Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 10 - Education Institutions and Agencies
Part 402 - MCSAB Board Policies
Chapter 1 - Request for Proposals 2013
Section 10-402-1-VI - GOVERNANCE
Rule 10-402-1-VI-1.9 - Governance

Universal Citation: MS Code of Rules 10-402-1-VI-1.9

Current through September 24, 2024

The Governing Board is the entity legally responsible for holding the charter, entering into the contract with Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board and overseeing the operation and academic performance of the charter school. Governance includes all financial planning, budgeting and oversight. Below is the budget narrative, where applicants are asked to describe in detail the fiscal plan for the proposed school. The specifics of this plan are requested in the budget form. The two should sync.

A. Governance Philosophy

1. Explain the general philosophy of governance that will guide the proposed school.

2. What are the roles and responsibilities of the school's board in regards to the school operation? Please make sure that within the answer, management is clearly distinguished from governance responsibilities.

3. How will the board interact with the principal or head of school?

B. Board Capacity and Structure

1. School OversightAs Attachment U, provide an organizational chart that clearly presents the school's organizational structure, including lines of authority and reporting between the governing board, education service provider (if applicable), staff, related bodies (such as advisory bodies or committees), and any other external organizations that will play a role in managing the school.

2. Outline the key expectations for board members.
a. What actions would trigger removal from the board and under what process?

b. What are the attendance and committee service requirements for board members?

3. Describe the size and composition of the governing board, both in the present and future.
a. Identify key skills, areas of expertise, and constituencies that will be represented on the governing board, as well as their involvement with the school's target population.

b. List all current board members and their roles, and summarize their interests in and qualifications for serving on the school's board.

c. How will the proposed composition ensure that: (a) the school is an educational and operational success and (b) that key stakeholders and community members will be active in the governance of the school?

d. As Attachment V, provide a completed Charter School Board Member Questionnaire for each listed board member. The Questionnaire can be found in the Application Toolkit.

4. Explain the criteria and procedure by which board members have been and/or will be selected.

5. Identify your timeline to recruit additional members and the skill sets you plan to add to the board.

6. Explain the board development plan for increasing the capacity of the governing board.
a. What kinds of orientation or training will new board members receive, and what kinds of ongoing development or training will existing board members receive?

b. When will this training occur and what topics will be addressed?

7. How frequently will the board meet?

8. How will board agendas, minutes and decisions be reported to stakeholders?

C. Board Oversight

1. How will the board approach its oversight role? Describe the metrics or progress indicators that the board will consider in its analysis of the school, as well as how the board will receive this information (i.e., dashboard.) Be sure to include both the academic and financial metrics, and the frequency with which the board will review these metrics. These metrics will likely inform any contractual agreements subsequent to application approval.

2. How will the board oversee and implement the school's grievance process and policy?
a. What is the role of the board when a staff member or a family member has a grievance?

b. What are the goals of the board in terms of monitoring and resolving staff and family complaints?

D. Board Status and Compliance

1. Describe the proposed school's legal status, including whether Articles of Incorporation have been filed and whether the school has obtained federal tax-exempt status.

2. Describe the process by which the proposed school board developed its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

3. Provide as Attachment W the proposed or filed Articles of Incorporation, the governing board's Bylaws, and the board's Conflict of Interest Policy.

4. Describe how the school and governing board will comply with Mississippi Code § 25-41-1 et seq and Mississippi Code § 25-61-1 et seq, which pertain to open meetings and open records laws.

E. Budget and Policy Narrative

When developing the budget, applicants should become familiar with Mississippi Code § 37-28-55, where details regarding state, local, and federal funding sources can be found. Also, remember to withhold the 3% authorizer fee from state and local dollars to support the Authorizer Board. As a general recommendation, applicants should do their due diligence in ensuring that the budget and budget narrative are consistent with other sections of the application. All applicants are required to submit a complete charter application budget as a separate electronic document in Microsoft Excel. Applicants do not need to submit a hard copy of the budget form.

1. In the budget file submitted, detail a proposed budget for the start-up year and subsequent five-years.
a. Budget should provide reviewers with good visibility to clear assumptions around funding rates and drivers. Applicants should include any notes within the budget file to substantiate source behind key assumptions.

b. Any increase to revenues, expenses, funding rates, from year to year, should also be noted and substantiated.

c. File should also include start-up and first-year cash flow projections with clearly stated assumptions regarding timing of revenue and expenses.

2. Additionally, submit a budget narrative that provides additional information around budget decisions and line items within the budget file. Be sure to include a statement of how each line item helps the school to meet its vision and goals. There should be a discussion of the broader financial outlook of the proposed school, foreseeable risks, and efforts towards sustainability and solvency.

3. Describe the anticipated private revenue sources including contributions and grants.
a. Note which are secured and which are anticipated. Provide evidence of secured and anticipated fundraising contributions in Attachment X.

b. Describe how each revenue stream will be used in support of non-core operational expenses.

c. Disclose all sources of private funding and all funds from foreign sources, including gifts from foreign governments, foreign legal entities and domestic entities affiliated with either foreign governance or foreign legal entities. Provide evidence of secured funds as part of Attachment X.

d. Detail any contingency plans should these anticipated private revenue sources not be secured.

4. Describe the fundraising plan for the first year, as well as any additional fundraising that will need to occur over the next five years.
a. Detail who will be involved with fundraising, and any contingency plans should anticipated funds not be secured.

5. Describe any services to be contracted, such as business services payroll and auditing services, including costs and criteria for selecting such services.
a. Which services, if any, will be contracted out with the local education agency?

b. How will the board avoid any conflicts of interest in the awarding of services and contracts?

6. Please provide the costs associated with the facility plan presented earlier in the application. If the facility plan included any renovation or construction plans, please details the estimated costs, timeline, and financing associated with the proposed plan.

7. If anticipated revenues are not received or are lower than expected, what specific changes will be made to ensure the school meets its financial obligations (explain in narrative format)?
a. What are the established benchmarks the board will use for financial performance?

b. In addition, is there a contingency set aside in this budget?

8. If there are any anticipated cash shortages, please identify those and describe how the proposed school will meet its cash obligations. If there is a plan for the proposed school to take on any short-term or long-term debt, please provide an overview of amount, assumed borrowing costs, and anticipated term.

9. Describe the systems, policies and procedures, including internal controls, which will be in place to responsibly manage accounting, purchasing, payroll, and financial reporting requirements including a year-end audit.
a. Provide copies of the school's financial policies in Attachment Y. These policies must include an audit policy that complies with Mississippi Code § 37-28-57.

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-15.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Mississippi may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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