Charter School Review Committee - Regular Meeting

And then Katrina says she would be here.

Yep. Everybody confirmed. So This

conference will now be recorded.

K. So we're just waiting on one or two more people. I got a bunch of windows open. Hope they still are open.

So I may flip my camera off for a few minutes. I've got a a sandwich in front of

me I'm

trying to eat. So but I'll I'll put it on soon. I don't wanna have you see me eat.

No problem. Let me try to grab my agenda. I had it here a minute ago. Trying to slide it over.

There it is. Come on. Come on. Come back to me. There we go.

May I ask who just joined us by phone? Oh,

yep. This is Zaina.

Okay. Oh, that's you, Zaina? Okay. So we have at least we have four now. Right? Zaina? Okay. With that being the case, I will for the agenda. Okay. I'd like to officially call to order the meeting of the charter school review committee for Wednesday, August 27 at 05:02PM. And I'm going to ask, Linda to do the roll call for the charter school review committee members present.

Doctor Terry Brookshire?

Here.

Tina Harwell Young, expected. Bill Christiansen?

Here.

Bobakie?

Present.

Evan Ingram.

Present. Okay. First order on the agenda. Roll call has been taken. Review of the review second item, review, and approval of the minutes.

From March 26.

This is Bill. I'll motion to approve.

Okay. I had approval a motion. Is there a second?

A second.

Alright. Second by Terry. All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Aye. Aye. Minutes have been approved. Item number three, communications relating to the administrative matters of the charter school review committee for 02/2527 school year. Items under items under this file will be solely limited to, one, request by email thought for contract extension, and then two, review of the noncompliance for Central City Cyber School and possible action on Central City Cyber School charter contract. The vote may be taken on either or both of these items, and we will start off with the request from m l Tharps for contract extension. Represh?

Yes. Good afternoon. This is Rupesh with ML Tharps and Associates. We are requesting a one year extension for our annual review that we do for you guys. If you guys have any questions regarding that, regarding scope of engagement, you know, we'll be happy to have any answers on that. If you want me to just go through briefly about the scope of engagement, I can do that as well.

Yes. I would like you to do that because, again, some of our members are are new.

Sure. So so every year, we, based on the committee's recommendations or the requirements, we go through and do different things, really agreed upon procedures that we do, reviewing the audit on a annual basis, and generate a report based off of those audits given particular requirements of the committee. We we do schedule a site visit during the school year and give the schools at least one year week notice prior to the meeting, and that entails looking at their internal controls, and we do some fraud inquiries and stuff like that. For if there is any new school in the program, which we haven't seen in a in few years, you know, we perform two two of those site visits in the first year. And on a monthly and quarterly basis, we do get some reports from schools, like the statement of cash flows, you know, p and l sort of, like, financial reports, and we kind of review those and see if there is anything that really sticks out, then we'll communicate that to you guys.

And then we you know, if there are any findings on the audit report, we'll follow-up with these schools to see if they have been corrected during the following school year. And we also rip as like I said, we renew review their financial audit and any management letters. If there are any significant problem that exist at this school, we will meet with the committee and notify you of that. And if there is a serious problem exist, we will expand our testing and the review process and perform additional site visits. And at the end of this year, once once we review all these audit reports, we'll prepare the report for you guys based on the criteria or or the key points that you guys want to see on an annual basis.

So those are kind of the key things that we do during the year. There might be a few other things that I may have missed, but, you know, that's pretty much for the most part, that's what we do.

Any questions for Repress?

Yes. This is Bill. Two two quick questions. One Sure. Is there any change in, the scope of services from this year to to the, year that we're proposing the extension for? And two, is there any change in cost? And if so, what you know, in percent and and dollar terms is that change?

So as far as changes in this scope, we are not aware of if there are any additional requirements because this is really agreed upon procedures. So we we do what you want us to do. We look at certain things and, you know, and opine on that. And for the second part of the question, far as the cost goes, we are not raising our price for for this extension. We are still keeping it at whatever we are at.

Okay. Great. Thank you.

Mhmm. Any additional questions for repress? And currently, all the schools that were in last year's report are currently are planning on we're doing a report for all the schools that were there last year and that including this current year as well.

That that is correct.

Okay. Seeing no additional questions, I'll entertain a motion to extend the contract for one year renewal of our existing contract for 10/22/2025 through 10/22/2026 for.

This is Bill. I'll make that motion.

There's a motion. Is there a second?

I second.

Alright. All in favor, say aye. Aye. K. Alright. Thank you, Repress. Thank you. We look forward to getting your report.

Okay. Thank you. Thanks for the extension.

And keep us abreast if we need to anything needs to come to our attention.

We will do that.

Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Let me just pull up expand this a little bit here. Second item on the, our next item on the agenda is review of noncompliance of Central City Cyber School and possible actions on Central City Cyber School charter contract. Is there is there a member present from the Central City Charter School Central City Cyber School Charter School Board?

Hi. My name is Marlene Meltzer. I'm one of the board members.

Okay.

But I also expected our perhaps our attorney

Okay.

And, who's a board member, and other board and the board chair. So I came as a listener.

Okay.

But am here.

Alright. Good. And if you think you can address any questions, feel free to. And if you feel you cannot address a question, just indicate to us that it's not applicable for you to do so.

Okay. Thank you.

Alright. With that being said, I would like if you could pull up Gail, shall we start with the memo?

Yeah. And if you'd like for me to read components of the memo, I can do that as well.

Yes, please. Give us the background, and then we'll we'll go from the background.

Okay. The memo states, Central City Cyber School has not submitted the required board approved documentation of dissolution and remains under contract with the city of Milwaukee as an active charter school. Despite repeated requests from the charter school review committee and the Department of Public Instruction, the school has failed to provide a dissolution plan or evidence of compliance with contractual obligations. DPI has confirmed that absent a formal closure, CyberSchool will remain in a local education agency, LEA, for the twenty twenty five, twenty six academic school year with full reporting and audit requirements. So and I I won't go through the, entire timeline of events, but, 2025 was the initial discussion.

Received a letter in April stating that they were planning to combine with HFCA. Couple days later, DPI clarifies that no legal merger merger is allowed and that Central City Cyber School must formally dissolve. Late April, see, Central City's board, we get a letter saying that they intend to merge, but DPI requests an official board minute showing the vote that Central City would dissolve. And so we go on from May all the way through August with DPI following up, looking for governance board documentation, requesting an official dissolution documentation. June 6, myself along with the other contractors with the program, ML Thypes, as well as Evident Change, we conducted a virtual exit meeting that happened with the school director to provide more information on completing the dissolution plan and the expectations for the vote the board to vote on the dissolution.

Then, around June 11, there still was no votes to dissolve. I guess at that time, they were, in negotiations with HFCA. And I I do wanna state that HFCA, did not renew their five year contract with the city of Milwaukee. So as of June 30, HFCA was no longer in the portfolio, and under the authorization of the city of Milwaukee. So up until, just say, June all the way through August 15, DPI continue to request vote saying that the school, dissolved.

Still nothing. And so the current status right now is there's no functioning board. There was an unauthorized transfer of operations to HFCA. We never got a dissolution plan or a closer closure resolution. And then as of now, DPI is still treating Central City Cyber School as an open LEA for the twenty twenty five, twenty six school year requiring full reporting and a financial audit in December '26.

Summary, Central City CyberSchool has repeatedly failed to comply with the contractual obligations and have ignored state deadlines. Although the school's legal entity still remains under the contract with the city, but it is not functional at this present time.

In addition, I would like to add we're we're we're laying out hope that Brett A. Roach, the attorney that's on the board, and, doctor Christine Foss will, hopefully join in. But if not, I would like to share the following information with you guys as a backdrop to to Central City Cyber School. One, Central City Cyber School has been a City Of Milwaukee charter school since 1999. That's up to 2,025 for a total of twenty six years.

Central City Cyber School has followed all DPI mandates since 1999. Central City Cyber School applied for and received a DPI charter school expansion grant and has followed all DPI expansion grant mandates since the expansion grant was granted. And I am a part of those charter school monthly meetings that are held through the charter school expansion grant team as an authorized one authorized member from the committee is required to be at some of these meetings. So and currently, right now, as stated, they've been in compliance with all the charter school expansion grants as well as the charter school mandates through DPI. Central City Charter School has followed all city of Milwaukee Charter School Review Committee mandates since 1999.

And, Merlene, this is where if you can if you I'll ask you just one question after I'm done with with making the following statement. I'll if the board if doctor Foss or the the board attorney was present, I would ask them to please explain to the charter school review committee why Central City Charter Schools board of directors did not follow the steps in appendix b of the charter school dissolution plan as outlined and required in your contract with the city of Milwaukee with respect to project dates of completion and persons or persons responsible, name of independent trustee and independent auditor with their names and contract contact information, assigned resolution that was to be submitted to the charter school review committee designee along with an official approved board resolution, which is what DPI is asking for. A tally of the board members present at the meeting and how they voted on resolution and the process and procedures for submission of student records, personnel records, financial and contractual obligations, federal grants, final audit, and then the dissolution of the board. And this process with DPI requesting the dissolution, it leads to tabulation of funding because we're not sure how Fuller Christian Academy is going to be able to receive any money from DPI for the students that took from Central City Cyprus School if they don't have official closure of the school and at this point in time because that information has not been supplied within terms of the board resolution.

Technically, as Gil has stated, on the books, DPI is still counting Central City Cyber School as a upper rating school. So we don't know if any funds may be tied up. What we do know is that given the appendix b lays it out step by step. If if you know, it seems like everything has been done except for we don't have any documents or paper trail that the that everything has been done. Even though Central City Cyber School has operated and transferred the school, although transferred it out of compliance with centers with the city of Milwaukee Charter School Review Committee along with the Department of Public Instruction's process and procedures.

DPI with this needed with the resolution letter and the vote indicate let's DPI proceed with making sure all appropriate financing is done so that all the schools in the state of Wisconsin can receive their proper funding with respect to title one and respect to special education funding. And with that being said, with that initial request with that submission of the board to DPI, that triggers DPI to technically hold Central City Cyber School's hand and walk them through the process on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. In addition to that, the appendix b of the charter school dissolution plan also kinda is a lays out the process and is a handholding step by which to help guide Central City to that. And so the question I have for you, Marlene, would be, did Central City Sky School, to your knowledge, hold a board meeting with board members to officially dissolve the school, and was a vote taken?

Not to my knowledge.

Okay.

Not to my knowledge. I do want to say that our board is very appreciative of all of the years of support from this review committee and all of the help that the cyber school has received over the years in making sure that the school could run freely and and and serve our students the way the students in Milwaukee should be served. So I I do wanna put that out there so that you understand that we are very appreciative of, the charter school review committee and all the work over the last twenty six years that the cyber school has been around. I will say that the cyber school found itself in a very unusual situation, and I would defer to, Brett Ragge and doctor Faltz as to the dissolution is it sounds like is the word. And I'm not a I'm not a I'm a medical school faculty.

I'm not a public school. You know? I don't understand all the words, but I would defer to them as to, you know, those next steps that need to be done.

Comments or questions from members from the committee?

Hey, mister chair. This is this is Bill. The memo that we were given states that, at least as of August 18, that Central City Cyber School has no functioning board. And I see we've got, you know, Marlene as a board member. Do you agree with that assessment?

I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I've been a board member for a long time. Maybe I'm not a board member now. It's possible.

And and I guess maybe a a follow-up question. I mean, does Central City Cyber School have any intent of continuing to operate as a school independent of Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy?

Not to not to my knowledge. No.

Okay. So what we're talking about here is the process for, whether just a and mister chair or or Gail, whoever is able to to speak on this, the the question that's before the board today, or the decision before the board today is what exactly? Is it to terminate, Central City Cyber School as a, as a charter of the city of Milwaukee, or or is it something else? I I just wanna make clear what it is, the action that's before us.

I can answer that. Yes. It's it's exactly what you said. So we vote you know, the the vote would be to revoke their charter, terminate the charter based on, the breach. We also have Jordan Shettle who's representing the, city of Milwaukee from the city attorney's office, so he can chime in as well.

Sure. Good evening, everyone. I'm attorney Jordan, Shuttle. So, Gail came to me about this, matter, about a few months ago. Been kind of tracking it a little bit.

But in terms of the current contract language, for termination of the contract, that's a power reserve for the common council. So if the this body wants to move forward in terminating it, this contract, it would be a recommendation to the common council to terminate the contract with immediate effect, for their consideration at the next, council meeting. I believe that's, September 2, I wanna say. So this body itself can't terminate unilaterally. But if this if you wanna move forward with termination, you can make that recommendation to the council.

And I would like to add that, just for you, Marlene. Yes. Thank you for being first first of all, thank you for being a board member as long as you were a board member. And if any of your board members should ask how the meeting went, I would just ask for you to can feel free to share whatever you like to share, but also let them know that after twenty six years of operation and having and we've been through our ups and downs with Central City Cyber School. They were on probation.

They got off probation. Again, they've done all the things that they needed that the school needed to do to be able to to remain in good standings, not only with the city of Milwaukee, but with the charter school review committee with DPI. And you don't get an expansion grant, you know, if if if you were not academically performing at the rate that at the level that the expansion grant requested and required. I signed off on that, again, because part of the contract says, you know, for us not to when we are negotiating and working with each other, for us not to act in unreasonable manners. So we never interfered with when DPI was I mean, when Central City Charter School was trying to expand or move forward or take advantage of all the grant opportunities that DPI afforded, not only to them, but to the number of number of schools and cohorts around the state.

And I think Central City Cyrus School was one of the first schools within our portfolio to take advantage of this charter school expansion grant to go from elementary to high school, you know, in line with some other schools, and that led a couple other school another in this case, Howard Fuller Academy to expand and build. So Central City Cyber School has been a leader. And what one of the things we've learned from this process is that schools have been learning from each other and building off of each other. And so I, as a chair, I'd like to express my disappointment in the fact that with all things being in compliance and in mandate, the board of directors would choose at this time not to follow any of the mandates that were laid out, the road map that was laid out. There was nothing that was needed to be invented or created because this road map was laid out at the beginning of each charter school's inception.

So as a chair, I'm just saying I'm disappointed that it it comes to this and given the kind of a cooperation that we've had over the years to do this to the city of Milwaukee, to do this to the Department of Public Instructions who have worked hand in hand side by side with you guys. And the financial reports that have been delivered year after year after year points to the fact that the school has been run appropriately and financially. The reports from evidence change have shown that and the common council's consistent acceptance of our reports to the common council, you know, and their involvement with the center with with the charter school process. I consider this, you know, a grave injustice that was done to us and to the to the students and to and to some of the board members who didn't have the opportunity or was not given the opportunity to be able to vote to dissolve. So we would have for DPI a tally of who was present and how the members voted.

Any additional comments from any other member from the Charter School Review Committee?

I'd like to make a statement. Has there been any kinda process where reaching out to the other board members to see have they abandoned their obligations to the school?

The the board members have been involved. All all of the board members have been involved. No one has left left the board. I think this is a matter of timing and a sensitive topic, not related to the board members, but related to the transition to, Howard Fuller. And I I'm not really free to discuss that.

And I I can't mister Ingram, I totally understand how it's hard to understand why after all these years, the cyber school has left this last piece there. But I think it's a matter of timing, and I understand your disappointment.

Because we have in place for guidance. We have in place evidence change to help assist with the transferring of records, personnel. We have m l thought available to help with the financial any financial matters to assist, to make sure that whatever money needs to whatever needs to be transferred appropriately, whatever needs to be reported to DPI, evidence change could help with that. Whatever needs to be reported financially to DPI, ML Thought was available to help do that. So the resources were available to do and assist.

And given that the board has also attorneys on their board, it's hard for me to understand why the process, was not exercised and followed. And if there was any questions, two calls could have been made to evidence change and to thoughts about what needs to be done and what could have happened doing those you know, what could have been done. And DPI and then whatever directions you needed. We had we, through your through the funds that you use to help pay for these services, those services were available to assist the board in so they wouldn't have to do this by themselves. The resources were available to help guide them through the entire process from a to z.

Any additional comments or questions?

Yeah. Mister Jerry, I guess one one more question. What are the the implications or the potential negative ramifications that may result for what remains of Central City Cyber School or their, you know, merger for lack of a better term with Howard Foley Collegiate Academy if we were to, or and and if the common council, I should say, were to ultimately terminate their their charter versus them going through the the dissolution process. Is anybody able to to speak to that? I mean, just maybe it ends up as the the same result, But, but if there's anybody that could offer some perspective on that, I would find that helpful.

I'm not able to answer that. Yeah. I don't know.

So, mister Christiansen, I'm not gonna go into too much, legal analysis due to it being a a a public hearing at this stage. But, to answer your question in in the in the cleanest way possible, if they follow the dissolution plan, it's kind of the process that's outlined that DPI wants them to follow. They don't follow that process. I think then there's a potential conflict and issue with DPI, and our connect and the city's connection to CyberCity's, charter school without following, you know, DPI's directive. So I haven't spoken to DPI.

I don't know if Gail or Kevin have, regarding what DPI is specifically looking for. But it seems like if the process were by the charter school to follow the dissolution plan were followed, seems like that'd be the cleanest approach, at least in terms of a state, mandate at this point.

The one thing DPI consistently asked for was, you know, was the dissolution plan, the vote from the board saying, are you gonna, you know, dissolve? A decision was made to dissolve. That's obvious. The process was not done. And had they followed this process that for example, because these are public schools, DPI has a formula.

And so once all the public schools report all the information, then they can make sure all the schools are properly funded. That it just triggers that. You know? And so in this case, we know kids, are at Howard Fuller School. We just don't have the record or the proof that they enrolled because we don't have the paperwork reflecting that.

And so had they just followed the dissolution plan starting in when they first initially thought about, hey. We're not gonna be able operate no more. If they would've took the vote then and indicated all that to us, it wouldn't be in this situation we're in right now. So if they you know, hopefully, you know, if,

you know, if they have to if

they owe anything to DPI, they will follow the process and get that information into them. But we have the resources. We still have the resource available. We have ML Thought. We have evidence change, again, to assist. So we stand ready to assist if that assistance is needed from us.

And I will I will pass that on. Appreciate it. Thank you.

But it but it sounds like there's been several attempts to get Central City Cyber School to take advantage of these resources that are available to them, and they have either declined or not been responsive. Would that be accurate?

That would be accurate.

That would be accurate. Yeah. And I I was in contact all summer asking, sending emails, talking to people, doing everything I can could to make sure that the paperwork was done in a reasonable time. And many times, I did not get a response. Yeah.

Okay. So this this wouldn't be one more chance. This would be a fourth or fifth or whatever, chance, and it it doesn't seem like there's a a will to to take advantage of any of this help that's being offered.

Correct. Because, for example, when, you know, one of the correspondents that Gail had, each time we asked them for something, they would say, this must be done by the Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy representatives that are appointed to the cyber school board. But we're not our contract is not with Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy. Our contract is with Central City Cyber and Central City Cyber's board. So the information we were requesting was, you know, directly from you guys before you made your decision to disperse.

We were requesting that information from them. We're still requesting that information from them. And in this case, we still have the resources available should they choose to acquire those resources that are that are there for them. And these are services that they pay for as part of their 2% that they give to the city each year. So this is services that they are fully aware of that they have

And they have

access to.

And I wanted the my last correspondence was August 22, last Friday, inviting the Central City Cyber School to this meeting. The response was just a reminder that Cyber School did not dissolve. Rather, it was acquired by HFCA. HFCA has appointed new board members for the CyberSchool, and all previous c three board members have resigned. I suggest your invite be sent to the new c three board at HFCA.

And that was the last correspondence from, Brett Rogue or Christine Faltz, actually.

So I I guess, Marlene, do you are you a part of the the old board? Or the

I'm the old I'm part of the old board. And Brett did invite all of the old board to this meeting, which is how I knew to to to sign on today.

Is is there anything that would formally designate the the new board? I mean, are we able to determine who the actual board is and who may

have I don't

beginning to speak?

I don't know. I don't know who the new board is because it's under Howard Fuller. And that has

Is there a I'm sorry. Is there a a process that the charter school review committee would have to formally acknowledge a new board?

No. Because HFCA is not in our portfolio anymore. As of June 30, they are, with another authorizer.

It sounds like in that response, they were saying that a a new board for Central City Cyber School has been appointed.

At at yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know.

Well, it's it's getting kinda I guess what I would what I would a situation I'd want to avoid is, you know, let's just say the Charter School Review Committee makes a recommendation to the common council to to terminate the charter. And then at the common council meeting, a whole new board from Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy that that is now saying, well, we are the real Central City Cyber School board. We object to to this. And, you know, they're they're not here, and they have we haven't heard from them. You know, I I I it's just kind of a an odd situation, and I I don't quite know how to how to handle this.

Can I get a clarifying question in? So you're talking about dissolution versus termination? So we talked about dissolution and the the benefit of that. Can somebody help me understand the pros and cons of a termination?

Well, yes.

That route?

Yeah. We can. Because they were planning on they made a decision to no longer operate. Within appendix b, once they decide they no longer want once this for example, a school can close on its own and say, hey. Look.

We no longer wanna be a part of the in this case, how a full Ecclesia cap waited till their five year renewal was up, so they had an opportunity to either renew with us or go someplace else. They decided to go someplace else because their contract ended with it. Technically, it was ending with the city. Then in in in this case, we've had in the past, we've had a school closed because they no longer wanted to be open or they wanted to switch over to being a being a choice school. In this case, what we have in the city contract review process is appendix b that says, okay.

Given what you're doing, you're going to dissolve your your school. Given that you're going to dissolve your school, here's this procedure you need to follow to do that because we wanna make sure that all our concern has always been as a charter school review committee. When a school even if we're closing the school, we we still go through this process. If we're closing it or you decide to close, we wanna make sure, a, let us know, like, let's say, January, if you plan on doing what you plan on doing because, NPS has open enrollment. All there's there's, there's time for people to sign up for various schools.

So they go through the we we make sure they are able to go through their school process and sign up for schools and not get caught up in June when their schools close in June. Now many of the schools that kids might might wanted to go to, those schools are full or they have waiting list. So we put this process in place to try to minimize, parents trying to struggle for where their kids are going to go to school at. And in this case, because they didn't do follow that process, we don't have in place knowing where kids are going to go. And so now and so in this case, somehow another the kids are either at Howard Fuller.

Okay. That's great. But are there students that decided not to go to Howard Fuller School that are in the elementary? They might have decided to go someplace else. Because as part of our programmatic report, we ask the schools to tell us how many school how many kids enrolled, how many kids left your school during this time frame, and they tell us either they left for personal reasons or they were expelled or whatever the case may be.

So we don't know if 100% of the students went and transferred over to Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy under, for example, in this case, Central City Cyber School building remains. So it is presumed that that building will be renamed to the Howard Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy School. Central City Diamond School name will be taken off of that building. And so now the question is, how many of those students decided to remain at that school? Did 100% of the kindergarten through eighth grade remain at that school?

Or how many high school students, since it is now it has an expansion grant, how many of those high school students stay right there, or did they decide, hey. No. This is my opportunity. I wanna go someplace else. We normally ensure the records the depository of those records. We have a process for making sure the records are deposited at the appropriate location. You know, if a school requested the transcripts, they got all the transcripts. So that means everything transfers to Howard Fuller. Or in this case, if a kid left and went to Shorewood High School, then Shorewood said we need the following information for our records. Did they have all these shots and immunizations?

All that information would be transferred over to Sherwood High School, and all the documents would be properly signed off that it was submitted and and received. That's what they would have done doing a doing their dissolution process. They would have explained all of this to us, and then we would have just made sure that DPI received what it needed to receive in a timely fashion, and then the school would have just been dissolved and disbanded. But we know that all records, financial records, student records, personnel records were all sent to the various location, to the schools receiving them and to DPI, letting DPI know, okay. DPI now knows that when this kid's ID number shows up on e d on DPI's database, it knows that the check is going to be cut directly to Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy or a check is gonna be cut to, Shorewood High School because that ID now appears in various locations.

And that's how DPI accounts for the audit of its students and where the students go to make sure the funding appropriately follows the students where the students go to school. And so now with that being the case, and anytime a school is out of compliance and don't comply with the contract, now we have the option to say, hey. You're not compliant. And as a result of this, we're terminate your school. But then after we terminate your school, you still have to there there's still gonna be some obligations for you to have to report to DPIO.

But yet we because we are terminating your school, again, we're not abandoning the school because we still have the resources that you paid for to help assist you by evidence change and by ML thought to make sure that all financial information and all student record information is reported properly to DPI. Technically, meaning, again, we are going to hold your hands through the process to make sure everything is communicated to to DPI in a timely fashion.

And I'd also like to clarify that, the committee would not be terminating the school. You would just be, in a sense, revoking the the or recommending to revoke or terminate their charter contract with the city because of all of the noncompliant, issues.

And is the thought that that's the next course of action because we have not been able to figure out the dissolution plan?

Correct.

Okay.

Any additional comments or questions?

I just have a quick question. So if the board isn't there and nobody is at the school, who's gonna be responsible for the last year's audit?

That we do not know. But we will follow the process as if they exist because right now, DPI is saying on their end, because this dissolution plan was not submitted to them, they do not have on record that the school has dissolved. And when and so and they've sent emails saying they have not dissolved. So, technically, DPI is saying you still exist as an entity.

And just to follow-up

on that as well, DPI's own websites include Central City Cyber School as an independent charter school for this upcoming school year. It does not list, HFCA on there.

And that's why we are not reaching out to HFCA because we don't have a contract with them. Our contract is with Central City Cyber School. And since they are no longer trying to comply with our request, they're leaving us no other alternative but to recommend that their contract be dissolved from the city of Milwaukee terminated by the city of recommended to be terminated by the city of Milwaukee. Additional questions or comments? With that, I'll ask if they have motion before us.

What action that we would like to take as a committee?

Could I could I just maybe ask if, informally, people could kind of indicate what their what their thinking is, before a a motion is made, or would that not be appropriate?

It's appropriate. Because that my most my thinking is because they are in noncompliance with us, they lay they leave us no other option but to recommend that we recommend to the common council that we terminate the contract with us because they're not responding to any of our requests, but that we still remain, we are still here available to assist in whatever they need help with with respect to getting that information to DPI. The DPI is still requesting for them because, again, we put in this is the reason we put in one of the reasons the city put in place for us as a committee would be as a committee when they established the charter school review committee, We have we create the resources. We charge the schools a percentage of their charter school grant to help us pay for the services of Institute for the Transformation of Learning, pay for the services of evidence change, and pay for the services of ML Tharp. That's what their percent goes to to to cover their involvement with the city so that the city wouldn't be expending any of its resources to achieve the job that the charter schools needed with respect to monitoring.

So we have the resources in place. This is a question of them not taking advantage of the resources they paid for and had at their disposal upon call.

Okay. And I guess I'll I'll I'll jump in, and I'm I'm also supporting a motion to to recommend termination of the charter to the common council based on the reasons outlined and the you know, nobody I mean, Marlene came in and and attended, and I certainly appreciate that. But, you know, I I think somebody willing to to speak on behalf of the board to advocate for some course of action other than termination, and that simply didn't happen. So for that reason, I'll be, and the reasons outlined by Kevin, I'll be supporting the recommendation to terminate.

I second.

Let us let us have a motion first. We were just getting he was just getting, feedback. Okay. He didn't he wasn't put in the form of motion. The summary on the memo states Central City Cyber School has repeatedly failed to comply with contract obligations and ignore state deadlines. The school's legal entity remains under contract with the city but as but is nonfunctional.

I believe there's a there's a hand raised, but, we're not able to hear. Might be some audio problems.

I don't see a hand raised.

It was, Zainab.

Oh, Zainab. There you go. Go ahead, Zainab. You're on mute. There you go. You're off now. Go ahead. Thanks, Bill. We see your hand, but we don't hear your voice. We see your mic is on, but we don't hear your voice.

You may have to look.

Try maybe try going up into the settings and, choosing a different microphone. That might help.

Can you hear me now?

Yes. Okay.

Perfect. Thank you, Bill. That was great. Okay. So I was actually trying to say a few things throughout the meeting, and they didn't get through. So sorry

about that. Go ahead go ahead and do what go ahead and take advantage of what

Yeah. Some of the things that I want to say regarding, and I don't know if this is even relevant, but I'll say it now because we've talked about it. But, with in in to comment with the board work. So the board meetings are there's just a lot of, like, nebulous actions that are not transparent to the public, which as a independent as an independent charter school, their role is to be transparent with their boards. So for example, the board meeting minutes board meeting minutes being notified ahead of time, shared after.

So even with this idea of the board, you know, informing Gail that they dissolved, but there's no record of that, just also then adds to Cyber City not being compliant in how their board operates. So that leaves me a little bit questioning. Because then if there's from what I heard from, Marlene of that now there's a new board, so that also, again, should be transparent on kind of, I would assume, both ends on the end because they're both charter schools, so they both would have public information. So, that just leaves me a little again, another, like, cautionary flag. The other thing that I wanted to add, or so that was something I wanted to say earlier that I just wasn't able to.

And then in terms of how we are thinking about it, I mean, everything goes back to the contract. So right? Like, even as you implement and you are even thinking about a school, it goes back to the contract. And as I'm looking at the contract, I mean, I think it's very clear when we're looking at termination, dissolution, and if it's by the city, or by the school, it almost seems like there are definitely pieces in various points as to this kind of, like, a no brainer to recommend to the city to revoke the contract because contract were not it was just not upheld, on the side of the school. And then if the authorizers don't uphold their contract their end, then we would not be upholding our contract by deciding not to dissolve the school, to recommend to dissolve, excuse me, to recommend to terminate and revoke the contract.

So that's kinda where I stand.

Any additional comments or questions?

Also just add, it just makes it just really confusing in terms for students, for, like, parents. I mean, I just think of the community that are aimed to serve for both schools now, right, of the confusion to the points that Kevin brought up, like, who gets what money, how does it go. It it just makes it a lot more work involved when, you know, there's support and reaching out numerous times, and not, like, taking advantage of that support. It trickles very easily down to school staff, school admin, and students, and community. And that's definitely not as Kevin also mentioned.

Right? Like, that's not the resources that we wanna utilize in this manner. Right? We want definitely utilize it for good expansion, innovation that charter schools, you know, exist because they can be innovative and challenge new ways of schooling and, you know, org structures and whatnot. And this kinda seems not going in that direction.

And like I said, I'll just reiterate that up until this issue, all mandates, all compliances have been in order. Why now not attempt to follow the closing process step by step. I mean, my involvement with the charter school expansions is clear is straightforward and clear When schools can get money or request additional money, it's it's a you know, act like I say, it's short of it's it's they the DPI literally will hold your hand and walk you through the process to make sure you are ready, set, able to go. And then if you have any issues throughout the process, you're just a phone call away. And that's what every interaction I've had with the and in addition to it, we got the charter school works committee that's kinda, like, independent of DPI.

Gil and I are part of that. And, again, they provide additional resources and consultation to schools based on whatever they whatever it is they're trying to do. So I'm just lost I'm just really lost with words why the two processes we had in place, the dissolution plan, appendix b, and DPI just asking for one thing. One thing. Your letter, your board minutes, where you met to say we are going to transfer our students over.

We're going to dissolve our schools, and we're working with the following school and only the following school. And then that desolucent plan just would have triggered the process, the steps, you know, in terms of, okay, DPI has a process that says, okay. Now we need the student information. Okay. Now we need your financial information.

Are there any deaths? Anything like, we when our our reports were were pressed, is there anything over $5,000 that requires you know, these are the general accounting accepted procedures, making sure that all those procedures are just simply being followed. They've been followed up. All things have been followed up to this point. You know?

So I don't like the position we're in, but it's the one that we have to take because our hand is being forced to take it. I have no additional comments or questions.

I I can go ahead and, and make the motion to, recommend to the common council to terminate the charter.

Second that.

May I add a friendly amendment to that with respect to

let me get it. Let me pull it up.

Because Central City Cyber School has repeatedly failed to comply with contract obligation and ignore all state deadlines. Will you accept that as an amendment to the motion?

Yes. Okay.

It's been motion second and I mean, it's been proposed. It's been second. Amendment has been second added to that. And all those in favor of the motion as amended, say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? K. The motion carries that we will recommend to the common council determination of Central City Cyprus School.

Can I ask who the second was? I didn't catch it.

It was me.

It was you. Okay. Thank you.

Okay. With that said, seeing that there are no additional items on the agenda, I will move for adjournment.

Second.

Alright. Was it moved? Trying to hear somebody. Who made the motion to to adjourn?

I can make the motion to adjourn, Katrina.

Tina. Okay. Seconded by Zena. Alright.

We

are adjourned. Thank you everyone for your involvement and your participation. And, Marlene, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much for attending.

Thank thank you. For your time. Hi, Marlene.

Good seeing you, Marlene.

Hi, everyone.