Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) Approved - August 26, 2026 MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. PT Held at the following location: Via Zoom: https://oregoncharter.zoom.us/j/91035080370
I.
Call to Order Mr. Brown called the meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. when quorum was reached, and all members who were present could hear each other.
II.
Roll Call Board Members present: Joseph Brown, Jennifer Brady, Laura Vaucher, Mary Ellen Mansfield Board Members absent: Kim Thatcher Members of the Public present: Jeremiah Elliott School Staff present: Allison Galvin, Executive Director, and the following school staff; Todd Schweitzer, Steve Nielsen, John Meyer, Molly Fisher, Rachel Reid, Katie Souza.
III.
Executive Session Ms. Mansfield moved to enter into an Executive Session for the Executive Director’s end-of-year review. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. APPROVED to move into Executive Session. The motion passed unanimously. The board moved into EXECUTIVE SESSION at 12:04 p.m. in order to review and evaluate the employment-related performance of the chief executive officer of Oregon Charter Academy – Executive Director’s End of Year Review – pursuant to ORS § 192.660 (1) and (2) (i). The Board returned from Executive Session at 12:10 p.m.
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
IV.
Public Comment None
V.
Routine Business A. Approval of the Agenda Mr. Brown asked if any changes needed to be made to the agenda. There being no changes to the proposed agenda, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Mansfield moved to approve the agenda. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. RESOLVED, that the agenda for the June 24, 2026 meeting of the Board of Directors of Oregon Charter Academy is hereby approved. The motion passed unanimously.
VI.
Consent Agenda Dr. Galvin asked to approve the Consent Agenda with updates to the staffing report, which included adding the following new hires: Michelle Jewell, Malori Warren, and Trevis Karper. A motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Mansfield moved to approve the consent agenda as amended. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Consent items as amended, A. Approval of Minutes from the May 27, 2026 Board Meeting B. Approval of Staffing Report- June C. Approval of Expenditure Summary Report- May D. Approval of Legal Invoice(s) – June E. Approval of Bank Reconciliation- May F. Second reading and approval of the updates to board policies as presented by the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) 1. BBAA – Board Member’s Authority and Responsibilities, Highly Recommended, Delete current BBAA and approve new BBAA policy 2. BD – Board Meetings, Notices and Communications, Highly Recommended, Delete current BD/BDA and approve new BD policy
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
3. BDC – Executive Sessions, Highly Recommended, Delete current BDC and approve new BDC policy 4. BDD – Board Meeting Procedures, Optional, Delete current BDD and approve new BDD policy 5. BDDC – Board Meeting Agenda, Highly Recommended, Delete current BDDC and approve new BDDC policy 6. BDDG– Recordings and Minutes of Board Meetings, Highly Recommended, Delete current BDDG and approve new BDDG policy 7. EBB - Integrated Pest Management, (Version 1), Required, Delete current EBB and approve new EBB policy 8. EBBA – Student Health Services */**, Highly Recommended, Delete current EBBA and approve new EBBA policy 9. ECAA – Access to Buildings, Optional, Approve new ECCA policy 10.GBA – Equal Employment Opportunity, Highly Recommended, Approve GBA policy as presented 11.GBA-AR – Veteran and State Servicemember Preference, Highly Recommended, Approve GBA-AR policy as presented 12.GBN/JBA – Sexual Harassment, Required, Delete current GBN/JBA and approve new GBN/JBA policy 13.GCBDA/GDBDA-AR(1) – Family and Medical Leave * (Version 1 – FMLA/OFLA), Highly Recommended, Delete current GCBDA/GDBDA-AR(1) and approve new GCBDA/GDBDA-AR(1) policy 14.GCBDD/GDBDD – Sick Time *, Highly Recommended, Delete current GCBDD/GDBDD and approve new GCBDD/GDBDD policy 15.JBA/GBN – Sexual Harassment, Required, Delete current JBA/GBN and approve new JBA/GBN policy 16.JHH – Student Suicide Prevention, Required, Approve JHH policy as presented The motion passed unanimously. VII.
Action Items A. Review and consideration of Board candidate, Jeremiah Elliott, to fill the current board vacancy with a term ending at the annual meeting in June 2028 Dr. Galvin provided an overview of the Board candidate, Mr. Elliott, who was present in the meeting, and she pointed the Board to his resume in the Board packet. Dr. Galvin explained that Mr. Elliott is a parent of an ORCA student, and he is an engaged member of the student community and supports the Parent Organization as Treasurer. She mentioned that Mr. Meyer recommended Mr. Elliott. Mr. Elliott provided background about himself, including that he has senior executive management experience, has the time to support the Board, and loves ORCA, sharing that his son has done great at ORCA thanks to the support and academics. Mr. Elliott explained that he is a champion of DEI and has worked with people of diverse backgrounds. Until working with the Parent Organization,
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Mr. Elliott hasn’t worked in a role supporting a school in an official capacity, but he has worked in government and banking with a focus on strategic planning and risk management. He believes this is in alignment with ORCA and could provide support in setting direction and meeting goals. Ms. Vaucher thanked Mr. Elliott for the introduction, and, in regards to his resume, she said he is a good fit for the board and supporting the school. She is excited about his interest in the Parent Organization and the potential growth of it. Ms. Mansfield and Mr. Brown agreed with Ms. Vaucher Dr. Galvin clarified that Mr. Elliott would serve on the board through the 2028 term. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Mansfield moved to approve the Board candidate, Jeremiah Elliott, to fill the current board vacancy with a term ending at the annual meeting in June 2028. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE board candidate, Jeremiah Elliott, to fill the current board vacancy with a term ending at the annual meeting in June 2028. The motion passed unanimously. B. Approval of the Board meeting schedule for the 2026-27 school year Dr. Galvin referred to the 2026-27 meeting schedule in the Board packet, explaining meetings would typically fall on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Vaucher moved to approve the Board meeting schedule for the 2026-2027 school year as presented. Ms. Mansfield seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Board meeting schedule for the 2026-27 school year as presented. The motion passed unanimously. C. Approval of Directors
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Dr. Galvin explained this action item would be for the approval of renewing Ms. Mansfield for another three year term. Ms. Mansfield voiced her desire to continue serving on the Board. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Vaucher moved to approve Mary Ellen Mansfield to renew with a three-year term lasting through the annual meeting in June 2029. Ms. Brady seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE Mary Ellen Mansfield to renew with a three-year term lasting through the annual meeting in June 2029. The motion passed unanimously. D. Approval of Officers for the 2026-2027 School Year Dr. Galvin stated the current officers’ positions as follows: Mr. Brown as President, Ms. Vaucher as Vice President, Ms. Brady as Secretary, and Ms. Mansfield as Treasurer. Ms. Mansfield, Ms. Vaucher, and Ms. Brady expressed interest in staying in their current positions. Mr. Brown asked if anyone was interested in being president, but the Board members stated they would like Mr. Brown to stay in the President position. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Mansfield moved to approve the Officers for the 2026-2027 School Year as presented. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Officers for the 2026-2027 School Year as follows: 1. President - Joseph Brown 2. Vice President - Laura Vaucher 3. Secretary - Jennifer Brady 4. Treasurer - Mary Ellen Mansfield The motion passed unanimously. E. Approval of the Annual Evaluation for the school’s Executive Director Mr. Brown asked for approval of the annual evaluation of the school’s Executive Director as discussed during the Executive Session. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Mansfield moved to approve the Annual Evaluation for the school’s Executive Director as discussed during the Executive Session. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE the Annual Evaluation for the school’s Executive Director as discussed during the Executive Session. The motion passed unanimously. F. Approval of the 2026-27 Executive Director retention incentive Mr. Brown asked for approval of the Executive Director retention incentive for the 2026-2027 school year. Ms. Reid explained that the IRS limit is $24,500 for tax year 2026. Mr. Brown asked the Board if there were any questions or discussion needed. There being none, a motion was made and seconded as follows. Ms. Vaucher moved to approve the 2026-27 Executive Director retention incentive of up to the 2026 IRS maximum toward a deferred compensation account of her choosing. Ms. Mansfield seconded the motion. RESOLVED, to APPROVE a 2026-27 Executive Director retention incentive of up to the 2026 IRS maximum toward a deferred compensation account of her choosing. The motion passed unanimously. VIII.
Oral Report A. Financial Report 1. Financials - Year to date through May 2026 Mr. Nielsen pointed the Board to the income statement and balance sheet in the Board packet. He noted that he will be able to provide a full 2025-2026 financial report (pre-audit report) in August. Mr. Nielsen reported that ORCA’s revenue was 107% of the budget, with a total revenue of $39.7 million. He told the board that the state school fund ended in May, so there will be no state school fund payment in June. He also noted that the May payment included the $2.8 million true-up payment from last year’s school fund. Mr. Nielsen shared that June’s grant payments will be recorded, so the school will see revenue exceed $40 million. Mr. Nielsen also said that the total expenses were 77% of the budget. The only line in expenses that was over budget was the Revenue-based District Fee, but Mr. Nielsen explained that this is consistent with the state school fund exceeding projection due to higher
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
enrollment. He noted that the school will see compensation be higher in the August report because teachers are paid throughout the summer using the 2025-2026 school year funds. In conclusion, Mr. Nielsen shared that, overall, the school will see revenue exceed expenditure, and in July, the school will get double the state school fund payment since the school will not receive one in June. Ms. Vaucher thanked Mr. Nielsen and Ms. Reid for all their work on and care of money management. B. School Leader’s Report 1. Enrollment and Intent to Return Dr. Galvin shared that as the June Board meeting happens, school is over for students, but school staff are still completing end-of-year tasks and summer school has begun. Dr. Galvin will be able to present data from the 2025-2026 school year at the August Board meeting. Nonetheless, Dr. Galvin explained that enrollment was strong at the end of the school year. Even though the school saw enrollment numbers go down a little, as usual, it was a slightly smaller decline than previous years. Dr. Galvin also shared that Intent to Return is up from last year, and that office staff have been reaching out to families that have not yet responded. On July 1st, Dr. Galvin said, all non-responders will turn to “no’s” and be withdrawn. 2. Summer Programs Dr. Galvin shared that summer programs started on Monday, June 22, and have gone smoothly. High schoolers are completing credit recovery courses, while 8th grade students can complete a high school readiness course. K-8 students have summer learning opportunities through school-provided programs. 3. Graduation Dr. Galvin told the Board that graduation took place on June 6th and that it was a great day. She highlighted that the Navy was there to honor a student with a $200,000 scholarship to the school of her choice, and the student chose Duke University. 4. Spring Celebration Dr. Galvin also recapped Spring Celebration, which took place on May 29th, saying that despite the overcast weather, there was a record number of people in attendance. She shared that Caesar the No Drama Llama visited the event, and that Mr. Meyer, Ms. Cammann, and their team put together an E3 fair, which included colleges, the military, and a work simulator to engage older students. The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
Ms. Vaucher said it sounded like the E3 Fair was well received and brought more high school students to Spring Celebration. She asked if there is a plan to bring it back next year and expand it. Dr. Galvin answered that the team is planning to include it again and is actively thinking about how to improve it, such as placement, to increase engagement. Mr. Meyer also explained that initiatives like the E3 Fair serve as an on- ramp for students, especially high schoolers, to explore opportunities after graduation. He also mentioned that he hopes the fair will encourage students to join the ASCEND program. IX.
Information Items A. Outreach Update Ms. Fisher shared that in the month of May, the school had 59 posts, 438,685 impressions, 1,417 engagements, and 51 post link clicks. The top posts were the Midnight in Paris Prom post and the 5th Grade Outdoor School post. Ms. Fisher also said that our May Blog was “Thank You Teachers: How Educators Shape Lifelong Learning at ORCA” and that the Saturday Market on June 13th went well. Mr. Fisher shared that NASET (National Association of Special Education Teachers) announced ORCA as one of the 2026 Schools of Excellence and Exceptional Charter Schools. This is the 3rd year in a row that ORCA has received this honor. Ms. Vaucher asked if the school is doing any summer outreach events this year, to which Ms. Fisher replied that there are two Saturday Markets, and then the Rose City Comicon in September. B. Facilities Update Mr. Meyer shared that the school is sealing the parking lot in Mill City and should be done in the afternoon of June 24th. He also told the Board that there will be water leak repairs at the Wilsonville Building in suite 103 & 203 on July 3rd. Mr. Meyer is looking into cameras and door locks to increase safety at the Wilsonville building. C. Legislative Update Dr. Galvin explained that she was in a work group yesterday with COSA and 25 other school officials. She provided background for the work group, saying that there has been concern and talk about virtual charters and districts hosting programs that are paying families to attend school, thus acting as a shell for homeschool programs. There is misinformation circulating that this is a common practice for all virtual charter schools and programs. Dr. Galvin expressed her appreciation for having a seat at the table in this work group, as it is meaningful and important to have been invited. Dr. Galvin emphasized to the work group that it is a small group of virtual charter schools and programs hosted by districts
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.
paying families for enrollment in order to discourage the sentiment that all virtuals are bad. Dr. Galvin thought it was a productive meeting and suggested there may be legislation that addresses the EMO structure, the practice of paying families to attend virtual programs or virtual charter schools, and requiring that virtual schools and programs directly give curriculum to families. Ms. Mansfield asked who sponsored that work group, and Dr. Galvin said it was sponsored by COSA, and OSBA and ODE were also invited. Ms. Mansfield also asked what the work group will be producing through these conversations. Dr. Galvin explained that COSA is a part of drafting bills, so the hope is that the work group will help create bill drafts for the long session. It is critical that virtual schools like ORCA be a part of these conversations to mitigate misinformation. Ms. Vaucher expressed that it is great ORCA is a part of it, and she reiterated that there needs to be continued education for the public about virtual charter schools, what is happening, and how it is not every virtual school. Ms. Mansfield asked if there are other virtual charters like ORCA on the panel. Dr. Galvin answered that there are, such as another school that used to be a corporate model but has since become independent. She noted that this is the first time the school has an opportunity to collaborate with a group that tends to be against how virtual charters serve students. Ms. Vaucher emphasized that at this level, Dr. Galvin needs to be in these discussions as legislation comes into session, and to have parents rallying for virtual charter schools. D. Board Updates Dr. Galvin remarked that staff present has provided many updates for the boarding during the meeting. Mr. Brown asked if the Board would like any highlights for the August meeting, but there were no requests. X.
Adjournment Ms. Mansfield moved to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Vaucher seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned by Mr. Brown at 12:51 p.m. Next regular meeting date: August 26, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. PT in Zoom
The mission of Oregon Charter Academy is to prepare all students for success in a global society through an inclusive, rigorous, academic environment where students have daily live interaction with highly qualified teachers and continuous access to curriculum. Oregon Charter Academy staff partners with families in a transparent, collaborative school environment to support all students in their academic journey.