Trillium Board of Directors Update

Good afternoon,

I'm writing today to provide an another update on our school director succession plans and financial picture.

The Board has approved the Personnel Committees recomendation that in the long run, we should have two separate director positions: an Executive Director and an Educational Director. We will begin the hiring process for a new Executive Director immediately, and will pursue an Educational Director later in the year as finances allow. For those of you with some history at the school, you may recognize that this is a familiar refrain - this desire to pursue two positions has been articulated in the past, but never executed. The Board also decided to commit to the two positions financially, as you'll see in the plan below.

Because of our financial constraints and the desire to manage a smooth transition, this is the plan that we have agreed to follow:
- We will begin the hiring process to bring in a new Executive Director now with the hope that they will start in August, 2010
- The position will be half time now, and will convert to full time no later than July 1, 2011
- Stephanie's stay with the school at half time for transition purposes through the end of the 2010-2011 school year
- The new Executive Director will be immediately vested with the decision making authority of the job.
- We will hire a full time Educational Director to start in early 2011
- The new Executive Director and the board will work closely to close budget gaps necessary to finance both positions fully. If necessary, class size (enrollment) will be raised again for the 2011-2012 school year.
- The Board will work to design and clarify any necessary decision rights for the two director positions as we hire the Education Director

We are assembling a small hiring committee and interview team immediately and hope to be conducting interviews in early August. We'll be seeking a mix of upper school and lower school staff and parents to participate in the process. If you are interested, and particularly if you have interviewing and hiring experience, please contact David Poe as soon as possible.


Regarding the school finances, the current budget looks stable for now (thanks to staff and board members who've worked so hard on this), but we will be running very close to the edge and making no substantive improvements in major issues such as the overall debt load of the school or teacher pay equity with PPS pay. We have more to do in the coming year to overcome these hurdles. Much will depend on the state budget scenario as it gets finalized, as well as our ability to raise funds in the coming year.

Thanks,
James Hindes
Chair, Trillium Board of Directors
Parent to Annie (Beth's advising) and Holden
jhindes@trilliumcharterschool.org