e e e e e e e e e e
e e e e e e e e good morning like to welcome everyone to the Friday February 2125 Bessie meeting
can I get a roll call please Mr Appel not present Dr Armstrong not present Mr Burkin here Mr Castile not present Miss champagne Dr Clark Mr
Harris Mr Hollis Miss Holloway miss melerine Mr Morris here we have a quorum thank you I realize there's something folks that that don't routinely attend this meeting uh so I just want to go through our protocol so everyone's familiar with how the meeting
proceeds um we are here today to conduct a public hearing concerning the reconstitution of the board of directors for Education explosion operating impact Charter School a type two Charter School in East Baton Rouge Parish pursuant to Louisiana revised Statute 173
9992 D and bolon 126 members of the audience wishing to provide public comments regarding the agenda item listed on the published agenda must complete a public comment card individuals uh who sign public comment cards and wishing to provide verbal
testimony will be allowed up to three minutes to provide comments designated individuals from groups organizations will be allowed up to five minutes to provide public comments transferring time uh to another individual is not permitted please note those wishing to
speak may only make public comments concerning the reconstitution of the board of directors for Education explosion Inc no other P public comments will be received at this time while an opportunity for public response from education explosion will
be provided for the board's consideration no board discussion will occur in response to the statements we're only here to receive their statement during the public hearing uh the order in which we will proceed this morning will be as follows
we'll start with a statement from the state superintendent that'll be followed by a statement from myself serving as Bessie president then we'll have a public resp an opportunity for public response from the education explosion and then that'll be followed
by public comment period uh first item please first item on the agenda is item 2.1 approval of the agenda can I have a motion to open the public hearing Mr Burkin yeah oh I'm sorry and I need a
second Mr Burkin thank you um yeah you did call yeah no sorry I need a motion uh to open the hearing I got Mr Birkin right Simone
is my second thank you uh and Dr Brumley you want to kick us off got one public comment first oh I'm sorry I understand that we have a public comment on the agenda is that correct that's right okay
um Dr James finny thank you James finny resident of Bouton Rouge um I'm glad that you noticed that your agenda includes approval of the agenda as an item which would suggest you need to vote on that before you move on to
the public hearing the agenda is confusing it says consideration of holding a public hearing it's not advertised as a public hearing so I'm not sure that what's going to happen today actually is a legal public hearing but to be honest I didn't know about this meeting since last night so I
haven't done a lot of research um but my main point is reconstituting the board may be necessary but it's hardly sufficient what needs to be on your agenda if not today then very soon is reversing your mistake when you gave impact Charter
another six years to take money from the public and use it for whatever purposes it gets used for um which should be better spent in the hands of publicly elected School boards in East B Rouge and Baker thank you thank you sir Mr
Walker do we need to make any adjustments based on Dr finny's comments no sir all right thank you superintendent Brumley uh thank you Mr Morris um I just want to call out the fact that it is uh truly an honor to be able to serve on a board of education
whether it's in the traditional public system or the public charter sector uh we have you know over uh well we have hundreds of individuals across the state of Louisiana uh that give of their time uh to uh serve in this role uh and
contribute and give back to their communities uh and to serve children um Educators and families and their communities at large uh and we are thankful uh across the state of Louisiana for individuals serving uh in
that capacity however uh with that role there are opportunities to celebrate successes uh and we try to promote that as much as possible uh here from the Department I know I know Bessie does as well but there's also a tremendous amount of responsibility when one
chooses to serve on a board in the in the sector of Education members must comply with and carry out all applicable federal and state laws and policies governing the school they must carry out
provisions of a charter school contract in the instance of a charter school they must up hold generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management and when any of these core responsibilities are not being met uh as an authorizer Bessie has an obligation
to take action and unfortunately that's why we are here today Mr Morris that concludes my comments I appreciate Bessie coming together uh today to consider this item uh and I turn this back over to you thank you superintendent uh next
item please next item on the agenda's item under new business item 3.1 consideration of holding a public hearing concerning the reconstitution of the board of directors for Education explosion ink pursuant pursuant to Louisiana revised Statute title 17
section 3992 D and bulletin 126 Charter School laws thank you yeah can I get a motion please miss Holloway and a second Mr Harris thank you I'd like to follow up uh to Dr
bromley's comments um to provide some background for how we got here today uh as a board uh so pursuant to bulletin 126 Charter Schools section 2105 as impact Charter Schools authorizer Bessie is responsible for
ensuring impact Charter utilizes sound financial sound accounting and financial principles that are aligned with generally accepted standards furthermore pursuant to Louisiana resolution 17 3992 a charter may be revoked upon
failure to meet generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management or as an alternative Bessie May reconstitute a governing board the action taken is based on factors including the best interest of our students and the at the school and the
severity of the violation recognizing our responsibility Bessie initiated a review to determine if impact Charter was compliant with applicable law and policy and whether appropriate action was
necessary on February 7th 2005 Bessie extended an invitation to the impact Charter board officers and their legal representative to meet on February 10th 2025 however only the legal Representatives
attended on February 10th Bessie sent a records request to the Charter board through their attorney pursuant to section 2221 of the charter contract the charter board is required to comply with Bessie
record's requests within three days of the request the following information was requested any and all documentation Communications files and Etc that were relied upon utilized exchanged or shared
with the board in preparation of the first board meeting in January of 2025 this was not provided to Bessie also request that any and all meeting notices meeting minutes board packets or backup documentation and
meeting Audi visual recordings from the first board meeting in January 2025 only the meeting agenda and minutes were provided all other requested items meeting notices board packets or backup documentation meeting recordings were
not provided as requested by Bessie also requested to complete internal investigation file referenced on the January 27 2025 agenda with written summaries and all relied upon documentation used to complete the
investigation to include interview notes records reviewed or any documentation provided by any Source used to complete the investigation none none of this was provided to Bessie on February 11th 2025 Bessie sent
a records a second records request for the charter board's bylaws and related documents this was not provided to Bessie on February 17th 2025 Bessie held a second meeting having extended an
invitation to all Charter board members four Charter board members attended this meeting however the finance chair could not be located for either meeting on February 18th 2025 Bessie sent a third records request
for the following the bylaws and all incorpor Corporation documents of Education explosion this was request this was requested via a letter emailed on February 11th 2025 and Via verbal request on February 17th
2025 this was not provided to Bessie the employment contract of the CEO of Education explosion was requested via a verbal request on February 17 2025 this was not provided to
Bessie the entire internal investigation file and Report requested via a letter emailed on February 10th 2025 and Via a verbal request on February 17th 2025
this was not provided to Bessie the listing of all board committees and members assigned to the respective committees was requested via verbal request on February 17th 2025 this was not provided to
Bessie a copy of the organizational chart of Education explosion and impact charter school this was not provided to Bessie in a copy of all contracts that exceeded $29,999 199 that would require the
board's approval between 2020 and present this was not provided to Bessie as of today these records requests have not been received in accordance with the three-day requirement in section 2.22.18 generally accepted accounting
standards of fiscal management by failing to maintain active membership failing to implement a process for fiscal oversight and failing to establish opportunities for meetings to enact sound fiscal oversight
activities furthermore the charter board failed to produce reasonably accessible existing documents within 3 days on three separate occasions violating 2. 22.1 of their Charter contract lastly the charter board failed
to adhere to open meetings law as evidenced by their agenda supporting documentation of board minutes and links for public viewing of meetings not posted on the school's website as Louisiana's governing board for k212 Education Bessie has a
statutory obligation to students education excuse me Educators and taxpayers of Louisiana to exercise budgetary and fiscal control over state and federal funds for educational programs and
services at this time I'd like to invite the charter board representatives to the table to provide any information you feel would be helpful for members for Bessie members to consider the path forward for impact charter members uh Mr intendent Mr
President good morning bie members Educators and Community I sit before you today to speak on behalf of the board of impact charter school a school that has become a Beacon of Hope and Bas excuse me if you would start out identify yourself and in the organization you're related
to thank you thank you thank you I'm Eugene Collins I am on the board of directors that impact charter school and could you help us do you have any specific role on that board ah no I'm actually one of the newest board members thank you thank
you so I sit before you today to speak on behalf of impact charter school a school that has become a Beacon of Hope in Baker Louisiana a city where too many children have been left behind by failing education system before we dive into the policies and budgets that I'm going to
get here to today let me tell you the story of Dr Shakisha Scott let me humanize her for a second a woman of vision determined ation and unwavering commitment to our children a woman that once took out a loan of her house to get this school
started Dr Scott didn't start this school because it was easy she didn't wake up one morning and say let me build the charter school because the road will be smooth no she started impact Charter because she saw a need she saw children in Baker and northb Rouge being failed by A system that didn't see them didn't
invest in them and didn't believe in them she fought through red tape Financial obstacles and political resistance to build this school from the ground up and I ask you what did she build in his cor Essence she built a
b-rated school in a district where struggling struggling schools are the norm she built a school that was received National recognition from us news and World Report two years in a row she built a school that was recognized five times by the Louisiana Department
of Education for exceptional gains she built the School school that works so I ask y'all today why dismantle the board of a school that is succeeding where so many others have failed why would you script the
leadership of a school that is proving every single day that black and brown children in Baker will excel when given the right environment but let me take a second and address the elephant in the room that was just mentioned in the minutes we acknowledge
that Monday's meeting was not our finest moment we have room for great Improvement we will not sit here and pretend otherwise the board was caught off guard they were expected to recall operational details on the spot without having the
necessary documents in front of them and yes there were certainly moments of confusion but let's be clear a single meeting does not define the competencies of this board of this school this is the the same board that loan money to hire
secretaries this is not a failing school this is not a school mismanaging funds this is not a school where children are being neglected this is a well-run financially sound academically strong school that is meeting its
Mission we are actively addressing the board concerns by seeking a deputy superintendent to alleviate some of Dr Scott's operational op operational load strengthening board committees to ensure that expertise is utilized efficient
efficiently engaging in additional board training not because we are incompetent but because we are committed to continuous Improvement but let's be real if governance concerns were truly the issue why not work with us more why
not provide us additional support why not come help us reconstitution is not the answer it's a punishment a charter school is not respons a charter school board excuse me is not responsible for daily operations we are responsible for
oversight governance and accountability the questions directed at our board on Monday were questions that should have probably been directed at the school's administrative leadership the board's job is to ensure policies or follow budgets are sound and the leadership is held accountable which
we did my very first motion on this board was to put Dr Scott on leave until an internal investigation was complete we have passed with clean audits for nine years with no findings we have maintained strong financial
solvency with a responsible Reserve fund we have ensured that impact Charter meets all academic compliance requirements so again I ask if this is not a well-run school what why are we seemingly being singled out let's talk about the facts for a
second impact Charter is a b-rated school we serve over 450 students the majority of them whom are Black come from low-income families our students are outperforming many other
schools in the district we are doing what so many schools and struggling dist districts have failed to do we've seen other charter schools with financial and academic concerns receive renewals without hesitation we've seen schools with
documented governance issues given support instead of reconstitution go prep was given opportunities for improvement I ask the same here today for impact Charter if we are truly concerned about governance work with us offer the same
resources and support that you've given others but do not attempt to destabilize a culture in a school that is proving every single day that black Excellence is real that black children in Baker can achieve and that a black Le Charter School can Thrive let's talk about our budget for a
second because we want absolute transparency with over a total revenue of $6.6 million total expenditures of $7.5 million employee salaries and benefits of $4 million 53.6% of the budget board reserves are responsible
and within State guidelines we operate under the highest Financial accountability standards we comply with Louisiana's Lou local government budget act and let's be clear impact Charter is not in financial
distress if this is about governance help us strengthen it but do not dismantle something that is working you have a decision to make today you got either uphold fairness and transparency supporting a school that is
meeting expectations a set of dangerous presidents where any High performing charter school can be taken over not because of failure but because of politics we're not asking for a pass I sat here and acknowledged our mistakes we're asking for
fairness we're not asking for you to ignore the improvements that we most certainly need to make we're asking for help we're asking for you to come to our board meetings and sit and see where we need improvements we're asking for you to give us the same Grace the same opportunity the same fairness that have
been given to other schools impact chart is not just a school it is a Lifeline of children that otherwise would have probably been left behind we built a culture of success of Excellence a possibility and we refuse to allow that
culture to be destroyed it does not make sense to dismantle the board of a b-rated school that's blackl that's high performing in a community that absolutely needs it the
most give us the same opportunity that others receive give us the same Grace that Geo preer has granted give us the same fairness that our children deserve don't take us apart I ask you to come help us thank
you thank you sir any other comments okay uh hearing none do we have any public comment we have one public comment Dr Finny looks like you're up again thank you it was generous of Mr Collins who's been on the board for less
than two months to come and attempt to defend the very worst Charter organization I have ever ever had the unfortunate opportunity of trying to work with anybody that's heard me speak here very often knows that I object to
Charters as a matter of principle every single other Charter board I've attended to I've attended meetings of done public records request again I have been treated courteously impact Charter has four years been openly actively aggressively
hostile to open meetings Law Public Records law and the code of ethics if Bessie allows them to get away with that then Bessie may as well just open the doors to the taxpayers vaults
and let anybody come in and grab what they want the Department of Education has failed in their duties to oversee what's going on at impact I have email records where I have made complaints about failures to
oversight oversee what's going on um I just learned apparently there was a meeting of the board of impact Charter on Monday that's not visible anywhere on their website that is outrageous that's true they violated uh public records law
with respect to um records that I've uh requested I've came as close to suing them as I have any other organization other than in the Department of Education they made me go through the Hoops of going to a downtown law office
and um after some negotiation discussion allowing me to scan some printed material that should have been emailed to me could have been emailed to me their objective is to prevent the public
from seeing what's going on and it's clear from the legislative auditor report why they're hostile to the public understanding and what's going on you have a duty to protect the funds of the taxpayers of Louisiana through the mfp
and particularly the taxes that are paid by the um residents of the Baker and East Baton Rouge and other neighboring school districts whose budgets are affected by the existence of this school if you aren't going to overse
this um this board which clearly Dr Brumley or or his uh subordinates are not willing or able to do based on my experience and you can't trust the board to police what's going on then you have
an obligation to disband the charter and put somebody in there that will keep the damage to the children between now and the end of the school year minimized but this can't go on they are aggressively hostile to having the public attend their meetings
they either don't understand or conveniently pretend to not understand what the laws are I mentioned briefly the ethics code there was an Ethics violation noted and I think there was a fine paid to the
ethics board with regard to um Shakisha Scott being the supervisor of Eric Scott to whom she is married there was a um a plan to mitigate that I later asked for evidence that that plan had been
followed I was provided no evidence you've submitted public records requests that were ignored I challenge you to along with everything else sue the board so that the public records law continues to have teeth as much as the governor
wishes we didn't have a public records law so please I beg of you do your job this is absolutely the worst Charter organization I have encountered several others have issues this is the worst thank
you thank you sir we have one other comment uh Dr Eric Jones poses the recommendation wishes to speak Dr Jones good morning Dr Eric Jones administrator at impact can you guys hear me
might might want to give you a little bit of help there there you go thank you just want to take a moment just to uh reflect on what the the board chair mentioned in terms of his facts based on
um what he was denied to receive or what his body was denied to receive and secondly to to thank this this voluntarily V board that has served on on on with Ed Ed Ed Ed explosion uh and
has done great work and to scrutinize people who just volunteer to scrutinize people and make people feel like they're incompetent when it's a non-paying job uh countless hours that are being spent to serve on these boards uh and to
publicly scrutinize a board that came to a Monday meeting un just unexpected makes those individuals feel like even the commitment they make to serve a body and to represent the good
of children in this community is an insult to people who just committed and I think the superintendent you said it best know this is a body that people who want to serve we want to acknowledge uh them serving we want to make sure that we value and appreciate that but to
scrutinize them it's almost like they went to a grand jury to be drilled like that to be even accused of that publicly accused of that it's just to me it's just it's not fair and the other thing I I want to share
is even to this new law even to decide or determine how this going to work who picks the board how is the board is pick who are the stakeholders what does that look like does individuals have
opportunity as it relates to stakeholders as parents Community folk what would be their role what would be the teachers role in that in that space like none of that's being stated and this new LW came about we all know for
whatever their purpose and reasons is but the fact of the matter is the board has not even had an opportunity to even process what this new law looks like they they don't even have in any boys to be to be
fair has have even an opportunity to even process that but the but to to to scrutinize people who who who are committed to what they've done who's volunteered to serve it's just unfair and unjust and I ask this board I
sincerely ask this board and some of these board members know my reputation in terms of you know how I may respond or react but it's just unprecedented to treat a body of people who are committed to do that and these are two separate
entities this board that we're talking about sitting here today did not commit any crime this boy that's sitting here today is not accused of anything this boy that's sitting here today have
asked this body to put a system in place ask this body to provide adequate resource this body this boy that's sitting here today or are saying that they want to be transparent but to scrutinize them based on another in another entity
that doesn't even relate to this body this this board was not charged with anything it was an individual that was allegedly allegedly because arst stated they have no evidence other than
allegedly stating that so I disagree with all of the gentlemen who came before me I disagree with what was stated this today from the chair I'm just asking you guys to reconsider your thought process or have you considered even what that process looks like
because that's not what we were told or even being being U being told that today we're just being told that how bad a board is so I I ask and I humbly ask that you reconsider and at least give this board an opportunity to do what they they came
on Bo to do thank y'all thank you sir do we have any other comments Mr Walker I thought I saw one more person filling out a comment card okay I think we closed out public comments then um so hearing none uh members what's your
pleasure turn your I have a motion Mr chair M Mo go ahead thank you I motion that the Louisiana Board of is your mic on it is okay maybe I should need this one
thank you thank you uh members I motion that the Louisiana state board of Elementary and secondary education Bessie the charter authorizer of Education explosion Incorporated operating impact
Charter School a type 2 Charter School in East Baton rou Parish finds that the school has committed multiple infractions as outlined in title 8 part 139 bulletin 126 charter school section
2105 further Bessie reconstitutes the board of directors and appoints the following ldoe recommended members to the board of directors as outlined in title 28 part
139 bulletin 126 charter school section 2105 effective February 21st 2025 they are Dr Perry Daniel Margaret Mack Mickey
Matthews fisha Perkins Ailes Williams Dr Torrance Williams and Mr Willie Williams Jr thank you Mr chair do I have a second Mr Burkin is there any uh comment members
Mr Mr Morris I'm sorry superintendent one comment I just want to point out uh and and clarify we're referencing title 28 here uh it's title 28 um and also just in reference to these uh board members uh the department uh will be
asking that these board members consent to a criminal background check within one month uh and if there is anything there that would prevent uh a teacher from not being able to work in the school we would then uh seek for those individuals to no longer will be on the board as well just as an additional
precaution thank you sir appreciate that uh any other member comment Dr Clark just to be transparent S I mean Miss champ can you tell me 21005 which ones did you call out I'm sorry 21105 yes yes what numbers
did you call out uh bulletin 126 okay section 22105 okay and did you call it any of those numbers that they listed the reasons why under 2105 no ma okay I just wasn't sure about that and my second question is again
just to be for transparency the members that we're we're suggesting or appointing they're coming to us from where these are these are various uh members of of the greater Baton Rouge
Community uh that um we believe hold the potential uh to provide strong governance uh to this particular particular board sourced from a number of various sources how there any further comment all right let's go ahead and I
want to ask for a roll call vote on this one Mr Appel is not present Dr Armstrong is not present Mr Birkin yes yes Mr Castile is not present Miss champagne yes yes Dr
Clark yes Mr Harris yes yes Mr Hollis yes yes Miss Holloway yes yes Miss melerine yes yes Mr Morris yes yes motion passes thank you uh next item please ladies and gentlemen that includ
concludes our G for today thank you