolution for the resolution to be effective.

• For the 2011-2012 school year, the school enrollment shall not exceed 970 students and the incoming freshman class shall not exceed 241 students.

• At least two weeks prior to the Red Clay Consolidated School Board of Education Meeting in October 2011, CSW will be required to submit to the Red Clay Board of Education a preliminary FY13 budget, which shall include its staffing plan.

• For the 2012-2013 school year, the school's enrollment shall not exceed 958 students.

• For the 2013-2014 school year and for each school year thereafter, the school's enrollment shall not exceed 945 students.

• All numbers set forth herein include the five percent variance permitted by the 14 Delaware Code Chapter 5 and implementing Regulation 275 Section 9.9.1.6.

• Once the written agreement is in place, the written agreement shall replace the Enrollment Management Plan dated January 15, 2010.

The motion offered by Henry Clampitt was seconded and unanimously approved.

Beth Engler (parent and Parent Association President-elect) presented an opportunity to receive a monetary contribution from Sallie Mae in connection with a voluntary marketing-research program involving parent focus groups and surveys. All personal information shared by participants, including email addresses, would be completely voluntary on the part of participants and no such information would be provided by the school to Sallie Mae. Beth confirmed that the Sallie Mae contribution would not have strings attached, and that it did not require a particular participation level in the focus groups and surveys.

After much discussion, Henry Clampitt moved to support the Sallie Mae proposal as a trial and to have the monetary contribution be provided to and accepted by the Parent Association. The motion was seconded and approved by a 7-1 majority vote. Supporting


votes were cast by Henry Clampitt, Irwin Becnel, Robin Lober, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry, Brian Magee and Lynn Srivastava. The opposing vote was cast by Marsha Gilmore.

Information Items and Updates

President Transition: Walt Warner and Chuck Baldwin will be working together on transition matters between now and the end of the school year.

Admissions: Reiterating comments from last month, Walt said that 424 interviews were conducted and as a result 141 more applicants were moved into the requisite-interest pool. Subsequently, preferences and a lottery were applied to the pool and the school sent out 220 letters offering seats. Since that time, the school has processed 22 appeals. Based on the recent Red Clay resolution allowing more seats, and with some applicants declining the school’s offer of a seat, Walt expects to fill a total 241 seats for the 2011-12 freshman class by drawing further from the pool by preferences and lottery number.

Audit: Robert noted that the outside auditor should be able to attend the April board meeting and present findings for the FY2010 audit.

Financial Outlook: Jed Desmond (VP Finance) noted that the school’s financial outlook for this year is $30K favorable to the budget.

Middle State Accreditation: Walt noted that the final pre-visit report is just about complete. He recognized Stewart Wilson and Robin Lober for their efforts in coordinating the report and the preparations for the visit.

Adjourn

The public session adjourned at 7:45 PM. The Board then went into executive session to discuss personnel matters without returning to public session.

(end)


The Charter School of Wilmington Page 1 of 5 Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, April 19, 2011



April 19, 2011 Room 321, 6:00PM The full Board went into executive session at 5:00 PM to discuss personnel matters. The session lasted until 6:00 PM. The Board convened in public session at 6:05 PM as follows: In Attendance: Irwin Becnel (Chair), Bruce Hough, Keith Wing, Robin Lober, Marsha Gilmore, Lynn Srivastava, Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Robert Fry, Nancy Crain, Walt Warner and Lynn Procak. Chuck Baldwin (President-select) was present at the table as a guest of the Board. Approval of Agenda The published Agenda was amended in order to place the special presentation of the 2010 Financial Audit Report earlier in the meeting, immediately preceding the President's report. The revision was accepted by general consent. Prior Meeting Minutes The minutes for the meetings held on February 22, March 22 and March 29 were all approved as drafted, by unanimous consent. Special Presentation: FY2010 Audit Report Vince Barbone described highlights of the FY2010 Audit Report in a verbal review. Vince represents Haggerty & Haggerty, the Board's outside auditing firm. He described the need for use of GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board) reporting standards since the school is a component unit of the state of Delaware. Vince summarized his audit observations which will be summarized in the report, noting that there were no variances to report versus reporting standards. He recognized the school and its administration for good financial practices and thus gave a clean audit opinion for FY2010. The written audit report will be distributed to board members as soon as possible and put forth for acceptance at the May board meeting.


President’s Report Walt Warner distributed the April Management Report by email prior to the meeting; it will be posted on the website. His verbal report included recognition of Ryan Mitchell for his successful execution of the recent SAT preparation program and the test given in April, and also offered recognition for the effective collaboration among Chuck Baldwin and Jed Desmond regarding the exigent President transition at year-end. Walt also discussed progress in implementing and applying for funds related to CTE (Career and Technical Education) pathways. He noted that when this effort is fully implemented over the next few years it will have a substantial financial benefit for the school. In response to a question from the audience, Walt confirmed that this program is consistent with the school's mission. Officer and Committee Chair Reports Governance Committee: Henry Clampitt reported as follows:

• The Certificate of Incorporation (n.b., approved in November 2008) was apparently never filed in Dover. The committee will advise on how to rectify this.

• A Governance Workshop session for the Board was recommended for May 11th. • A discussion of Bylaws revisions was recommended for the June board meeting. • The committee will address board-member recruiting through design and use of a

written Job Description and Application. Further discussion of these items was recommended to take place after the Governance Workshop is completed.

• The committee will draft a Board Self-Evaluation form for discussion at the May board meeting.

• The Board Handbook documents are nearly assembled. It was recommended that the documents be posted in Google Documents for Board member access.

The Board agreed by unanimous consent to hold a Governance Workshop on Wednesday May 11th from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The workshop will be a public session meeting of the Board, to be held at the Christiana Care PMRS facility on Kennett Pike in Greenville. The Board agreed by unanimous consent to have the school provide email accounts to all board members in order to facilitate their consistent access to Google Documents in connection with the Board Handbook. Walt will follow-through to issue the accounts. Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Keith Wing reported that the Charter Fund has now exceeded 53% participation and is very near to its annual funding goal. Nancy Crain added that three families have already volunteered to host fundraising parties for next year. Donna Urban (External Affairs) noted that the school will celebrate its fifteen-year anniversary with an event in early September, including a fundraising component.


Academic Excellence and School Affairs Committee: Lynn Srivastava reported the following highlights:

� Intend to work with Chuck Baldwin toward a dashboard of metrics � Will distribute draft committee goals to board members for consideration at the

May board meeting. � Would like to work with the school toward summer programs for 2012 � Provided oversight for the recent Middle States accreditation process

Community Advisory Panel: Lynn Srivastava reported that Donna Urban recently presented the school's website plans to the CAP. Finance Committee: Robert Fry reported the following highlights:

� The FY2010 audit is complete (summarized earlier by Vince Barbone). � The school's FY2011 financial statements are current (to be presented by Jed

Desmond later in the meeting) � The committee worked with Walt Warner to draft an employee policy for Sick

Leave and Vacations as requested by the Board in March. � A preliminary budget for FY2012 will be ready for consideration at the May

board meeting. Walt presented a working draft of the employee policy for Sick Leave and Vacations. The Finance Committee will finish working with this at their next meeting, and will deliver a recommended final policy for consideration at the May board meeting. Teacher Director Comment: Robin Lober noted that the teachers intend to elect their next Teacher Director nominee in the next few weeks, to take effect at the September annual meeting. Public Comment Amanda Gonye (parent) commented as follows:

� Request to the Board to revise the interest assessment associated with the school's Admissions Policy in order to address several concerns about it.

� Request to the Board to involve more parents in its Admissions dialog. Yvonne Johnson (parent and Parent Association President) commented as follows:

• The Red Clay school board election will be held on May 10th. The Parent Assn has invited the candidates to attend the PA's May 4th meeting to present their views and respond to questions.


• The annual election of Parent Director Nominees will take place at the PA's September 7th meeting. She requested that the Board revise the Bylaws regarding the notice period for these nominees, to reduce it from 30-days to 14-days.

Robin Lober (Teacher Director) commented as follows:

� Recognition for Delmarva Power and for Lynn Srivastava for Delmarva's contribution toward signage which supported the recent Middle States accreditation visit.

� Recognition for Cheryl Potocki (teacher) for being selected to serve on the Delaware Governor's STEM Council

� Lynn S. said that Delmarva volunteered to help with setting up the scoreboard being dedicated in Elizabeth Rada’s honor.

Action Items Jed Desmond presented the financial reports for February and March. He expects the year to end slightly favorable to the budget. Robert Fry moved to approve the February and March financial reports as presented (copies enclosed). He motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Information Items and Updates Middle States Accreditation: Walt Warner summarized the verbal report from last week's visit as very positive: “recommended for accreditation without stipulation “. He expects the MSA to submit a written report in May with their summary and recommendations. Irwin Becnel also recognized the school-history section of the MSA preparation binder as being particularly well done. Admissions Status: Walt noted that 241 freshman seats have been offered for 2011-12 and that nearly all of them have now been confirmed as accepted. The school is on track for a 970-student enrollment in the fall; any unexpected attrition in the upper grades will be addressed via transfer applications as needed. Enrollment Management Agreement: Walt has completed the draft of an agreement with Red Clay as instructed by the Board in March; it is currently being reviewed by legal counsel before he forwards it to Red Clay. Admissions Policy: Irwin Becnel noted that the Board should conduct a special session to discuss its Admissions Policy and practices; he asked Lynn Procak to arrange a date. Adjourn


The public session adjourned at 7:55 PM. (end)


Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, May 11, 2011 Approved July 26, 2011



Board Workshop

May 11, 2011 Christiana Care

PMRI Facility


Directors In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry,

Marsha Gilmore, Robin Lober, Lynn Srivastava and Keith Wing.

Note: Charles Baldwin (President-Select) participated in this workshop as a guest of the

Board. Bruce Hough was absent with notice to the Chair. Brian Magee was absent with

consent of the Chair.

Workshop Summary

Henry Clampitt presented governance training and discussion materials in three sections:

1. Governance “basics” in the framework published by Brian Carpenter in his

handbook known as Charter School Board University

2. Overview of CSW governing documents

3. Introduction to the Policy Governance® model published by John Carver.

Marsha Gilmore moderated the discussions which followed each section.

The workshop served as a board training session, and the information presented will

serve as the foundation for Director orientation efforts in the future.

The workshop adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:30 PM

/hrc


Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, May 24, 2011 Approved June 28, 2011




May 24, 2011 Room 321, 6:00PM

The Board (as noted below) went into executive session from 5:00-6:00 PM to discuss

personnel matters. The Board convened in public session at 6:04 PM as follows:

In Attendance: Irwin Becnel (Chair), Bruce Hough, Keith Wing, Robin Lober, Lynn

Srivastava (by audio connection), Brian Magee, Henry Clampitt, Robert Fry, Nancy

Crain, Walt Warner and Lynn Procak.

Marsha Gilmore was not able to attend (by prior notice to the Chair).

Mr. Warner and Ms. Procak did not attend the Executive Session

Approval of Agenda

The published Agenda was amended in order to (i) note that Mr. Warner would “report

on” the sick leave policy; and (ii) add the acceptance of the FY2012 Preliminary Budget

as an action item. These revisions were accepted by unanimous consent.


The minutes for the meeting held on April 21 were approved by unanimous consent in

the presented draft form which was amended as proposed by Lynn Srivastava.


Walt Warner reported the following highlights:

The May Management Report was distributed by email prior to the meeting; it

will be posted on the website.

Walt will rename the policy shown in Appendix-A of the Management Report to

read “Retirement Sick Leave Policy”

The new Enrollment Management Agreement with Red Clay has been jointly

executed for CSW by Walt and Mr. Becnel; a copy is on file with Jed Desmond in

the business office.

Officer and Committee Chair Reports

Governance Committee: Henry Clampitt reported as follows:

He described a brief summary of the Board’s May 11th

Governance Workshop

The committee will prepare a Policy Governance® framework proposal for future

Board discussion

The Admissions Policy will be discussed at the June 28th

board meeting.



Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Keith Wing reported as follows:

The Charter Fund now stands at ~55% participation and the amount received has

exceeded the budgeted goal by more than 80%

Contribution event dates (e.g. parent parties) are set for next year’s campaign

The Board will meet for a Strategic Planning workshop on June 6th

Academic Excellence & School Affairs Committee: Lynn Srivastava reported as follows:

Looking forward to working with Chuck Baldwin next year

Will defer Board discussion on committee roles & responsibilities until Chuck has

had time to review

Community Advisory Panel: (no report)

Finance Committee: Robert Fry and Jed Desmond reported as follows:

For FY2011 April YTD:

Compensation expense is in line with budget

Capital outlays YTD have been for preliminary office renovation work

Any cost items expected but not billed by year-end (e.g., rent and state

assessment) will be recorded as encumbered funds in FY2011

On track to meet Budget at year-end June-30th

Robert moved to approve the April YTD financial report as presented. The motion

was seconded and unanimously approved by the Directors present.

Henry Clampitt moved to instruct the school to implement by June 30th

the school’s

outside-auditor’s recommendation (presented at the April board meeting) for reducing

risk associated with bank deposit concentration. The motion was seconded and

unanimously approved by the Directors present.

Robert Fry moved to approve the school’s outside-audit report, with the clarification

that this approval would not include the auditor’s Management Letter. The motion

was seconded and unanimously approved by the Directors present.

By unanimous consent the Board asked the school to contact the outside auditor

regarding the Management Letter and to revise it with an explanation of the how the

prior-year exception (regarding a Parent Association funds transfer) was resolved.

Jed Desmond then presented the FY2012 Preliminary Budget; he reported as follows:

The budget excludes earlier discussions of Parent Association fund

contributions; future amounts agreed with the Association will be reflected in

amendments to the budget.

A new Athletics Fee (for participants) is budgeted to raise $75,000

A new Activity Fee (for all students) is budgeted to raise $45,000



Henry Clampitt requested that future budget reports be formatted to report the rent

payments to Red Clay separately from the embedded athletic-participation fee (for

CCSA students) so that the two elements are visible in report. Jed acknowledged that

he understood the request.

Robert Fry moved to accept the FY2012 Preliminary Budget as presented. The

motion was seconded and unanimously approved by the Directors present.

(n.b., a copy of the approved budget is enclosed)

The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 7:15 PM

Enclosure (1)

/hrc


Board Meeting Minutes, Public Session, June 6, 2011 Approved July 26, 2011



Board Workshop

June 6, 2011 DuPont Barley Mill Plaza

Building 20


Directors In Attendance: Irwin Becnel, Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert Fry,

Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Brian Magee, Lynn Srivastava and Keith Wing.

Note: Charles Baldwin (President-Select) and Sam Paoli participated in this workshop

as guests of the Board. Robin Lober was absent with notice to the Chair.

Workshop Summary

The board met to discuss and draft a set of strategic school outcomes, using published

procedures set forth by Dr. Brian Carpenter, a leading charter school governance expert.

The session was moderated by Keith Wing (Chair, Strategic Planning and Development

Committee) and Marsha Gilmore.

The exercise served both as a board training session and to determine strategic direction

for CSW. Outcomes based on individual student gains, schoolwide student performance,

outcomes related to mission, and financial/legal outcomes were discussed. These will be

refined over the remainder of 2011.

The workshop adjourned by unanimous consent at 9:30 PM

/kdw






June 28, 2011 Room 321, 6:00PM


Directors In Attendance: Irwin Becnel (Chair), Henry Clampitt, Nancy Crain, Robert

Fry, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober, Brian Magee, Lynn Srivastava and

Keith Wing.

Note: Charles Baldwin, President-Select, attended as the guest of the Board; his first day

as President will be on July 1st. Walt Warner’s last day as President was June 17

th; Jed

Desmond is serving as acting head of school between June 18th

and June 30th

.

Approval of Agenda

The published Agenda was accepted by unanimous consent.


The draft minutes for the meeting held on May 24th

were revised with comments from

Lynn Srivastava, and the revised minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

President-Select’s Report

Charles Baldwin reported the following highlights:

Attended a national charter school conference in June with Sam Paoli.

Participated in a recent camping retreat with CSW students.

Hosted a successful end-of-year faculty meeting.

Currently working with Pat Liberato to complete student schedules.

Athletic activity fees have been communicated by email; Chris Eddy has brought

forth many good ideas on this and will set up the necessary processes.

Will publish the monthly Management Report in a new format going forward

Will continue to review affordable possibilities for the number of electives

offered, considering options such as “college online”.

Two significant projects are underway:

o Tennis court renovations (a funding grant is still pending); and

o Interactive whiteboard installations, to be complete by late-July

Office renovations are planned for this summer to enable staff effectiveness



Officer and Committee Chair Reports

Strategic Planning & Development Committee: Keith Wing reported as follows:

The Charter Fund will end the year significantly above the budgeted goal, with

approximately 55% family participation.

A board workshop for Strategic Planning was held on June 6th

. Several proposed

goals for the school were drafted.

Academic Excellence & School Affairs Committee: (no report)

Community Advisory Panel: (no report)

Finance Committee: Robert Fry reported that the next committee meeting will be held in

mid-July and that no meetings have been held since the last board meeting. Jed Desmond

reported that year-end results should be within the budget.

Governance Committee: (no report)

Bruce Hough moved to accept the committee reports received; the motion was seconded

and unanimously approved.

Lynn Srivastava suggested that summary minutes should be posted for the two recent

workshops (Governance, and Strategic Planning). Henry Clampitt and Keith Wing

agreed to do so.

Public Comments

Rich Morgan (CSW parent) spoke about his family’s reflections and concerns regarding

the CSW admissions process.

Dave Stover (CSW faculty) spoke about the successes of a CSW (and UDel) graduate

who is now involved in the photovoltaic solar energy field.

Mandy Gonye (CSW parent) spoke about her observations of the CSW admissions

process and her views on use of a percent threshold with the interest-assessment rubric.

Joanne Schlosberg (CSW parent) spoke against the use of a Red Clay preference in

admissions, also noting the number of high school choices available to families.

Yvonne Johnson (CSW parent; Parent Association President) spoke in support of the use

of a Red Clay preference in admissions, also noting her reflections on the large number of

admissions interviews conducted in the past two years. She thanked Charles Baldwin for

working closely with Parent Association over the past few months, and she mentioned a

recent bill passed by the state legislature regarding vo-tech school admissions.



Joe Kurian (CSW parent) spoke about his reflections on the public perception of CSW,

his concerns about the use of subjective admissions processes, and he spoke in support of

excellence in all that the school does.

Dean Face (CSW parent) spoke in support of having a multi-district student body,

complimenting the school on its successes and encouraging continued excellence.

Banking Relationships

Jed Desmond, VP for Finance and HR, spoke regarding follow up actions related to the

recent auditor’s report. He noted that the board should approve banking relationships of

the school, recommending that the school establish banking relationships with WSFS and

ING Direct in addition to the existing relationships with PNC and Citizens Bank.

Henry Clampitt moved to add WSFS and ING Direct as additional banking relationships;

the motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Jed then described the need for updated approval of signatories in the school’s banking

relationships, recommending actions for the board.

Henry Clampitt moved to appoint Charles Baldwin, Samuel Paoli, and Jed Desmond as

the signatories, effective July 1st, for the school’s accounts at WSFS, ING Direct, PNC

Investments, and PNC Bank. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Jed then described the need for approval of authority to use the school’s credit facility

(known as the supercard or p-card), recommending actions for the board.

Bruce Hough moved to approve the issuance of the CSW state credit card (also known as

the supercard, or p-card) to Charles Baldwin and Sam Paoli, effective July 1st, who along

with Jed Desmond (who is currently authorized) are the only three persons authorized

with such credit authority. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Admissions Policy

Henry Clampitt facilitated an open discussion of admissions practices from the

perspective of CSW history, Red Clay approvals, and the Delaware charter law. Three

motions arose as a result of this discussion, as follows:

Rober Lober moved to eliminate the “founders’ preference” from the CSW admissions

policy. The motion was seconded and failed, with six (6) against, three (3) for, and one

(1) abstention. The roll call of votes was as follows:

AGAINST: Irwin Becnel, Nancy Crain, Marsha Gilmore, Brian Magee, Lynn

Srivastava, Keith Wing,



FOR: Henry Clampitt, Bruce Hough, Robin Lober

ABSTAIN: Robert Fry

Brian Magee moved to request an opinion from the school's legal counsel, James Taylor,

regarding the legality of the founders preference as it is currently written in the CSW

admissions policy. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

Robin Lober moved (i) to revise the CSW admissions policy so that the threshold

qualified interest level, as measured by the published rubric, be determined by a

percentage of the maximum rubric score rather than as a percentile of the applicants; to

change all references in the policy from "percentile" to this "percent" concept; and (iii) to

direct President Charles Baldwin, effective July 1st , to prepare a policy recommendation

to the board for setting an appropriate percentage threshold for the interest rubric. The

motion was seconded and carried with seven (7) for, two (2) against, and one (1)

abstention. The roll call of votes was as follows:

FOR: Irwin Becnel, Henry Clampitt, Robert Fry, Marsha Gilmore, Bruce Hough,

Robin Lober, Keith Wing.

AGAINST: Brian Magee, Lynn Srivastava

ABSTAIN: Nancy Crain

The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 8:45 PM

/hrc