What's the Board Doing?

Hey there, GREEN Charter community! Exciting things are happening at our school, and I can't wait to share all the juicy details with you. As many of you may have heard, GREEN Charter is undergoing a fantastic transformation. With a new board and a fresh executive director at the helm, we’re making strides to turn our school into the thriving educational environment we’ve always envisioned. But how do you keep up with all the changes? Great question!

If you’re curious about what’s been happening, you can check out all the previous board meetings, including transcripts, videos, and agendas, here. Spoiler alert: one of the big projects on the agenda is an update to our website! Many of us can’t wait for this—it’s going to be user-friendly and packed with information. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s in store for parents and staff.

What's New at GREEN Charter?

Let’s dive into some of the exciting changes that are shaping GREEN’s future. First off, our school has approved a balanced budget of $36 million! This budget is crucial, especially after a tough year dealing with financial challenges. The plan includes some significant cuts, volunteer efforts, and a $2.2 million credit line to help us stay afloat.

Under the guidance of our new board chairman, Justin Varnes, the board passed a spending plan for the fiscal year 2027 on June 29. This plan is based on careful enrollment estimates and predicts a surplus of $908,000. Varnes has a hopeful outlook, stating that if we stay on track, we might see a complete financial recovery in just two to five years!

However, it’s important to note that we had to make some tough decisions. Earlier this month, the board decided to close the Midlands campus, which has been facing declining enrollment. This means we’re expecting about 2,770 students in the fall—roughly 100 fewer than last year and below our previous projections.

Understanding Our Budget

This drop in enrollment is significant because a large chunk of our budget—nearly $34 million out of the total $36.6 million—comes from state funding, which is closely tied to student numbers. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools like ours don’t have the ability to raise funds through local taxes.

While our budget looks balanced, we’ll still rely on a line of credit next year. Financial experts predict we won’t have enough cash reserves to meet the lender’s requirement of having at least 45 days of cash on hand. Last year, we used a $2.2 million line of credit to help us meet this requirement.

Our financial struggles this past year were largely due to lower-than-expected enrollment and unexpected expenses, like a $4 million air-conditioning replacement at our Simpsonville campus. By November, we had to make some tough calls, including laying off about 7% of our staff and cutting retirement benefits.

Community Support and Future Plans

As many parents expressed their concerns during meetings in the spring, we welcomed Justin Varnes as our new chairman, and shortly after, the executive director resigned. To balance our budget, significant cuts were made across all campuses, including maintenance, which has led us to seek help from our wonderful GREEN families.

“We have incredible, wonderful, giving, loving families across the entire GREEN network who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work,” Varnes said. So, mark your calendars for July 18 and other upcoming dates when families can join in to help with tasks like pulling weeds, spreading mulch, painting, and cleaning windows.

We’re also taking a closer look at outsourced services, like speech therapy for students with disabilities, to ensure that our contractors are meeting students' needs effectively.

While closing the Midlands campus will save money on staffing, Varnes pointed out that we still need to manage the debt on that campus until it can be sold—kind of like juggling two mortgages while trying to sell your old house!

The new budget must be posted online by July 1, as required by the South Carolina Public Charter School District. Varnes emphasized that our theme for the year will be about building on the progress we’ve made. “We’ll get creative where we can, utilize what we have, and really dig deep,” he said.

Looking ahead, most of our schools anticipate some enrollment declines in 2027. However, there’s a silver lining: the Simpsonville campus is expected to grow by at least 141 students! Plus, the budget includes plans to reinstate staff retirement plans by November and provide a 1% pay raise—though it’s less than what nearby public school districts have approved, it’s definitely a step in the right direction after last year’s cuts.

So, as we navigate these changes together, let’s stay positive and engaged in making GREEN Charter the best it can be!