Wheels-for-Life®

Gordon Nagle called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m.<= /p>

ATTENDANCE

Board Members: = Tina Beckman (member – teacher), Lisa Kent (treasurer - teacher), Brandon Mehling (secretary – teacher), Gordon Nagle (president – parent= ), and Kim Jurgersen (member - parent).

Board Members Absent:

Staff Members: Darin Shepardson (director), Mary Feath= ergill (business manager)

Other:

POLICY REVIEW

Bylaws wer= e reviewed and approved. Board Policies 202 and 203 will be reviewed for next meeting.=

AGENDA

Agenda was discussed. Agenda was approved.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None

REPORTS

Teachers:

Lisa Kent re= ported Dakota Area Community School will have a Thanksgiving feast on Wednesday, November 26, 2008.<= /span>

Tina Beckman reported Dakota Area Community School’s book= fair and haunted hallway took place on October 30, 2008. Everyone had an enjoyable time.

Brandon Mehl= ing reported that parent/teacher conferences took place on October 28 and Novem= ber 3, 2008. Teachers reported a = 95 percent participation rate. <= o:p>

Tina Beckman reported that report cards will be completed on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 and will be sent home on Monday, December 1, 2008.

Lisa Kent re= ported that Dakota Area Community School will have its winter music concert on Thursday, December 4, 2008.

Tina Beckman reported Dakota Area Community School celebrated r= ed ribbon week October 27 through the 31.

Lisa Kent re= ported that Dakota Area Community School held mock presidential elections on November 3, 2008.

Lisa Kent at= tended Alternative Service Delivery Program Sharing meeting put on by Minnesota Department of Education on November 13, 2008.

Director:

Darin Shepar= dson reported that Winona Area Public Schools District 861 Buildings and Grounds Director, Bill O’Laughlin, came down and checked the Dakota Area Community School facility for requested maintenance needs and repairs.

Darin Shepar= dson reported that Ridgeway Community School received The Minnesota Department of Education Charter Schools Facility gra= nt funding and will be installing a kitchen in their facility with some of these funds= .

Darin Shepar= dson met will Denny Hartmen, Director, from LaCrescent Motessori charter school to s= hare administration set up, school policies and procedures, and collaboration possibilities between the two schools.

Darin Shepar= dson attended the charter school directo= rs monthly meeting at Hiawatha Valley Education District with the Special Ed Director, Joan Buehrle.

Darin Shepar= dson stated that the Fall Iowa Test of B= asic Skills student test scores were received and the scores were shared with ea= ch student’s families.

Darin Shepar= dson worked on the programming for the extra activities and events that have tak= en place at Dakota Area Community School over the past month.

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Business Manager:

Mary Feathergill stated that the school’s 2007-08 annual 990 tax form has been filed with the state and the IRS. The state charitable trust annual fee of $25 was paid. Members reviewed the 990 tax f= orm completed by LarsonAllen LLP.

2007-08 School year’s audited UFARS data was sub= mitted to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on November 4, 2008. The school’s Compliance Table for the 2007-08 school year was completed on MDE’s website.

Schools and Libraries Universal Services E-Rate applic= ation for reimbursed telecommunications and internet services were applied for on= line for the 2009-2010 school year.

COMMITTEES

Personnel Committee

Met on November 10, 2008 and discussed student band le= ssons and music schedule, prep definition, job evaluations for all staff, Americo= rp worker for DACS this year, and edits to the employee handbook. Next meeting= is scheduled for Monday, December 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

Technology Co= mmittee

Darin Shepardson reported that Microsoft Corporation a= nd Minnesota Association of Charter School’s Director, Eugene Piccalo, discussed partnering with Minnesota Charter schools for putting technology in the classrooms. Darin will contact committee members to plan a meeting in the n= ear future.

Finance Commi= ttee

Met Monday, November 24, 2008 and reviewed current year budget. The next meeting scheduled for January 20, 2008 at 3:30 pm.

Enrichment Co= mmittee

Met on November 10, 2008 and discussed two students wh= o will be withdrawing from the Monday and Wednesday Preschool Program, offering scholarships for students who could really benefit by coming to after school for homework help, fundraising ideas were discussed for possible income sou= rces, and getting a program started for preschool families (parents and child) af= ter January.

Next Community Enrichment meeting will be on Monday, D= ecember 8, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.

OLD BUSINESS

Public Relations –Dakota Area Community School has put on numerous community events this past month that have been covered= by the local newspaper. Staff is working on developing ideas for more public relation.

NEW BUSINESS =

Fall Parent Survey results were shared with the board. Overwhelming positive comments from parents were received on the survey. The school will continue to monitor parent input with Fall and Spring surveys.<= /p>

Fall Parent Meetings took place last week. Meetings were positive and productive.

Election of members - The School held its election on October 28, 2008 with the ballots check by Secretary Brandon Mehling. The ballots held the names of Kim Jurgersen, Gordon Nagle, and Brandon Mehling all up for re-election. The new members will be Kim Jurger= sen, Gordon Nagle, and Brandon Mehling.

Appointment of officers - Gordon Nagle was appointed President, Lisa Kent was appointed treasurer, and Brandon Mehling was appoi= nted the secretary.

Annual Board meeting&= nbsp; - Annual Board meeting will be held after the March 16, 2009 board meeting.

Board meeting schedule – Members discussed chang= ing from a twice a month board meeting schedule to a once a month meeting sched= ule. It was decided that board meetings will take place on the second Monday of every month starting on December 8, 2008. Remaining 2008-09 School Year schedule will be: January 12, February 9, March 16, April 13, April 27, May= 11, and June 8.

Board committee membership - Board committee membershi= p was tabled for the next meeting. Darin will notify parents and community members that membership on DACS committees is open.

Minnesota Department of Education Finance Award - Board discussed the Minnesota Department of Education Annual Finance Award. Membe= rs know that the school is worthy of the award, but are limited in our resourc= es so will not be applying for it this year.

Designate school’s newspaper - Recommendation wa= s made to the board to designate Houston County News as our publishing newspaper.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> All information on our school can = be found on the school’s website: ww= w.dacsweb.org. (see action item)

Director’s evaluation for the 2008-09 school year – Members were given a template of the proposed Evaluation Performance review and Development Plan document for evaluating the school’s dire= ctor. The process is being worked on at = the Personnel Committee.

Revised School’s Students’ Report Card - T= he section of the School’s Students’ Report Card was revised in the area of Art to align with what is done in grading by the other special teac= hing areas.

Minnesota Department of Education Sponsorship - Minnes= ota Department of Education will no longer sponsor charter schools after their existing sponsorship contracts are up. DACS current sponsorship contract wi= ll end on June 30, 2010. Dakota Area Community School will need to locate a new sponsor by that date.

CONSENT AGEND= A

Lisa Kent motioned to approve, Gordon Nagle seconded, = and the motion carried for the consent agenda item as follows:

Approve minutes – October 20, 2008

October bank statements and reconciliation reports.

October payment register and deposit summary.

Donations:

Bob and Lonna Stroinski donated hats, gloves, and scar= ves to the school for students’ recess.

Anne Buege donated a paper cutter to the school.

ACTION ITEMS

Gordon Nagle motioned to approve Houston County Newspa= per as the Dakota Area Community School paper used f= or publicity for the 2008-09 School Year.&nbs= p; Brandon Mehling seconded, and the motion carried.

Lisa Kent motioned to appoint officers for a second te= rm: Gordon Nagle was appointed President, Lisa Kent was appointed treasurer, and Brand= on Mehling was appointed the secretary. Tina Beckman seconded and the motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.

Next meeting will be on December 8, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. =

Respectfully submitted,

Brandon Mehling = &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Gordon Nagle

DACS Board Secretary&n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; DACS Board President