News from the Board: "In case you missed it": The Board met on January 15th for its regular monthly business meeting. During the meeting the Board received a presentation from the Administration and High School Investigation Committees concerning the proposed expansion to a high school. Based on the financial viability of the school, the thoughtful plan for student support during expansion, the ongoing efforts of the committees, and the commitment towards the school mission of supporting gifted children, the board unanimously approved phase one of the expansion plan. This includes the addition of one kindergarten and two first-second grade classrooms in the fall of 2014 for a total of 71 new qualified K-2 students, adjustments to classrooms to allow for growth, and commitment to build at least a new 6-8 grade middle school in 2016. The committees continue to work on the full recommendation and the Board will consider full expansion to a high school at its March 19th meeting. The Board met on January 11th for its required annual retreat. During the retreat, they completed their annual self-assessment and set goals for continued improvement for recruitment of Committee and Board members, for the KPI dashboard, for updating committee charters for better goal alignment, and documenting a new Board member orientation program. You can expect an update on the status of these goals later in the year. The annual retreat is a requirement of the School Bylaws and is an opportunity for the Board to work strategically to set goals, although no formal decisions are made as it is outside of a regular business meeting. Upcoming Board Meetings: February 19th: Business Meeting at 6:30 PM at Stargate Stargate Governance 101: Why is Stargate considering expanding to a high school? The Administration and Board are working together, along with a dedicated group of parent volunteers, to investigate the option of expanding our school through 12th grade. Many of our students are finding that traditional high schools may not be challenging enough or they are not able to meet their unique gifted needs. Please join the Board on March 19th at the regular business meeting to discuss the recommendations of the investigation committee on whether or not to continue to move forward with plans for a high school expansion. |
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