The Collegiate Academies school board met July 18 to review the year-end financial picture, discuss parent handbook revisions, and thank retiring board members.

The 2011-2012 school year left Collegiate Academies with a surplus of $243,000, at least  $87,000 of it the result of successful fundraising over and above set goals. This year, the finance committee hopes to tap into some of the funds given to the school in 2010 by Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network to hire a “director of college persistence” to help graduates stay in college.

The school excellence committee recommended a few changes to the parent handbook, including more detailed information on attendance and disciplinary policies. This year, parents will sign forms acknowledging some problem policies, like a cell phone policy that allows phones to be confiscated by teachers when students bring them to school.

The board approved new officers for the upcoming term. Susan Norwood was named to a second term as board president, Salmon Shomade as vice chairman, Bill Langenstein as secretary, and Doug Finegan to a second term as treasurer. After a round of thanks from their colleagues, board members Ana Menezes and Emily Klein Morris retired, although they will stay active on various committees.