Fall, 2008
News about the Board of Trustees for parents, staff and community supporters
Volume I, Fall 2008
Letter from the Chair:
Dear Friends of CCLCS,
As a Commonwealth charter school, CCLCS is governed by a Board of Trustees, rather than a school committee or school board. We hear that you'd like to know more about us, so we're taking several steps to make that easier: first, we will be publishing this newsletter once a term. Second, we'll soon post the minutes of board meetings online at www.cclighthouseschool.org. Last and most important, our meetings are open to the public, and you are more than welcome to attend. We meet at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of every month, in the 8th grade math room at CCLCS.
The Board is responsible to see that the school is faithful to its charter and to Federal and State laws. Since the school's mission is so strong and our staff so devoted, the Board's main focus in the last few years has been planning for the future. We want to ensure that the school can be a resource for generations of kids to come. One essential piece of that stability would be for the school to own its own building. Charter schools in Massachusetts do not receive special funds for buildings, and land on Cape Cod is scarce and expensive, so our search has been frustrating, but we are determined that the substantial monies we must allot for rent now will soon be spent toward buying a place of our own.
Much of the Board's work is done in committees, so this first newsletter is devoted to describing each committee. Thank you for your interest. Our next meeting is December 22; we'd love to see you there!
Heidi Jon Schmidt, Chair
The Finance Committee, chaired by Stefanie Fournier, works with the Executive Director and Business Manager on an operating budget for the school year. The Committee also develops and updates a five-year financial plan/projection. Currently, the Finance Committee is working on a contingency plan in the event that our state funding is cut during the coming school year.
The Site Committee, chaired by Marion Hobbs, is looking to purchase a site and build or renovate a building as a permanent home for CCLCS. Their goal is to occupy this permanent home by the start of the 2011/12 school year. After looking at a number of possible sites, the Committee has decided to investigate a possible purchase and renovation of our current site. In order to determine the viability and value of our building, we have hired an engineering company to complete a structural analysis and a commercial appraiser to determine the property's market value.
The Capital Planning Committee, chaired by Chris Wells, will create a financial plan to help guide the Board in purchasing and constructing/renovating our new school building. The members of this committee will estimate costs, investigate funding options, and link to the budget process to ensure our school's financial stability during the transition. They are now doing preliminary work with lenders and identifying financing options.
The Bylaws Committee, chaired by Bill Bogdanovich, has been charged with developing an updated set of CCLCS bylaws. They are currently completing a review of our current bylaws and comparing them with today's practices and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reference information. Our new bylaws will be brought to the board for approval by March, 2009.
The Nominating Committee, chaired by Barbara Haines, assesses the needs of the Board and works to identify, recruit and cultivate candidates for membership on the Board. Recently, the Committee proposed, and the Board approved, the addition of Bob Dwyer to the Board. Bob is the executive director of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, one of CCLCS' many resource partners.
A word on the Foundation:
The CCLCS Foundation, chaired by Audrey Miller, works closely with the Board though it is a separate entity. The Foundation is licensed as a nonprofit and is the major fundraising group for the school. Though the Foundation contributes to our programs over the year, its larger aim is to develop an endowment that will ensure the school's long-term health and stability.
The CCLCS Board:
Heidi Jon Schmidt, Chair
Scott Barron
Amy Mesirow, Vice Chair & Clerk Bill Bogdanovich
Stefanie Fournier, Treasurer
Dan Dray
Allison Graham; faculty member
Bob Dwyer
Kathleen Grenon
Kathy McNamara, Executive Director
Marion Hobbs
Josh Stewart, faculty member
Bernie Lynch
Diane Titcomb
Chris Wells
Barbara Haines
Our contact info is in the CCLCS handbook and on the website. Our meetings are posted in the school office and on the online calendar.
Next meeting: 6 p.m. Monday, December 22, in the 8th grade math classroom at CCLCS.