Site Council Purpose

KUA families are invited to attend Site Council meetings, held monthly at 5 p.m. on Zoom (except in December). Each time they attend a meeting, families fulfill one volunteer hour of their required KUA hours for the year.

A school can only call itself successful when leaders, families and stakeholders all sit at the same table. At KUA Site Council, parents can share their concerns, listen to what is happening behind the scenes and, with everyone’s input, help us all keep on the same page. Meetings do not address budgetary decisions. Rather, we build bridges of understanding and trust so when challenges arise, our students know we all worked together to come up with solutions. KUA was built on this trust between our community, our donors, our staff and our families.

At our Site Council meetings, we show respect, but we also aren’t afraid to show our hearts. Together we make great things happen!

Monthly Zoom Meetings

All meetings are at 5 p.m.

Sept. 11, 2025

Oct. 9, 2025

Nov. 13, 2025 (canceled)

Jan. 15, 2026

Feb. 12, 2026

March 19, 2026

April 9, 2026

May 14, 2026

June 4, 2026 – in person

Zoom meeting link

https://kuacademy.zoom.us/j/85777275622

Recent Meeting Notes

Site Council members attending:

TEACHERS/STAFF: Lupita Vargas, David Thygeson, Sarah Lemon, Ashley Lyon, Tyrone McDonald, Briana Murcia

PRINCIPAL: Lindsay Ochs

Date: Feb. 12, 2026

Time: 5-5:30 p.m.

Kindergarten teachers received kudos from Kids Unlimited Academy as administrators announced open registration at February’s Site Council.

KUA Principal Lindsay Ochs told parents that in more than 20 years of being in education, she has never met three better kindergarten teachers. “They are truly, truly gifted,” said Ochs, adding that she can’t say enough good things about them. Parents also expressed their appreciation for Pre-KU teacher Ashley Lyon.

The transition from preschool to kindergarten was the focus of Site Council, billed as Pre-K to Kinder Parent Night. The Zoom presentation and question-and-answer session was the first of several events: Kinder Launch, when families can tour the KUA campus, and Kinder Zoom, both in April.

The presentation introduced KUA staff, including front office and behavior staff, along with kindergarten teachers Sabrina Gonzalez, Krystal VanDyke and Sherry Rose. Their classrooms are some of the largest in the building and very close to the VIBES room for behavior support, said Ochs.

KUA kindergarten registration opened Feb. 2. Prospective students and families can contact the front office to schedule a school tour, including friends and neighbors of kids currently attending Pre-KU. This year, KU’s early learning program enrolled just 30 students, ensuring plenty of openings in KUA kindergarten.

KUA kindergarten, like the charter school’s grades 1-5, provides three nutritious, free meals per day and optional afterschool enrichment, an opportunity for parents who want to pick up kids later or involve them in extracurricular activities. KUA kindergarten students stay in their own cohort for afterschool enrichment, working on arts and crafts, said Lupita Vargas, KU director of educational services. They also usually take taekwondo later in the school year, she added.

Like KUA’s older students, kindergartners have PE, art, music and library, which rotate each trimester. Those specials are part of the schoolday schedule five days a week. KUA also has a sophisticated theater program and talent show, staff said.

Vargas reiterated the KUA dress code: a uniform shirt Monday through Thursday, with casual shirts on Fridays. If former pre-K students’ casual shirts still fit in kindergarten, they can wear them, she said.

A parent asked when they would hear about teacher placements. KUA kindergarten starts a week later than the older grades, during which teachers observe all the students and separate them into classes for the best balance, said Ochs. A kindergarten “soft start” follows, and it can involve classroom switches, she said.

Ochs also explained the documentation for early childhood special education with Southern Oregon Education Service District and how that is transferred to an Individual Education Program with the state. Families who receive support from Individualized Family Service Plans need to initiate the IEP at their student’s home school, based on school district and attendance area. Ochs emphasized that families still are entitled to enroll in a school of choice, such as KUA.

Upcoming events:

Feb. 16 – no school for Presidents Day

Feb. 23 – no school for staff professional development

Feb. 26 – Family Literacy Night, 5-6:30 p.m.