Executive Session, Work Session, Community Input Session & Business Meeting

Why: To establish the official dates for work sessions and business meetings of the DeKalb County Board of Education for the period beginning February 2023, ending January 2024.

Why: Per Board Policy BBC, Board Committees, "The Board of Education shall review all applications and shall appoint, by agreement of a majority of the Board of Education from the community at least two and no more than three outside, non-voting, community advisors to the Audit Committee who are residents of DeKalb County".

Purpose
The Audit Committee shall be a standing committee of the Board. The Audit Committee shall review the financial operations of the School District and make periodic reports to the Board of Education regarding: financial reporting processes, audit process, internal controls, fraud, waste, and abuse inquires, and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Audit Committee shall work with the Office of Internal Audits & Compliance and shall perform any other appropriate function as delegated by the Board.

Why: DeKalb County School District pays over 15,000 employees. Currently, post-payroll processing activities are managed by staff, Bank of America, Equifax, and Rapid Pay. The current process has experienced occasional problems with timely tax filing and garnishment distributions. The current system does not provide online access to W-2 information or tax and garnishment history. It is expected that the ADP processing will represent a reduction in fees currently incurred with Bank of America for direct deposits. It will also allow staff to be better address to other Finance and HR functions. ADP also maintains commercially reasonable business continuity and disaster recovery and will follow such a plan if the district’s payroll functions are at risk during a potential shutdown.

Why: View Point Health operates a residential crisis stabilization facility located within the boundaries of the DeKalb County School District (DCSD), which shall provide public healthcare services to children placed in its care by the Georgia Department of Human services (DHS), the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) or by parents or legal guardians pursuant to a physician’s order. DCSD is authorized and required, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-133, to provide educational services to students assigned to the VPH’s residential treatment facility.

Why: This request is a contract extension from the identified vendors who provide efficient service and quality products while reducing costs. This request extends the agreement for an additional year through January 12, 2024.

Why: To ensure the District, its employees, and its students continue to have access to Microsoft Office productivity, communications, and security services.

Why: To ensure the district, its employees, and its students receive technical support for its Microsoft O365, Security, and Network products.

Why: The purpose of the agenda item is to extend our current cellular service with T-Mobile.

Why: Commendations from the Petition Review Committee


The GLOBE Academy has demonstrated strong academic performance and has, since its inception, continuously achieved a CCRPI score that exceeds that of DCSD and the state of Georgia.
GLOBE’s financial performance meets all standards. The school has a thoroughly developed financial plan that is aligned with the school’s mission and program. GLOBE has an operating cash reserve of approximately $6,594,737. The school has maintained operating reserves of 189 days cash on hand.
GLOBE’s governing board is highfunctioning, knowledgeable, and collaborative. Multiple members of the governing board demonstrated knowledge of instructional best practices and have extensive knowledge of the DLI model. (Governing Board Capacity Interview)


Community Need/Support and Governance


The GLOBE Academy’s petition includes DEI priorities delineated in its current strategic plan. The governing board acknowledges that increasing diversity (both in student population and staff recruitment) has been a concern throughout the charter term. (Governing Board Capacity Interview and Final Charter Petition)
The governing board has expanded the role of the Executive Director allowing more focus on longterm strategic goals over day-to-day operations. (Charter Petition pg. 37, Governing Board Capacity Interview)
The GLOBE Academy has purchased three new properties and hired a company to aid with master planning.


Academic Plan


Teachers are trained on differentiation strategies within Tier 1 instruction.
Math and literacy skills are taught daily in both languages. The DLI approach emphasizes that literacy skills across languages support literacy development.
GLOBE analyzes student performance data disaggregated by race/ethnicity and other subgroups to increase student academic achievement. (Charter Renewal Petition, pg. 6)


Financial/Operational Plans


Each year, the petitioner works to approve and/or amend the annual budget as needed. This process involves active engagement with GLOBE governing board members, especially the Treasurer, to ensure that the annual budget is fiscally sound and reflects the school’s mission.
The governing board reports that the school is in a strong financial position. GLOBE has had 7 years of clean audits, has managed net positive operating budgets for all years, and maintains a healthy annual balance sheet allowing it to maintain predictable revenue streams, fund academic programs, teachers, and staff, and provide the resources and materials needed to create a strong learning environment for its students. (Charter Renewal Petition pg. 34 fig. 1)
GLOBE’ governing board has worked closely with school leadership on facilities and real estate opportunities to continue to strengthen the facilities needed to advance the school's mission. In 2018, the Board facilitated the purchase of one property adjacent to the upper campus. In 2021, the Board voted to purchase three additional conjoined lots across from Upper Campus on Briarcliff Road. These real estate purchases will provide much needed space to improve and expand facilities in service of the organization's mission.

Why: Commendations from the Petition Review Committee


Stakeholder focus groups conducted by the petition review committee indicate that parents/guardians, students, and teachers/staff are actively involved with the school through school governance, curriculum development, and the implementation of strategic initiatives.
LPA has an operating cash reserve of over $3,071,114. The school has maintained operating reserves of 257 days cash on hand.
Governing board members collectively have the capacity to implement the programming of Leadership Preparatory. (Governing Board Capacity Interview)
Despite LPA’s relatively small size, teacher retention, attendance rate, and reported satisfaction have remained high throughout the current charter term. (Teacher/Staff Focus Group)


Community Need/Support and Governance


LPA amended its bylaws in 2019 as part of its comprehensive strategic plan to require a break in services for certain governing board officers.
LPA’s current Facility Plan Update includes research on environmental spaces that are most suitable for relocation and continued growth of the school. (Response to Initial Memo, Exhibit 29)


Academic Plan


While the Leadership Framework has been aligned with the GSE (Georgia Standards of Excellence) ELA standards, during classroom observations the petition review committee did not observe evidence of implementation of that alignment in the curriculum or with other course standards. (LPA Focus Walks, Spring 2022)
The petition states that LPA intentionally reduced its school size and capacity at the start of its current charter term to ensure a clear and sustainable future. Per the petitioner, prior to the decision to restrict growth, the trajectory of LPA’s student population growth would have strained school staff, space, and resources. (LPA Renewal Petition, pg. 28 fig. 9)


Financial/Operational Plans


At the end of FY21, LPA’s budgeted revenues exceeded actual revenues by $258,712. Actual expenditures were higher than budgeted expenditures by $916,725 due mainly to the school’s overall operating costs being higher than budgeted.
The school’s investment in capital assets for its governmental type activities as of June 30, 2021, amounts to $255,773. This investment in capital assets includes furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
The School does not have any longterm debt for its governmental type activities as of June 30, 2021. LPA does not carry any longterm debt, which helps the school maintain fluidity and adapt to the changing needs of the school. Because of its lack of debt obligations, LPA’s current ratio was 11.01 and its Debt to Asset Ratio was 8.45 at the close of FY21. (LPA Audited Financial Statement Report, 2021)
Although most of LPA’s funding is QBE revenue, LPA conducts fundraising programs to supplement its activities.

Why: This request is a contract extension for Superior Water Services, Inc. to provide efficient service and quality performance while reducing costs. This request extends the agreement for an additional year through September 23, 2023.

Why: This request is a contract extension for Cliff’s Fire Extinguisher Company, Inc. to perform testing, inspections and repairs to the fire alarm, sprinkler and fire suppression systems for all schools and centers district wide. This request extends the agreement for an additional year through November 11, 2023.

Why: This request is a contract extension for Clean Earth to provide efficient service and quality performance while reducing costs. This request extends the agreement for an additional year through August 25, 2023.

Why: This request is to establish a qualified flooring contractor to support the Facilities Department in repairing or replacing athletic and gym flooring utilizing the TIPS Gym Floors, Repairs, Replacements and Services contract. Under this contract the Contractor will furnish management, labor, materials, equipment, and incidental design support needed to perform the work.

Why: This request is to establish an elevator contractor to provide elevator and wheelchair lift inspections, maintenance, and repair services on a time and material basis. Under this contract, the Contractor will furnish management, labor, materials, and equipment needed to perform the work.

Why: This request is a renewal contract extension to provide New and Retread tires for DCSD Buses and Service Support vehicles. This renewal will extend the contract through October 10, 2023. This contract establishes competitive pricing for the supply and delivery of tires, new and retread to the DCSD Fleet Maintenance Department. Board Policy DJE requires the Board of Education to approve the expenditure of any vendor that provides goods and/or services to the school system that may exceed $100,000.00 in purchases for the fiscal year.

Why: Through the Georgia Statewide Contracts 99999-001-SPD0000183-0006 and 99999-SPD0000183-0003, DeKalb County School District Public Safety Department will purchase twenty-seven (27) police vehicles. This purchase will support the increased increase of staff and maintain the fleet lifecycle management plan.

Why: To provide the Hawthorne ES facility with further needed improvements related to safety, security, and health. The additional scope of work was recommended by the project’s design professionals and/or requested by DCSD Facilities to fulfill program wide initiatives. The requested budget addition is based on the opinions of probable costs provided by the project’s design professionals.

Why: To provide the Midvale ES facility with further needed improvements related to safety, security, and health. The additional scope of work was recommended by the project’s design professionals and/or requested by DCSD Facilities to fulfill program wide initiatives. The requested budget addition is based on the opinions of probable costs provided by the project’s design professionals.

Why: To provide the Rock Chapel ES facility with further needed improvements related to safety, security, and health. The additional scope of work was recommended by the project’s design professionals and/or requested by DCSD Facilities to fulfill program wide initiatives. The requested budget addition is based on the opinions of probable costs provided by the project’s design professionals.

Why: The purpose of this agenda item is to accept a donation totaling $23,175.14 for stage curtains from the Druid Hills Middle School PTSA to Druid Hills Middle School.

Why: To ensure all DeKalb County School District stakeholders understand the importance of bullying, harassment, and hazing awareness in creating a safe, orderly, and positive school climate and culture.