1. Call to Order, Roll Call and Recognition of Visitors and Board Co-Chairs
   1. Yelena Hardcopf: Present
   2. Elizaveta Lindman: Present
   3. Christian Schmidt: Present
   4. Alekej Abyzov: Absent
   5. Yelena Kurdyumova: Present
   6. Mark Eilers: Present
   7. Paul Kinsey, Executive Director, ex officio board member: Present
   8. Visitors in attendance: Sergey Porada and Andrew Wood
2. Approval of the Agenda for this meeting
   Motion to approval the agenda with the inclusion of an employee agreement for Nicole M. Laferriere as a full time fourth grade teacher in the consent agenda.
   Motion by: Yelena Kurdyumova
   Seconded by: Christian Schmidt
   5-0-0
3. Read the Nasha Shkola Mission and Vision – Paul Kinsley
   Vision: To be an academically rigorous school preparing students for continued success as motivated learners and global citizens.
   Mission: Nasha Shkola aspires to be a multi-cultural charter school committed to exceptional education in all areas of academic inquiry with an emphasis on Russian Language and Culture, providing structured and responsive learning environment based upon educational best practices for all students and their families.
4. Open Forum for members of the public wishing to address the board
   • No comments from the public.
5. Installation of new board officers for FY 19 school year
6. Reports
   
   1. Executive Director report
      1. Enrollment- 115 students as of this meeting
         • The goal for enrollment based on our budget is 125.
         • We are hopeful that our enrollment will be 120 on the first day of school.
      2. Employment/staff update
         • A new teacher was hired full time for fourth grade, her name is Nicole Lafierre.
         • The current science room and the current fourth grade room will be switched to accommodate the larger fourth grade class.
         • All teacher positions have been filled.
         • The administration is getting the documentation in order for pre-k.
         • The board discussed enrollment.
         • How we are to proceed
      3. Student Achievement Report (Yelena Hardcopf)
         • The official results for the MCA tests will be released on August 30th, 2018 to the public.
         • The board reviewed the comprehensive needs assessment.
         • Guided reading helped us raise our students reading skills by 10%.
         • Fifty percent of our students increased or maintained their achievement level.
         • Our schools ELL students increased their achievement by 4% making our school 11% higher than the state average for ELL achievement.
         • Students are our school receiving free or reduced price (FRP) lunches saw a very large increase in their achievement.
         • In math achievement our students increased their achievement by 8 %. 63% of our students are considered proficient or above in math skills. Our student’s math scores are well above the state average.
         • We are 30% higher than the state average in math skills for ELL students.
         • Students at our school receiving free or reduced-price lunch (FRP) increased their math achievement by 11%. 60 % of FRP students are proficient or above in math achievement. Our FRP students perform 24% better than the state average.
         • The board discussed our we can get all this positive information to the public so that we can be recognized for the results of our hard work.
         • The board agreed that the results are a testimony to the hard work of staff and students at our school over the last year.
         • ACCESS tests show that we are doing well in listening skills, reading skills and simply OK in in speaking and writing skills.
         • Writing and speaking are areas for us to do better at.
         • The school does have concerns and areas to improve on such as the following: bubble kids, FRP students in reading proficiency, Math for 3rd and 4th graders, and attendance.
         • The school did well overall in science testing with 69% considered proficient in grades 5 and 8.
      4. Other reports
         • Marketing Report: Yelena Kurdyumova
           “Head of Marketing Committee Yelena S. Kurdyumova informed that in June-July 2018 in the course of her election campaign as candidate to Mayor of Brooklyn Park she posted on her campaign website www.Vote4YelenaKurdyumova.com the information about Nasha Shkola http://www.vote4yelenakurdyumova.com/aboutyelena.html  including the links to the website of Nasha Shkola and to the article about her meeting with State Rep. Michael Nelson for discussion of Nasha Shkola problems, posted on the website www.runglobalmedia.com. Y. Kurdyumova also said that during her frequent meetings with her constituents she presented Nasha Shkola as the school which would give their children and grandchildren unique opportunity to learn free-of-charge Russian language, literature and art.
           Yelena also noted that the delay with making flyers for 2018-2019 school year prevents her effective promotion of Nasha Shkola among the families of potential students. Y.Kurdyumova asked Y. Hardkopf and P. Kinsley to expedite updating of promotional flyers for 2018-2019 school year.”
           Yelena S. Kurdyumova
         • The board discussed the report and ideas to advertise the school such as: advertising in the local paper the Sun Post, contacting the local public access channel CCX to run a story on our school, and the distribution of pamphlets.
         • The board discussed the cost of advertising in the Sun Post.
         • The board was curious about why 5 students left the school and the need to know the reasons for this.
   2. Financial Reports
      
      • The school was audited as part of the annual audit.
      • The school has increased the amount of our fund balance by $33,164 to $45,460.
        1. Monthly finance report
           • Fund 01: This account has a positive balance of $62,462
           • Fund 02: This account has a negative balance of $679 as we have not served lunches but have had to pay staff to work to get ready for the upcoming school year.
           • Fund balance is $63,894
           • The school board looked at bar graphs within the financial report and examined the audit.
           • The board discussed hold backs, the rental agreement with the church, lease aid money and how all of these things have resulted in less money than expected for the start of our current school year.
             120 students are our base for lease aid.
7. Consent Agenda
   1. Minutes of July 17, 2018 Board meeting
   2. FinancialsJuly 2018.
   3. Year end preliminary financial report FY 18
   4. Employee agreement for Nicole M. Laffierre 1.0 FTE teacher for fourth grade.

      Approval of the consent agenda items 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and, 7.4.
      Motion by: Mark Eilers
      Seconded by: Yelena Kurdyumova
      6-0-0

8. Old Business
   1. Review and appoint board committees, their representatives and appoint board officers
      • The board discussed the roles and responsibilities of committees, board officers, and the structure of the board.
      • The board debated the issue of a single chairperson of the board or a dual co-chair structure for governance.
      • Ideally committees meet on a regular basis, post meeting agendas online, and take notes during meetings.
      • Discussion of ways to organize the board.
      • Discussion of co-chairs vs chair and vice chair.
        Motion to appoint officers to the board as follows: Mark Eilers and Yelena Hardcopf as co-chairs of the board, Christian Schmidt as secretary, and Julia Ishanova as treasurer.

        Motion by: proxy for Alexej Abyzov
        Seconded by Ivanna Gradinar
        6-0-0

   2. Policy development: Acceleration and Retention Policy
      • The board briefly discussed the policy previously discussed at other meetings.

        Motion to approve the acceleration and retention policy.
        Motion by Mark Eilers
        Seconded by: Yelena Kurdyumova
        6-0-0

9. New Business
   1. 1 IQS Score Card Changes School Improvement
      • Discussion of IQS data.
      • The school scored three and above in all areas except student performance as the authorizer did not have access to current MCA results. This will be corrected in the score card.
      • The board went over the results line by line.
   2. Strategic Plan: setting annual goals
      • The board discussed the need to set improvement goals.
      • The board will need to identify six strategic focus areas and initiatives that go with them. The board will need to approve this at the next meeting.
   3. Schoolwide Improvement Plan 2018-2019-Approval
      • The board discussed the literacy plan and schoolwide improvement plan.
      • The schools reading achievement is moving up, but we need to do more to grow this area. The school does not have a reading specialist to assist with this. The school may need to purchase materials to help struggling kids and high achievers.
   4. K-3 Literacy Plan 2018-2019-Approval
      Motion to approve the literacy plan for 2018-2019 call Read Well by Third Grade and the School Wide Improvement Plan for 2018-2019.

      Motion by: Christian Schmidt
      Seconded by: Mark Eilers
      6-0-0

10. Other
    1. The board discussed the purchase of the Fontiss and Pienel reading program for interventions in grades 3-5. The program is leveled but expensive at a price of $16,500.
       Motion to approve the purchase of Fontiss and Pienel Literacy program for 3,4, and 5.

       Motion by: Mark Eilers
       Seconded by: Christian Schmidt
       6-0-0

11. Adjourn
    Motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:53pm.
    Motion by Christian Schmidt
    Seconded by: Mark Eilers
    6-0-0

The Nasha Shkola Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30
The finance Committee meets at 5:30 prior to the board meeting.

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Contact local media about school CCX.
2. Check advertising rates in local papers.
3. Marketing committee, finance committee, are open to parents.
4. Call minuteman press to order 150 brochures.
5. Finalize the annual goals for strategic plan.