HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-05-12 BOT Agenda PacketThe Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Board
of Trustees Workshop but not prior to the posted start time.
Mission Statement
Westlake Academy is an IB World School whose mission is to provide students with an
internationally minded education of the highest quality so they are well-balanced and
respectful life-long learners.
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WESTLAKE ACADEMY
Vision Statement
Westlake Academy inspires students to achieve their highest individual potential in a nurturing
environment that fosters the traits found in the IB Learner Profile.
Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled,
Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced and Reflective
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
AGENDA
March 5, 2012
WESTLAKE TOWN HALL
3 VILLAGE CIRCLE – 2ND FLOOR
WESTLAKE, TX 76262
COUNCIL CHAMBERS/MUNICIPAL COURT ROOM
Workshop Session 5:00 p.m.
Regular Session 6:00 p.m.
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Workshop Session
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. REVIEW OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FROM MARCH 5, 2012, TRUSTEES
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA. (30 min)
4. REPORTS
Reports are prepared for informational purposes and will be accepted as presented. (there
will no presentations associated with the report items) There will be no separate discussion unless
a Board Member requests that report be removed and considered separately.
a. The first of the monthly follow-up reports on the Academic Progress of the Secondary
School.
5. DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Curriculum Management System Presentation by Third Learning. (45 min)
b. Discussion of Recommendation Pertaining to Next Steps for Campus Facility Planning.
(45 min)
c. Discussion of Governance as illustrated in Dr. Brian Carpenter’s Charter School Board
University: An Introduction to Effective Charter School Governance; Chapters 26-27.
(15 min)
6. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which the
duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of
Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this
chapter: Regarding the use of Student Information.
7. RECONVENE MEETING
8. TAKE ANY ACTION, IF NEEDED, FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS.
9. BOARD RECAP / STAFF DIRECTION
10. ADJOURNMENT
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Regular Session
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. CITIZENS' PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: This is an opportunity for
citizens to address the Board on any matter whether or not it is posted on the agenda.
The Board cannot by law take action nor have any discussion or deliberations on any
presentation made to the Board at this time concerning an item not listed on the agenda.
Any item presented may be noticed on a future agenda for deliberation or action.
Recognition of the 2012 TCAF Varsity Girls Basketball State Championship.
3. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below are considered routine by the Board of
Trustees and will be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of
items unless a Board member or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be
removed from the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.
a. Consider approval of the minutes for the meeting held on February 6, 2012.
b. Consider approval of Resolution 12-05, Adopting the 2012-2013 School
Calendar and Expedited State Waiver for Early Release and In-Service Work Days.
c. Consider approval of Resolution 12-06, Adopting a Homebound Instruction
Policy.
4. EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which
the duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with
this chapter: Regarding the use of Student Information.
5. RECONVENE MEETING
6. TAKE ANY ACTION, IF NEEDED, FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS.
7. BOARD CALENDAR
- WA Spring Break
March 12 – 16, 2012
- Town Council Meeting
March 26, 2012
- Westlake Arbor Day
April 7, 2012
- MasterWorks Solana Concert Series – Free Outdoor Concert by Zach King
April 12, 2012, Village Courtyard, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
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- Alliance Development Forum, Marriott Championship Circle
April 13, 2012, 11:00 – 1:00 p.m.
- MasterWorks Solana Concert Series – Free Outdoor Concert by John Adams
April 19, 2012, Village Courtyard, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Junior High Sport Banquet, WA Dining Hall
April 20, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- WHPS - Living History Event, ‘History of the Texas Flag’
WA Performance Hall, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
April 24, 2012
- Bandana Bonanza, Westlake Academy Campus
May 5, 2012
8. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Any Board member may request at a workshop and / or
Board meeting, under “Future Agenda Item Requests”, an agenda item for a future
Board meeting. The Board member making the request will contact the Superintendent
with the requested item and the Superintendent will list it on the agenda. At the
meeting, the requesting Board member will explain the item, the need for Board
discussion of the item, the item’s relationship to the Board’s strategic priorities, and the
amount of estimated staff time necessary to prepare for Board discussion. If the
requesting Board member receives a second, the Superintendent will place the item on
the Board agenda calendar allowing for adequate time for staff preparation on the
agenda item.
- None
9. ADJOURNMENT
ANY ITEM ON THIS POSTED AGENDA COULD BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE
SESSION AS LONG AS IT IS WITHIN ONE OF THE PERMITTED CATEGORIES UNDER
SECTIONS 551.071 THROUGH 551.076 AND SECTION 551.087 OF THE TEXAS
GOVERNMENT CODE.
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the above notice was posted at the Town Hall of the Town of Westlake, 3 Village Circle, on
February 29, 2012, by 5:00 p.m. under the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government
Code.
_____________________________________
Kelly Edwards, Town Secretary
If you plan to attend this public meeting and have a disability that requires special needs, please advise
the Town Secretary 48 hours in advance at 817-490-5710 and reasonable accommodations will be made
to assist you.
Westlake Academy
Item # 2 – Pledge of
Allegiance
Texas Pledge:
"Honor the Texas
flag; I pledge
allegiance to thee,
Texas, one state under
God, one and
indivisible."
CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below are considered routine by the Board of
Trustees and will be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of
items unless a Board member or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be
removed from the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.
a. Consider approval of the minutes for the meeting held on February 6, 2012.
b. Consider approval of Resolution 12-05, Adopting the 2012-2013 School
Calendar and Expedited State Waiver for Early Release and In-Service Work
Days.
c. Consider approval of Resolution 12-06, Adopting a Homebound Instruction
Policy.
Westlake Academy
Item # 3 –
Review of Consent
Agenda Items
REPORTS
Reports are prepared for informational purposes and will be accepted as presented.
(there will no presentations associated with the report items) There will be no separate discussion
unless a Board Member requests that report be removed and considered separately.
a. The first of the monthly follow-up reports on the Academic Progress of the
Secondary School.
Westlake Academy
Item # 4–
Reports
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WESTLAKE ACADEMY AGENDA ITEM
Curriculum: MYP/DP Meeting Date: March 5, 2012
Staff Contact: Clint Calzini Report
MYP Principal
Subject: The first of the monthly follow-up reports on the academic progress of the
secondary school.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Per the request of the School Board, this report is a follow-up to the Improving Academic
Success in the Secondary School for the 2nd Semester 2012 repo rt discussed in the February 6,
2012 Board of Trustees meeting. This month’s report provides two areas of focus 1. Efforts to
improve academic success since February 6, 2012 and 2. data and analysis of academic metrics
since February 6, 2012.
APPLICABLE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIRED OUTCOME
High Student Achievement
Strong Parent & Community Connections
Financial Stewardship & Sustainability
Student Engagement – Extracurricular activities
Effective Educators & Staff
WESTLAKE ACADEMY VALUES
Maximizing Personal Development
Academic Excellence
Respect for Self and Others
Personal Responsibility
Compassion and Understanding
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded Not Funded N/A
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED/ OPTIONS
None at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
The report will be delivered under separate cover during the meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Curriculum Management System Presentation by Third Learning. (45 min)
b. Discussion of Recommendation Pertaining to Next Steps for Campus Facility Planning
(45 min)
c. Discussion of Governance as illustrated in Dr. Brian Carpenter’s Charter School Board
University: An Introduction to Effective Charter School Governance; Chapters 26-27.
(15 min)
Westlake Academy
Item # 5 –
Discussion Items
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WESTLAKE ACADEMY AGENDA ITEM
Curriculum: PYP/MYP/DP Meeting Date: March 5, 2012
Staff Contact: Rod Harding, PYP Principal and Campus Director Discussion
Subject: Curriculum Management System Presentation by 3rd Learning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To commence the partnership for development of this curriculum management system, the administration
has invited Dr. Don Jacobs (CEO of 3rd Learning) and Sarah Glen-Smith to present the IB Curriculum
Management System to the Board of Trustees at their March meeting. The presentation will provide the
Board of Trustees information on the benefits for students and the potential for WA to become a leader in
curriculum development in the state, national and international arenas.
In November 2011 educational consultants from 3rd Learning presented a web based Curriculum
Management System that would provide staff and students with a solution to an aligned and resourced
curriculum. The curriculum would incorporate the International Baccalaureate (IB) outcomes for learning
and the Texas Education Agency state standards. Present at this presentation was Dr. Clint Calzini, Mr.
Rod Harding, Mr. Stacy Stoyanoff, Tracy Odom, Alison Schneider, Shelly Myers, Ben Nibarger, Ginger
Awtry, Amanda DeGan. Representatives fr om the Primary Mathematics committee, Amanda Bunch
(Grade 5 teacher), Kat Calzini (Grade 2 teacher) and Missy DeMoss (Grade1 teacher) also attended to
evaluate the system from a curriculum development perspective. Separate meetings followed with the
administration, IB coordinators, Westlake Town representatives and teachers to gauge the potential of the
IB Curriculum Management System. Each person saw this as a management tool that would align our IB
curriculum and TEKS from K-12 and the educational expertise of 3 rd Learning as a partnership in this
initiative was a great benefit for WA as a school.
In December 2011 a grant was prepared for funding of this initiative to the Westlake Academy
Foundation. The grant was successful and an on going partnership to develop the program between 3rd
Learning and WA will commence in March 2012.
The Project will meet the Vision for students to “….achieve their highest individual potential…” and
supports the school’s Mission by providing an “….internationally minded education of the highest
quality….”. Westlake Academy IB Curriculum Management System will provide a succinct and seamless
connection to the philosophy and elements of the three IB programmes. It will give teachers a state of the
art “drill down” method to exemplary lessons that will meet WA’s Values of ‘Maximizing Personal
Development’ and ‘Academic Excellence’.
The strategic plan -desired outcome of ‘Effective Educators and Staff’ is achieved by instant access to
professional development activities, shared at an individual, section and whole school level. The more
effective a teacher manages their time in an organized and aligned curriculum model there is less need to
search and create the learning experiences and thereby achieve the desired outcome of ‘High Student
Achievement’.
The system offers state-of-the-art tools (Website builder, e-Planners (for daily lessons), a Content
Publishing Tool for teachers to add, share content and give unlimited storage for ePortfolios to enhance
their access to their own educational resources. Beyond the tools, teachers have access to all of the
expected learning outcomes in PYP, MYP, and the Diploma programme. Staff, students and parents will
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have access to online Professional Learning Communities that will allow them to share ideas, resources,
strategies, and best practices with their peers across the world.
The site includes more than 10,000 released items from national assessment exams that can be searched
and used by teachers as formative and end-of-unit assessments. To enhance teaching and learning
activities, The Curriculum Management System has an additional 12,000 resources, aligned to learning
outcomes that provide fingertip access by classroom teachers. The peer-reviewed educational resources
(videos, lesson plans, documents, etc.) are aligned to the IB Learning Outcomes. When the CSCOPE
resources and TEKS structures are added to the site, the same resources will also be aligned to the TEKS
standards.
APPLICABLE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIRED OUTCOME
High Student Achievement
Strong Parent & Community Connections
Financial Stewardship & Sustainability
Student Engagement – Extracurricular activities
Effective Educators & Staff
WESTLAKE ACADEMY VALUES
Academic Achievement
MYP, DP (IB Continuum)
Caring Environment
Communication/Transparency
Engaged Stakeholders
Maximizing Each Child’s Potential
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded Not Funded N/A
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED/ OPTIONS
Report presented for Board information.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
.
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WESTLAKE ACADEMY AGENDA ITEM
Curriculum: PYP/MYP/DP Meeting Date: March 5, 2012
Staff Contact: Tom Brymer , Discussion
Superintendent
Subject: Discussion of Recommendation Pertaining to Next Steps for Campus Facility
Planning
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This agenda item is a follow-up to Board discussion and information on this topic presented by
Staff at the February 6 , 2012 Workshop. While the Board indicated at the February 6th workshop
a consensus to pursue constructing a facility that relieves usage pressures on the gymnasium, the
Board also indicated a consensus to have a separate work session on the topic of facilities and
enrollment growth. The purpose is to revisit that Board consensus and offer a
recommendation on alternative approach to this issue.
Background
As a part of the Council’s 2010 evaluation of the Superintendent, a performance goal for that
position was established to create a long range facility plan for Westlake Academy. A complete
chronology of the Board’s consideration of this strategic issue since 2010 is attached.
APPLICABLE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIRED OUTCOME
High Student Achievement
Strong Parent & Community Connections
Financial Stewardship & Sustainability
Student Engagement – Extracurricular activities
Effective Educators & Staff
WESTLAKE ACADEMY VALUES
Maximizing Personal Development
Academic Excellence
Respect for Self and Others
Personal Responsibility
Compassion and Understanding
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded Not Funded N/A
Note: Fiscal impact s of the various options have been identified in various reports to the Board
since 2011in order to facilitate the Board’s deliberations on this subject at its workshops. Each
of the options has varying financial impacts- some positive, some negative.
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED/ OPTIONS
Staff r ecommendation on next steps on this topic are outlined in more detail in the attached
memorandum to the Board from the Superintendent. In summary, Staff recommends:
1. Retaining architectural services to review and either validate all o r portions, of the
“Hayes Plan”, as well as offer alternative recommendations as needed, converting those
recommendations into a campus master plan to ultimately be adopted by the Board/Town
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Council to guide our campus capital improvement planning.
2. Depending on the results of the architects’ recommendations on a campus master plan,
have this architect begin design of the new building identified in the campus master
plan as being of first priority.
3. While this facility master plan work is getting underway, schedule a special Board
workshop to review the Board’s financial policies and past financial decisions for
funding the Academy.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Memorandum dated 2-26-12 from Superintendent to the Board Re: Recommendation
Pertaining to Next Steps for Campus Facility Planning
2. WA Board of Trustees’ Facility & Enrollment Growth Discussion Chronology 2010-12.
3. WA Vision, Values, and Mission as Strategic Plan Evaluative Rubric (excerpted from the
Dec. 5, 2011 Report to the Board) that evaluates the WA Strategic Plan’s desired outcomes
within the context of existing resources and facilities.
4. Power point presentation on Past Policies and Decisions Relative to WA Finances, Facility
Financing, & Enrollment
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MEMORANDUM
Date: February 26, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Tom Brymer, Town Manager/Superintendent
SUBJECT: Recommendation Pertaining to Alternative Approach for Next Steps
for Campus Facility Planning
At the Board workshop on February 6, 2012, the agenda item regarding campus
facility planning and enrollment was discussed. At that workshop the Board
indicated a desire to move forward on building a facility that would relieve usage
pressures on the gymnasium. However, the Board also indicated that they would
like to schedule a workshop solely devoted to the topic of facility planning and
enrollment growth. If this concept remains the intent and direction of the Board,
Staff can certainly schedule such a workshop on a date convenient for the
members.
However, I would like to offer an alternative recommendation that might
meet the Board’s goal of further review and discussion as it relates to
facility planning.
Staff recommends an alternative approach to that considered at the
February 6th workshop. This alternative approach would involve retaining
an architectural services firm to perform the following scope of work for
the Academy:
1. Review and either validate all or portions, of the “Hayes Plan”, as
well as offer alternative recommendations as needed, and then
converting those recommendations into a campus master plan to
ultimately be adopted by the Board/Town Council to guide our
capital improvement planning.
2. Depending on the results of the architects’ recommendations for
the campus master plan, have the architect begin the design of the
building which is identified in the campus master plan as being of
first priority. The first building to be designed and recommended in the
report may be the need previously identified by Staff as the highest
priority. That is, a multi-use dining/PE building (cafetorium) for the
Primary Years Programme (to relieve usage pressure on our gymnasium
facility). On the other hand, through the process of validating the Hayes
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Plan, it may be determined not to be. Whatever building is identified as
the new facility of first priority, that recommendation would be in the
context of a master plan prepared by the independent consulting firm by
taking a fresh look at the Hayes Plan, as well as providing any other
insights they may garner through the campus master planning process.
3. While this facility master plan work is getting underway, schedule
a special Board workshop to review the Board’s financial policies
and past financial decisions for funding the Academy. This topic was
reviewed at the February 6th workshop (see the attached power point
presentation from that meeting). However, additional time would be spent
by the Board to make sure the Board as a whole is comfortable with the
policies and decisions that drive both operational and capital spending for
the Academy, which would be of benefit to all concerned.
Discussion
The reason I am recommending an alternative approach to having a dedicated
workshop to cover this topic is that, presently, we do not have an alternative view
to the Hayes plan. Board discussion to date centers on the reports that the Staff
has prepared as it relates to the various expansion opportunities and facility
analysis recommendations. All of these reports are hybrids of the options
identified in the campus facilities report presented in March, 2011 by Mr. Peter
Hayes of Project Management Services, Inc. Since then, we have had numerous
workshops on this topic. However, all these workshops, as well any future
workshops at this point, would be based on the same information.
The Board had mentioned that having an alternative or expanded view to
carefully consider our options prior to committing to a particular building type and
location would be beneficial. Meaning, questions were raised at the February 6th
workshop as to the adequacy of the cafetorium concept (recommended in the
Hayes Plan) versus a full-sized gym. Obtaining a second opinion or alternative
viewpoint on that building alone would demonstrate the value of going through
this validation/master planning process and offer us the opportunity to compare
more than one plan.
This approach would also give us a fresh look and a new “set of eyes” in order to
review our campus facility needs within the context of enrollment numbers, while
at the same time, providing us with time to address any academic performance
issues (with a focus on MYP) in our Secondary grades.
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The only negative I can identify with this type of approach is that it would involve
additional costs for the master plan preparation (but it can be argued that we
need such a plan regardless of any new cost associated with preparing one), as
well as the possibility that the borrowing costs (i.e. bond interest rates) and
construction costs to implement the plan may increase over time.
However, if this process is carried out expeditiously (i.e. using a participatory
process, but not one that is unwieldy), we should be in a position to know what
building we need to design first (to take advantage of current bond market low
interest rates and avoid too much construction cost escalation) within a
reasonable time period (assuming we approve a contract with an architect within
the next month or so). Once we have a draft master plan, I would recommend
scheduling a special workshop at that time to discuss it. As regards Parts 1
and 2 of the above recommendation, this master plan should be conducted
by the architect within the context of the Board’s vision, values and
mission as well as the evaluative rubric for the Academy that our Staff
prepared using the strategic plan’s desired outcomes.
Pertaining to Part 3 of the recommendation (a Board workshop devoted solely to
reviewing the Board’s financial policies and past financial decisions for funding
the Academy), it is recommended that this workshop be scheduled during the
first 30-60 days that the architect is beginning his review of the Hayes Plan. This
is so any major changes in the Board’s financial policies or past financial
decisions regarding the Academy that might impact the architect’s master
planning recommendations (especially regarding sequencing the priority order of
facility construction), can be taken into account early on in the master planning
process.
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WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ FACILITY & ENROLLMENT
GROWTH DISCUSSION CHRONOLOGY 2010-12
The purpose of this chronology is to review the discussions of the past several months
regarding enrollment, facilities, and the vision, values, and mission of Westlake Academy
within the context of Board’s previous decisions and policies that ultimately shape the
direction of the school.
Board Direction in 2010
As a part of the Council’s 2010 evaluation of the Superintendent, a performance goal was
established to create a long range facility plan for Westlake Academy. This was driven by
the fact that the Board had previously approved moving forward with an expanded block
schedule for the secondary grades which increased our course offerings and required
additional students to populate the classrooms. These new students required additional
teachers and the use of portable buildings, which increased the Board’s desire to have a long
range plan for permanent campus facilities.
The Superintendent applied for a grant from the Hudson Foundation to hire a professional
school facility planner. The Town used this grant award to retain the services of Project
Management Services, Inc., led by Mr. Peter Hayes, a firm that has performed facility
planning for several Texas charter schools.
Board Discussion in 2011
Mr. Hayes presented his report to the Board at their March 10, 2011 workshop. The report
identified the need for approximately $13-15 million in campus facilities. Further, the report
contained recommendatio ns on the self-funding of these facilities via a large student enrollment
increase. Board direction at that time was to schedule a portion of the Board’s annual
planning retreat for further discussion of what we now call the “Hayes Report”.
During the Board’s May 20, 2011 planning retreat, the Hayes Report was reviewed in greater
detail and the various projects were broken down into a capital projects listing which included a
draft of the Town’s five (5) year Capital Improvement Plan. This was done so that the debt
issuance required to implement Hayes’ recommendations could be examined in conjunction with
all Town capital project requirements over this time period. At this planning retreat, the
Board’s direction to Staff was to examine the feasibility of a more phased, incremental
approach, as opposed to the approach for facility construction recommended by the Hayes
Report (which requires a large enrollment increase to fund the identified facilities and would be
constructed all at one time).
During the Board’s June 9, 2011 budget workshop on the WA 2011-12 Budget, the Board
gave direction to have further discussion of this topic at an upcoming workshop.
This item was placed on the Board’s September 12, 2011 workshop agenda where additional
incremental options were presented by the Staff. At this workshop, the Board requested
that additional options be examined and brought back to them for further discussion at a
subsequent workshop. Following the September 12, 2011 Board workshop, Staff held
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numerous planning sessions, including one all-day session, to examine the campus facility
needs, the Hayes Report recommendations, the phased options presented on September
12th, as well as the additional options the Board requested at that time.
At the December 5, 2011 Board Workshop, per the Board’s request in September, the Staff
presented another report that identified additional options that might be viable. In that
report, each option (whether new or previously identified) had been discussed and
examined by Staff within the following context:
1.) Does the option advance WA’s vision, values, and mission?
2.) Does the option achieve our Strategic Plan’s desired outcomes, thus moving us
closer to our Vision, Values, and Mission?
3.) Does the option provide for the Academy’s future financial viability (without
which we cannot achieve our Vision)?
Board Discussion in 2012
At the January 9, 2012 workshop, Staff provided the Board with information in response to
the questions from the December 5, 2011 workshop. The Board indicated a consensus that
favored enrollment expansion, but wished to have the additional option described above
(i.e. begin with PYP enrollment growth) explored further.
That analysis was provided at a January 23, 2012 Board workshop and would perform as
follows:
Year 1 (FY 11-12) of the 5 year planning period
~ Design a PYP cafetorium
Year 2 (FY12-13) of the 5 year planning period
~ Construct the PYP cafetorium, as well as purchase/install additional portable buildings
Year 3 (FY 13-14) of the 5 year planning period
a.) open the new PYP cafetorium,
b.) increase PYP enrollment (K-5) to 5 sections adding 365 students
c.) bring on additional teachers
d.) begin utilizing the new portable buildings
d.) begin design of the remaining $13 million in identified campus improvements for the
Secondary Grades.
Year 4 (FY14-15) of the 5 year planning period
~ Commence construction of the remaining $13 million in campus improvements, as well
as increase G6-12 student enrollment by 100 students by increasing class size to 25.
Year 5 (FY15-16) of the 5 year planning period
~ Open the new $13 million in new Secondary Grades campus facilities, as well as
expand the Secondary Grades student enrollment by adding a fourth section (149 new
students)
At that workshop the Board consensus was to pursue a new cafetorium for the Primary
Years’ grades. The Board also expressed a consensus preference for the Organic Growth
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Model presented at that meeting, although no action was taken.
At the February 6, 2012 Board workshop, the Superintendent reviewed the Board discussion
on this topic to date, as well as the Board’s financial decisions affecting this issue. The
Superintendent also presented another option that involved:
• Eliminat ing the indirect cost transfer from the WA operating budget to the municipal
general fund ($305,000) to help address the projected operating short falls over the next
five fiscal years
• Issuance of $4.4 million in tax obligation debt to fund new facilities. These could be
a.) a cafetorium and
b.) a six (6) class room building.
While the Board indicated at the February 6th workshop a consensus to pursue
constructing a facility that relieves usage pressures on the gymnasium, the Board also
indicated that they would prefer to schedule a separate work session on the topic of
facilities and enrollment growth.
Conclusion
It should be noted that, during the entire course of these discussions, the Staff has provided the
Board with financial forecasts that show the Academy’s current operating deficit, and how each
option either positively or negatively affects the shortfall, while at the same time addressing or
not addressing the campus’ facilities.
Framework for Analysis Through the leadership and guidance provided by the Board of Trustees, Westlake Academy has established a vision, mission and values; ultimately, these words are what guide each decision we make. Vision Westlake Academy inspires students to achieve their highest individual potential in a nurturing environment that fosters the traits found in the IB Learner Profile.
~Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring,
Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective~
Mission
“Westlake Academy is an IB World School whose mission is to provide students with an
internationally minded education of the highest quality, so they are well-balanced
and respectful life-long learners.”
Values
Maximizing Personal Development - Academic Excellence- Respect for Self and Others - Personal
Responsibility - Compassion and Understanding
One of the many expressions of the Board and Staff’s dedication to continuous improvement has been
the development of a strategic plan that is designed to outline how we will achieve our vision and
mission while reflecting our stated values. At the heart of the strategic plan are five desired outcomes
that serve as tangible results we expect to achieve.
Desired Outcomes
High Student Achievement
Effective Educators and Staff
Student Engagement and Extra-curricular Activities
Strong Parent and Community Connections
Financial Stewardship and Sustainability
The Academy Leadership Team developed a rubric by which to measure our current levels of success at
meeting our desired outcomes. This tool was created and is being used as an objective measurement
for evaluating the impact of facility and enrollment growth on our stated objectives. The rubric and the
evaluation tool can be seen on the following pages in Tables 1 and 2. The Academy’s leadership created
this rubric by first, force-ranking the Academy’s five desired outcomes in order of precedence. The
outcome of this process was the realization that Financial Stewardship and Sustainability is the
foundation upon which the remaining four desired outcomes are built.
4
Table 1 - Desired Outcomes Rubric
Level of
Success
Strategic Plan Desired Outcomes
School Year 2009- 2012
High Student
Achievement
Effective
Educators
and Staff
Student
Engagement and
Extra-curricular
Activities
Strong Parent
and Community
Connections
Financial
Stewardship and
Sustainability
4
Student
Achievement
Exceeds
Performance on
Comparison
Schools
100% of
educators and
staff are rated as
effective or highly
effective on their
annual evaluation
100% of students
are engaged in
sports, the arts or
academic
activities
100% of Westlake
Academy
stakeholders are
actively involved
Westlake
Academy has an
endowment at
least 3.5 times
greater than its
annual operation
budget
3
Student
Achievement is
equal to the
Performance of
Comparison
Schools
75% of educators
and staff are
rated as effective
or highly effective
on their annual
evaluation
75% of students
are engaged in
sports, the arts or
academic
activities
75% of Westlake
Academy
stakeholders are
actively involved
Westlake
Academy has an
endowment 2
times greater
than its annual
operation budget
2
Student
achievement is
less successful
50% of educators
and staff are
rated as effective
or highly effective
on their annual
evaluation
50% of students
are engaged in
sports, the arts or
academic
activities
50% of Westlake
Academy
stakeholders are
actively involved
Westlake
Academy’s
revenue equals its
expenditures
1
Student
achievement is
unacceptable.
25% of educators
and staff are
rated as effective
or highly effective
on their annual
evaluation
25% of students
are engaged in
sports, the arts or
academic
activities
25% of Westlake
Academy
stakeholders are
actively involved
Westlake
Academy’s
revenue is less
than its
expenditures
In Table 1, the cells that are highlighted in blue represent our self-assessment of the current level of
success in meeting the Academy’s desired outcomes. The Strong Parent and Community Connections
have two cells highlighted because the Academy Leadership Team determined that we have more than
50% involvement but less than 75%.
5
Discussion of Past Policies and
Decisions Relative to WA Finances,
Facility Financing & Enrollment
February 6, 2012
How are We Doing? (BSC)
2
Strategic
Plan
Established
1.
Financial
Policies &
Decisions
2. 6. 3. 5. 4.
Enrollment &
Curriculum
Decisions
Facilities
Teaching
& Admin.
Structure
Learning &
Assessment
Vision
Values
Mission
Learner
Profile
Manifested
Student Centric Focus
and Learning Occurs
Financial Policies & Decisions
3
Operating Cost Related Policies & Decision
• Academy and Municipal Budget Policies – Recoup all Indirect Costs
($305,000 started in FY11/12)
• Moved all Academy direct operating costs in Municipal Budget to
Academy Budget ($245,000, started in FY10/11)
• Salaries: Policy to be within 3% of median of surrounding school
districts
• State Funding Cutbacks
6.5 % in FY 11/12 = an approximate decrease of $477.00 per student
9.0 % in FY 12/13 = an approximate decrease of $660.00 per student
2.
Financial Policies & Decisions, cont.
4
Operating Cost Related Policies & Decision
• Net effect of “full cost of service” for operating costs:
• Requires a certain enrollment to be “in the black” and
maintain TEA recommended fund balance
• Currently not able to do this; expenses exceed revenues
2.
Financial Policies & Decisions, cont.
5
Capital Cost Related Policies and Decisions
• Bonds issued for Academy facilities are tax pledged, BUT paid for
by sales tax.
• No decision to date by Council to issue additional bonds (debt)
for Academy facilities (since A&S building)
Net Effect:
Only known sources to address capital costs for facilities:
• Issue tax pledged debt paid by growing student enrollment
- OR -
• Issue debt supported by tax pledge, but paid for by sales tax
-OR –
• Combination of both approaches
2.
Enrollment & Curriculum Decisions
6
• Set class size at 20 students (June 18, 2010 - effective SY 10/11)
• Added a section to Secondary grades
(3 total per grade G7-11 – SY 11/12)
• Added courses for Secondary; required additional students and
teachers to populate these classes (SY 11/12)
• Installed 3 portables (SY 11/12)
Net Effect:
Increased costs, but additional enrollment helped offset State
funding reductions
But, no new dollars for Academy facility needs
Student on-boarding challenges
3.
Facilities
7
• Current facilities maximized – space wise
• No funding identified to replace 3 existing portable buildings
• Cannot use current enrollment to fund new facility construction
• No bond funding (or source to pay for them) authorized by Council
for Academy facilities
• Facility needs have been identified (Hayes Plan); gym most
stressed by high usage/scheduling
• Lead to proposing enrollment growth to fund facilities (Option 2A
or the Semi-OGO plans)
4.
Teaching & Admin. Structure
8
Strategic Plan Desired Outcome: Highly Effective Teachers
• “Raised the Bar” = Great Teacher Profile
• Increasing the Academy’s recruitment profile
• Add Assistant Secondary Principal
5.
Learning & Assessment
9
• Leavers Report
• Improving the On-boarding Process
• Mid-year Academic Success Plan
• Develop/Refine DP Level Pathways (future policy discussions)
6.
Policy Questions - Going Forward
10
Operating Costs
• Remain on “full cost of service”?
- If yes, where will required revenue come from?
~ Facilities are maxed out; student growth a problem
without additional portables; State funding has been reduced
- If no, is there a different approach?
Capital Costs
• Only fund new facilities by enrollment growth?
- If yes, Option 2A or “Semi-OGO” will work
- If no, is there a different approach?
Policy on DP Pathways
An Alternative Approach
11
Operating Costs
• Treat the Academy as a general Government facility
- Modify full cost of service policy for indirect costs
~ Relieve pressure to increase enrollment to cover these costs
~ Municipal General Fund to carry the costs
Capital Costs
• Use funding source for new facilities that is not dependent on
student growth
- OR -
• Use an approach for capital costs that combines some enrollment
growth over time with another funding source
What does this look like?
An Alternative Approach, (cont.)
12
Operating Costs
• Eliminate indirect costs – transfer to Municipal General Fund of
$ 305,000 (Municipal budget absorbs this cost)
• Retain enrollment at approximate present level
Capital Costs
• Cafetorium $ 2.0 million
Six (6) Classroom building $ 2.4 million
ESTIMATED COSTS $ 4.4 Million
• Utilize PTR/former 4A sales tax funds to pay this estimated annual
debt service cost of $ 305,000 (still would be tax pledged bonds to
obtain the lowest interest rate possible)
• Look at Performance Hall options
PHASE ONE
An Alternative Approach, (cont.)
13
We can decide at a later point to:
• Issue $10 million in bonds
• Build remaining building components
• Increase enrollment to 25 per class/section
• Move G6 into Secondary
PHASE TWO (OPTIONAL)
Recap
14
• Needed: A facility plan – had one developed (Hayes Plan)
• Looked at a variety of options to implement it based on current
Board financial policies & decisions
• If we use a different Board policy approach, it creates another
alternative with two (2) phases:
+ Phase One $4.4 million (builds Cafetorium & 6 classrooms)
+ Phase Two $10 million (remaining buildings)
• Phase I – capital cost is funded by tax pledged bonds paid by sales tax
- Also, Academy operating budget “in black” by Municipal
budget absorbing the indirect costs for operations; no change
in enrollment
• Phase II (Optional) – paid for by increasing Secondary enrollment to
25 w/ G6 moved into Secondary
15
Needed:
Board Direction in order
to plan next steps.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which the
duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this
chapter: Regarding the use of Student Information.
Westlake Academy
Item # 6 – Executive
Session
Westlake Academy
Item # 7 – Reconvene
Meeting
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which the
duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this
chapter: Charter amendment
Westlake Academy
Item # 8 – Take any
Necessary Action, if
necessary
BOARD RECAP / STAFF DIRECTION
Westlake Academy
Item #9
Board Recap /
Staff Direction
Town of Westlake
Item # 10 –
Workshop
Adjournment
Back up material has not
been provided for this item.
CITIZENS' PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: This is an opportunity for citizens to
address the Board on any matter whether or not it is posted on the agenda. The Board cannot
by law take action nor have any discussion or deliberations on any presentation made to the
Board at this time concerning an item not listed on the agenda. Any item presented may be
noticed on a future agenda for deliberation or action.
Recognition of the 2012 TCAF Varsity Girls Basketball State Championship.
Westlake Academy
Item # 2 – Citizens’
Presentations and
recognitions
CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below are considered routine by the Board of
Trustees and will be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of
items unless a Board member or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be
removed from the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.
a. Consider approval of the minutes for the meeting held on February 6, 2012.
b. Consider approval of Resolution 12-05, Adopting the 2012-2013 School
Calendar and Expedited State Waiver for Early Release and In-Service Work
Days.
c. Consider approval of Resolution 12-06, Adopting a Homebound Instruction
Policy.
Westlake Academy
Item # 3 - Consent
Agenda Items
BOT Minutes 02/06/12
Page 1 of 4
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WORKSHOP
February 6, 2012
PRESENT: President Wheat, Trustees: Tim Brittan, Clif Cox, Carol Langdon, David Levitan
and Rick Rennhack.
ABSENT:
OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent Tom Brymer, Board Secretary Kelly Edwards,
Primary Principal Rod Harding, Secondary Principal Dr. Clint
Calzini, Administrative Coordinator Ben Nibarger, Assistant to the
Superintendent Amanda DeGan, Finance Director Debbie Piper,
Director of Communications & Community Affairs Ginger Awtry,
Facilities and Recreation Director Troy Meyer, Planning and
Development Director Eddie Edwards and Budget & Management
Analyst Scott Dixon.
Workshop Session
1. CALL TO ORDER
President Wheat called the workshop to order at 5:15 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
President Wheat led the pledge of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.
3. REVIEW OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FROM FEBRUARY 6, 2012, TRUSTEES
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
Trustee Langdon asked for a clarification regarding the January 9, 2012, meeting minutes
regarding the Board Recap and Staff direction item listing Math and Spanish curriculum.
BOT Minutes 02/06/12
Page 2 of 4
4. REPORTS
a. School Lunch Satisfaction and Analysis.
Discussion ensued regarding the lunch menu from the provider, the cost of items, and
the number of students that bring their lunch.
b. Follow-up Report on Student Withdrawals.
Administrative Coordinator Nibarger provided an overview of the report stating they
are continuing to gather feedback.
Discussion ensued regarding the percentage of students by grade that have
withdrawn from the Academy.
c. Possible Charter School Intervention in the Current School Finance Litigation.
Superintendent Brymer provided an overview of the report and how the litigation
would affect Charter Schools.
Staff will prepare a resolution for approval at the next meeting.
5. DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Discussion of Various Board Policies and Options Related to These Policies as they
Pertain/Relate to Impacts on Finances, Facility Financing, and Enrollment.
Superintendent Brymer provided a presentation and overview of the policies that are
related to Academy growth and financing.
Discussion ensued regarding how to improve the On-boarding process by preparing
parents and students to be successful with the IB Curriculum, the action plan
implemented to address current curriculum concerns engaging students and how to
move forward with a growth model.
President Wheat stated that the Board is concerned about adding more students and
increasing facilities before making sure they are comfortable with the schools current
processes.
President Wheat recessed the workshop at 7:35 p.m.
President Wheat reconvened the workshop at 7:59 p.m.
BOT Minutes 02/06/12
Page 3 of 4
b. Discussion of Governance as illustrated in Dr. Brian Carpenter’s Charter School Board
University: An Introduction to Effective Charter School Governance; Chapters 26-27.
No action taken.
6. BOARD RECAP / STAFF DIRECTION
Schedule an additional Strategic workshop to discuss the facility expansion prior to the
June budget retreat.
Provide a detailed report by GPA of students on the Leaver’s report.
Provide a comparison of last year’s MYP action plan to this year’s plan.
Provide the Board an update of the current MYP action plan at each meeting under
reports.
Consider removing the indirect cost from the School budget transferring the cost back to
the Municipal General fund.
7. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board, President Wheat adjourned the
workshop at 8:03 p.m.
Regular Session
1. CALL TO ORDER
President Wheat called the Regular meeting to order at 8:03 p.m.
2. CITIZENS' PRESENTATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS
Ange Bumgarner, 1700 Imperial Springs, Keller, asked the Board to provide better
communication to parents regarding the on-boarding process and current policies and
procedures.
3. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Consider approval of the minutes for the meeting held on January 9, 2012.
b. Consider approval of the minutes for the meeting held on January 23, 2012.
c. Consider approval of Resolution 12-04, Amending the 2012 Meeting Calendar.
MOTION: Trustee Cox made a motion to approve the consent agenda with
the revisions to the minutes as discussed. Trustee Brittan
seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0.
BOT Minutes 02/06/12
Page 4 of 4
4. BOARD CALENDAR
- Grade 11 DP Drama Production – Our Town
February 8, 10 & 11, 2012; 7:00 pm; WA Performance Hall
- Northeast Tarrant Transportation Summit
February 10, 2012; 8:30 am-1:30 pm; Hurst Conference Center
- Gallery Night
March 3, 2012, Marriott Solana at 6:00 p.m.
- Board of Trustee Meeting
March 5, 2012
- WA Spring Break
March 12 – 16, 2012
- Town Council Meeting
March 26, 2012
- MasterWorks Concert Spring Series – Free Outdoor Concert by Vocal Trash
March 30, 2012, WA Amphitheatre 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- Westlake Arbor Day
April 7, 2012
5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- None
6. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Trustee Rennhack made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Trustee
Levitan seconded the motion. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0.
President Wheat adjourned the meeting at 8:11 p.m.
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON MARCH 5, 2012.
ATTEST: ____________________________
Laura Wheat, Board President
_____________________________
Kelly Edwards, Board Secretary
Page 1 of 1
WESTLAKE ACADEMY AGENDA ITEM
Curriculum: PYP/MYP/DP Meeting Date: March 5, 2012
Staff Contact: Tom Brymer , Superintendent Consent
Subject: Consider a Resolution Adopting the 2012-2013 School Calendar and
Expedited State Waiver for Early Release and In-Service Work Days.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The school administration has proposed a school calendar for the 2011-13 school year. The
calendar meets all the requirements of the TEA for 180 instructional days minus the allotted
number of staff in-service days, early release days and start date. The Academy reviewed
surrounding school districts calendars and consulted with the faculty for input when drafting this
calendar. Once passed by the School Board the calendar will be submitted to TEA for final
approval.
APPLICABLE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIRED OUTCOME
High Student Achievement
Strong Parent & Community Connections
Financial Stewardship & Sustainability
Student Engagement – Extracurricular activities
Effective Educators & Staff
WESTLAKE ACADEMY VALUES
Academic Achievement
PYP, MYP, DP (IB Continuum)
Caring Environment
Fiscal Stewardship
Communication/Transparency
Engaged Stakeholders
Maximizing Each Child’s Potential
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded Not Funded N/A
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED/ OPTIONS
Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the expedited State waiver for early release and in-
service work days for the 2012-13 school calendar.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
Expedited State Waiver
Resolution 12-05
Page 1 of 2
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
RESOLUTION NO. 12-05
A RESOLUTION OF THE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ADOPTING THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL CALENDAR AND APPROVING
REQUEST FOR STATE WAIVER.
WHEREAS, the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees has considered the
proposed 2012-2013 school calendar and the proposed State Expedited Waiver; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this Resolution is in
the best interests of the Academy and the public;
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this Resolution is in
the best interest of the citizens of Westlake as well as the students, their parents, and
faculty of Westlake Academy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
WESTLAKE ACADEMY:
SECTION 1: That the Board of Trustees of Westlake Academy hereby adopts
the proposed 2012-13 School Calendar (Exhibit ‘A’) and authorizes the school
administration to request the State Expedited Waiver.
SECTION 2: That this Resolution shall become effective upon the date of its
passage, but contingent upon approval by the TEA.
SECTION 3: If any portion of this resolution shall, for any reason, be declared
invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the
remaining provisions hereof and the Council hereby determines that it would have
adopted this Resolution without the invalid provision.
Resolution 12-05
Page 2 of 2
SECTION 4: That this resolution shall become effective from and after its date
of passage.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WESTLAKE
ACADEMY, A CHARTER SCHOOL OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, ON THE 5TH
DAY OF MARCH, 2012.
_____________________________
ATTEST: Laura Wheat, President
_____________________________ ______________________________
Kelly Edwards, Board Secretary Thomas E. Brymer, Superintendent
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
Janet S. Bubert or L. Stanton Lowry,
School Attorney
August 2012 1 September 2012 2 October 2012 3 DateEvent
SMTWThFSaSMTWThFSaSMTWThFSa August 14 - 17: New Teacher Orientation
1234 1123456 20 - 22: All Faculty Orientation
567891011234567878910111213 23: First Day of School
12131415161718910111213141514151617181920 September 3: Labor Day
192021222324251617181920212221222324252627 21: Early Release
262728293031 2324252627282928293031 October 5: PYP Conferences
30 8: Teacher Professional Day
7192217: End of MYP/DP First Quarter
November 2012 4 December 2012 5 January 2013 6 19: Early Release
SMTWThFSaSMTWThFSaSMTWThFSa 26: MYP / DP Conferences
123 1 12345 November 19-23: Thanksgiving Break
4567891023456786789101112 16: Early Release
11121314151617910111213141513141516171819 December 14: End of MYP / DP Second Quarter
181920212223241617181920212220212223242526 17 - 20: Secondary Exams / Early Release
252627282930 232425262728292728293031 January 7: Teacher Professional Day
3031 18: MYP / DP Conferences
17 14 17 February 18: Early Release
Westlake Academy
Academic Calendar 2012 - 2013
February 2013 7 March 2013 8 April 2013 9 March 1: PYP Conferences
SMTWThFSaSMTWThFSaSMTWThFSa 8: End of MYP / DP Third Quarter
12 12123456 22: Secondary Conferences
3456789345678978910111213 28: Early Release
101112131415161011121314151614151617181920 April 29: Early Release
171819202122231718192021222321222324252627 May 31: End of MYP / DP 4th Quarter
2425262728 24252627282930282930 June 1: Senior Commencment
31 3 - 6 Secondary Semester Exams
19 13 22 6: Last Day of School
May 2013 10 June 2013 11 July 2013 12 7: Teacher Professional Day
SMTWThFSaSMTWThFSaSMTWThFSa
1234 1123456 Student Days 177
567891011234567878910111213 Teacher Days 180
12131415161718910111213141514151617181920
192021222324251617181920212221222324252627
262728293031 2324252627282928293031
30
22 4
First / Last Day of School PYP Conferences (No School)
No School Secondary Conferences (Early Release)
Bad weather make up Secondary End of Quarter
Teacher Work Days (No School)Senior Commencement
Teacher Work Days (Early Release)Secondary Exams (Early Release)
Page 1 of 1
WESTLAKE ACADEMY AGENDA ITEM
Curriculum: PYP/MYP/DP Meeting Date: March 5, 2012
Staff Contact: Dr. Clint Calzini Consent
Secondary Principal
Subject: Consideration of a Resolution Adopting a Policy Establishing a
Homebound Instruction Program
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff has been advised that in order to offer our students that may require homebound instruction
due to extended absence (serious illness, etc), it is necessary for the Academy to have a Board
policy on this matter. This policy, if adopted, would establish the policy basis and process by
which eligibility for homebound instruction is determined, as well as the criteria and process for
how an eligible student’s homebound instruction services will be developed.
APPLICABLE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIRED OUTCOME
High Student Achievement
Strong Parent & Community Connections
Financial Stewardship & Sustainability
Student Engagement – Extracurricular activities
Effective Educators & Staff
WESTLAKE ACADEMY VALUES
Maximizing Personal Development
Academic Excellence
Respect for Self and Others
Personal Responsibility
Compassion and Understanding
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded Not Funded N/A
Note: while resources will be required to administer this policy when the situation requires it,
determining financial impact cannot be done until specific circumstances are identified. This
will require having some actual instances and experience in providing homebound instruction to
be able compute the financial impact. To date, there ha ve been none. However, should the
situation arise, we will be able to track these costs.
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED/ OPTIONS
The Staff has developed this proposed policy in consultation with our education legal counsel.
Staff recommends approving this Resolution adopting this policy.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution with Policy for Homebound Instruction.
Resolution 12-06
Page 1 of 4
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
RESOLUTION NO. 12-06
A RESOLUTION OF THE WESTLAKE ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CREATING A POLICY ESTABLISHING HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION
PROCEDURES.
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees desires to create a policy Establishing Homebound
Instruction Procedures for students at Westlake Academy taking extended leaves of absence, and
WHEREAS, the policy is consistent with TEA’s Student Attendance Accounting
procedures for students who will be confined for a minimum of four (4) weeks to a hospital or
homebound for medical reasons that are specifically documented by a physician licensed to
practice in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Westlake Academy Board of Trustees finds that the passage of this
Resolution is in the best interests of the Academy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
WESTLAKE ACADEMY:
SECTION 1: That, all matters stated in the recitals hereinabove are found to be true and
correct and are incorporated herein by reference as if copied in their entirety.
SECTION 2: The Board hereby establishes a policy known as the Homebound
Instruction Policy attached to this resolution as Exhibit “A”.
SECTION 3: If any portion of this Resolution shall, for any reason, be declared invalid
by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions
hereof and the Board hereby determines that it would have adopted this Resolution without the
invalid provision.
SECTION 4: That this resolution shall become effective from and after its date of
passage.
Resolution 12-06
Page 2 of 4
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF WESTLAKE
ACADEMY, A CHARTER SCHOOL OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, ON THE 5th DAY OF
MARCH 2012.
___________________________________
Laura Wheat, President
ATTEST:
________________________________ ___________________________________
Kelly Edwards, Board Secretary Thomas E. Brymer, Superintendent
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
L. Stanton Lowry or Janet S. Bubert,
School Attorney
Resolution 12-06
Page 3 of 4
Exhibit A
TOWN OF WESTLAKE
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY
Policy No. 12-06:
Date Board Adopted: March 5, 2012
Date Board Amended: N/A
Effective Date: March 5, 2012;
Policy Name: Homebound Instruction
Policy Category: Student Achievement
Policy Goal: Provide an appropriate learning environment for students with medical
issues that prevent attendance in the regular classroom.
Policy Description:
Consistent with TEA’s Student Attendance Accounting procedures, a student who will
be confined for a minimum of four (4) weeks to a hospital or homebound for medical
reasons that are specifically documented by a physician licensed to practice in the
United States may be eligible to receive general education homebound services.
Parents should request services through the appropriate principal in accordance with
administrative procedures.
Upon receipt of a request for homebound services, the principal or their designee shall
convene a placement committee composed of at least a campus administrator, a
teacher of the student, and the parent or guardian of the student to consider the
necessity of providing general education homebound instruction to the student. If the
committee determines that such instruction is appropriate, the committee shall
determine the type and amount of instruction to be provided and, when the student is
able to return to the regular educational setting, the length of the transition period based
on current medical information.
For all students receiving homebound instruction, Westlake Academy will create and
maintain documentation of all instructional services provided in accordance with
administrative procedures.
Resolution 12-06
Page 4 of 4
Nothing in this policy is intended to limit the rights of students eligible to receive special
education services. For special education students that require homebound instruction,
the student’s ARD committee shall determine the type and amount of instruction to be
provided and, when the student is able to return to the regular educational setting, the
length of the transition period based on current medical information.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which the
duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this
chapter: Regarding the use of Student Information.
Westlake Academy
Item # 4 – Executive
Session
Westlake Academy
Item # 5 – Reconvene
Meeting
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The Board will conduct a closed session pursuant to Texas Government Code, annotated,
Chapter 551, Subchapter D for the following:
a. Section 551.071(2) – Consultation with School Attorney on a matter in which the
duty of the attorney to the governmental body under the Texas Disciplinary
Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas clearly conflicts with this
chapter: Charter amendment
Westlake Academy
Item # 6 – Take any
Necessary Action, if
necessary
BOARD CALENDAR
- WA Spring Break
March 12 – 16, 2012
- Town Council Meeting
March 26, 2012
- Westlake Arbor Day
April 7, 2012
- MasterWorks Solana Concert Series – Free Outdoor Concert by Zach King
April 12, 2012, Village Courtyard, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Alliance Development Forum, Marriott Championship Circle
April 13, 2012, 11:00 – 1:00 p.m.
- MasterWorks Solana Concert Series – Free Outdoor Concert by John Adams
April 19, 2012, Village Courtyard, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Junior High Sport Banquet, WA Dining Hall
April 20, 2012, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
- WHPS - Living History Event, ‘History of the Texas Flag’
WA Performance Hall, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
April 24, 2012
- Bandana Bonanza, Westlake Academy Campus
May 5, 2012
Westlake Academy
Item #7
Board Calendar
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Any Board member may request at a workshop and / or
Board meeting, under “Future Agenda Item Requests”, an agenda item for a future
Board meeting. The Board member making the request will contact the CEO with the
requested item and the CEO will list it on the agenda. At the meeting, the requesting
Board member will explain the item, the need for Board discussion of the item, the
item’s relationship to the Board’s strategic priorities, and the amount of estimated staff
time necessary to prepare for Board discussion. If the requesting Board member
receives a second, the CEO will place the item on the Board agenda calendar allowing
for adequate time for staff preparation on the agenda item.
- None
Westlake Academy
Item # 8 –
Future Agenda
Items
Westlake Academy
Item # 9 –
Adjournment
Back up material has not
been provided for this item.