TCA Board Retreat

Memphis Teacher Residency Headquarters

Crosstown Concourse East Atrium – 3rd Floor

August 19, 2025

7:45 – 8:00 a.m.

Welcome & Breakfast

• Food and fellowship

• Welcoming remarks from TCA Board Chair Tom Marino

• Team warm up with JB

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

State of the School Overview

• It’s another great day at TCA!

• Enrollment update

• Budget status and highlights

• Facilities and program development

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Courageous Conversation: Where We Are

• Student recruitment realities and opportunities – A City-Wide Campaign?

• Financial position and sustainability

• Open dialogue on challenges and solutions

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Strategic Planning & Fundraising

• Review of near-term, mid-term, and long-term priorities

• Donor landscape and board engagement

• Next steps for expansion and growth

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.

Board Training & Development

• Roles & responsibilities refresher

• Prospects and prospecting

• Strengthening our collective impact

10:30 a.m.

Next Steps and Adjournment

Tennessee Career Academy Board Retreat Summary

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Crosstown Concourse, MTR Office

Board Members Present: Tom Marino, Andy Davis, Tate Wilson, Elliot Perry, Beverly Robertson, Charles Gerber. Executive Director John Barker provided facilitation and represented the staff. Glenda Yarbrough from Poplar Foundation served as note-taker.

After coffee and breakfast sandwiches, Executive Director John Barker presented an overview of the school’s progress and shared updates on current operations and activities. Board members were provided a one-pager on “How to Be an Effective Charter School Board Member,” highlighting five habits: 1. Stay aligned with the school’s mission; 2. Understand charter school finance basics; 3. Focus on governance, not management; 4. Participate fully in meetings and activities; and 5. Invest in personal development and training in boardsmanship.

The group engaged in a dialogue on student recruitment realities and the prospect of a citywide campaign. Enrollment numbers appear to be down across the city and TCA is keeping a close eye on post-Labor Day enrollment opportunities. Enrollment numbers will drive immediate financial decisions and John is working with Katie Wise from GT3 Group to identify possible strategies.

John identified several looming realities. The budget break-even point for TCA is125 students while the current enrollment is 65 students. The gap of 60 students (at approximately $13,000 per student in TISA funding) equates to a projected $780,000 shortfall.

The break-even budget assumed only $15K in philanthropic contributions, so an operations fundraising effort was discussed. The rent for 4775 American Way is a constant monthly cost of $22K and Board members asked to see the current lease with building owner Dan Butler. The lease is being shared with Board members as a separate document.

John also shared that a bus route is being tried to increase enrollment. The pilot test with Durham bus company costs approximately $580 per day and will run until Friday, September 12. Board members cautioned against putting too much hope in busing students, understanding that many parents had already made decisions about 2025-26 schooling already.

The Board was also reminded of the $500,000 line of credit with First Horizon Bank ($175,000 drawn, $325,000 available) as a stop-gap measure to manage cash flow. TCA has approximately $236,000 CSP reimbursement grant funds remaining from the State of Tennessee as part of the first year of operation (“Implementation Year” as the grant calls it). Implementation Year allowable funding items are different than planning year items – no longer is a rent payment, for example, an allowable item in the Implementation Year.

Given the fiscal exigencies associated with the organization’s current position, the group agreed to revisit the challenges and tough decisions around three weeks after the meeting (a period after Labor Day and any additional student enrollments). That puts the follow up conversation at or around the week of September 8.

The group recognized need to identify and engage partners quickly, both for curriculum/program development and fundraising opportunities. GT3 Group (Greg Thompson and Katie Wise) to refine deficit projections.

With operations running smoothly – albeit fiscally challenged – at the TCA Middle School campus at 4775 American Way, the Board was energized by a discussion of potential high school expansion at Christian Brothers University (CBU). While the financial challenges at CBU are prompting that organization to consider partners for on-campus activities, there is no immediate urgency, so this puts TCA in an advantageous position to discuss and negotiate rather than rush into a possible agreement. Beverly Robertson noted she is a member of the CBU Board of Directors and was even missing a meeting of that board to attend the TCA Board Retreat (for which we are deeply appreciative!).

After robust discussion about next steps, the TCA Board identified three major workstreams with assigned leaders:

Partners (Facilities & Programming)
TCA Lead: Dr. Meah King; Board: Andy Davis, Beverly Robertson; Task: Refine a partner matrix for education and workforce training. A draft partner matrix is provided as a separate document.

Fundraising for current operational needs and the “Inspiring Place” for TCA High School
TCA Lead: John Barker; Board: Charles Gerber, Dorsey Hopson, Tom Marino; Task: Advance facility-related fundraising strategy.

Future Enrollment Opportunities
Lead: Dr. Meah King; Board: Tate Wilson, Elliot Perry, Octavius Nickson; Task: Drive student recruitment and outreach.

Action Items for the Immediate Future

Discussion identified four immediate needs: fundraising push to close the budget gap; enrollment growth through bus pilot and outreach; financial projections refined with GT3 Group; and partner engagement accelerated for curriculum, planning, and fundraising. John will update the Board on these items as they are addressed.

To conclude the meeting, the Board engaged in self-evaluation across the following areas: Mission and Vision, Governance and Management, Meetings and Operations, Financial Oversight, Fundraising and Advocacy, Board Composition and Development, School Impact and Accountability. The Board also received a one-pager (Our Why, Mission, Vision, Approach, Impact) for Board members to use in external conversations. John Barker will follow up on Chris Terrell’s Crosstown High model for Board training to help avoid the rush of watching four hours of training videos at the end of June to maintain compliance with mandatory board training.

Having done important work with the first-ever retreat of the TCA Board, the meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.

Tennessee Career Academy, Inc.
Board of Directors Meeting
October 13, 2025
12:00 p.m.
TCA Headquarters – 4775 American Way

Call to Order

Approval of Summary from Board Retreat of August 19, 2025

Board President’s Report (Tom Marino)

·         The importance and connection of 1A (finances) and 1B (student recruitment)

Financial Report (Katie Wise / GT3 Group)

·         Current fiscal position

·         First Look: Projecting a Budget for 2026-27

Head of School Report (Meah King)

·         Update on students, faculty, staff, and parents

·         iCEV software deployment for pre-credential curriculum

·         Site visit results from Memphis-Shelby County Schools team

·         Recap of Hispanic Heritage Month

·         TCA Exploration and Innovation Week (Oct. 13-17)

Executive Director’s Report (John Barker)

·         Student application update and “Go Live” announcements

·         Support from Turner Foundation, Regions Foundation of Tennessee, TVA

·         Application for $25K from Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Old Business

·         Update on talks with Christian Brothers University and Lewis University

·         2025-26 School Calendar Overview

New Business

·         Approval of the 2026-27 School Calendar

Adjournment

Tennessee Career Academy, Inc.

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

October 13, 2025 – TCA Campus @ 4775 American Way

Board Members in Attendance:

Tom Marino (Chair), Octavius Nickson (Vice Chair), Andy Davis (Treasurer), Elliot Perry, Tate Wilson, and Dorsey Hopson. Beverly Robertson and Charles Gerber were unavailable for the meeting. TCA Team members in attendance included Dr. John Barker, Dr. Meah King, and Katie Wise from GT3.

Call to Order

The October 2025 meeting of the Tennessee Career Academy, Inc. Board was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Board Chair Tom Marino.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the August 2025 Board Retreat were reviewed and approved (Tate Wilson moved approval, Andy Davis seconded).

Chairman’s Report

The Board’s primary point of discussion for the meeting was a significant enrollment shortfall, with current projections at roughly half of the expected student count. While not immediately impactful, this will ultimately lead to a substantial budget deficit estimated between $650,000 and $750,000.

Multiple conversations are ongoing with past and future funders whose pledges for funding during the school year have the potential to make up much of the deficit. With deep appreciation expressed for the generosity of those individuals and organizations making pledges, the conversation turned to student enrollment, the 1B (where finance was 1A) of immediate concern.

The Board’s discussion emphasized the importance of recruiting and retaining 150 students by August 1, 2026, with a focus on continuous recruitment throughout the year. Recruitment was compared to college football—requiring constant effort, visibility, and engagement.

Financial Updates and Cash Flow Management

Katie Wise provided an update on the current financial shortfall projected at $652,000. Strategies include generating new revenue through enrollment growth and cost-cutting measures. The $500,000 line of credit from First Horizon Bank remains contingent upon committed grant funding, primarily through CSP. Katie mentioned that restructuring the line of credit would be helpful before year-end to ensure continued financial stability. Ongoing monitoring of cash flow will remain a key focus to maintain a positive cash position.

The Board reaffirmed the goal of sustaining operations with 125 to 135 students in the near term, with an aim to reach 150 students for the 2026-27 school year to build 30-days cash on hand. Efforts will focus on developing and executing a comprehensive recruitment strategy targeting specific communities and partners.

The Board discussed identifying and engaging key community partners to support recruitment and retention. A draft matrix (attached) will be refined and updated to highlight potential partners and recruitment hot spots. Continuous engagement with families and organizations will be central to these efforts.

Action Items

•         Develop a one-page dashboard to track key financial, enrollment, and academic metrics.

•         Finalize the timing and amounts of the funding commitments to close the current-year budget gap.

•         Call families who chose NOT to attend TCA for 2025-26 and find out what reason(s) they aren’t enrolled at TCA and what possibly could have helped TCA be their choice.

•         Identify potential community partners and 'hot spots' for targeted student recruitment efforts, and continue to share the list with the board.

•         Implement a laser-focused recruitment strategy targeting 300 specific students and families.

•         Evaluate bus pick up points (Binghampton, Orange Mound, etc.?) for increasing access to TCA.

•         Update the cash flow model to incorporate the new funding commitments and identify any pressure points that need to be addressed.

•         Produce as comprehensive a listing as possible (attached) of churches, schools, and non-profit agencies in the 38118 ZIP code to share with the Board and to work with Tate Wilson for contact information.

•         Identify potential sports partners and seasonal timelines to understand more about what’s possible for TCA students this year and what could help us market TCA for 2026-27.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:08 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Dr. John Barker.

Tennessee Career Academy, Inc.
Board of Directors Meeting
December 16, 2025
12:00 p.m.
TCA Headquarters – 4775 American Way

Call to Order

Approval of Minutes from October 13, 2025

Board President’s Report (Tom Marino)

·         Review and overview

Financial Report (Katie Wise / GT3 Group)

·         Current fiscal position and assumptions for 2026

Head of School Report (Meah King)

·         Update on students, faculty, staff, and parents

·         Thoughts about the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) conference

·         First MSCS scorecard results: 4.73 out of 5.00!

·         Student recruitment insights

Executive Director’s Report (John Barker)

·         Fundraising update

·         Plans for grade expansion and possible CBU affiliation

Old Business

·         2025-26 School Calendar Review

New Business

·         Approval of the 2026-27 School Calendar

Adjournment

TCA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

December 16, 2026 | 12:00 p.m.
TCA Headquarters – 4775 American Way, Memphis, TN

Call to Order

Absent a quorum due to unforeseen meeting conflicts and holiday commitments, members of the Tennessee Career Academy, Inc. Board of Directors were invited into a discussion by Board President Tom Marino at 12 p.m. The following Board Members present: Tom Marino, Elliot Perry, and Tate Wilson.

Board President’s Report

Tom Marino provided a brief overview of board priorities and governance matters. He highlighted continued focus on strategic growth, financial sustainability, and academic outcomes.

Financial Report

Katie Wise (GT3 Group) presented the financial report, including the school’s current fiscal position and preliminary assumptions for calendar year 2026. The Board discussed revenue projections, expenditure trends, and planning considerations tied to anticipated enrollment growth.

Head of School Report

Dr. Meah King shared updates related to students, faculty, staff, and family engagement. She reflected on takeaways from the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference, noting alignment with TCA’s career-focused instructional model.
Dr. King reported the release of TCA’s first MSCS scorecard, with an overall rating of 4.73 out of 5.00, and discussed early student recruitment insights and emerging trends.

Executive Director’s Report

John Barker provided a fundraising update, including current efforts and near-term priorities. He also discussed preliminary plans for future grade expansion and early conversations regarding a potential affiliation with Christian Brothers University (CBU).

Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.

TBD