The Miller-McCoy board of directors met Monday night at Xavier University to review year-end financials and discuss the approaching first day of school.

Miller-McCoy finished the fiscal year with a $183,000 surplus, $140,000 more than the finance committee had expected. Treasurer David Baileysaid much of the surplus came from larger than expected grants from the state and federal governments.

School leader Keith Sanders invited the board to attend the first day of classes on Aug. 13. Expected enrollment stands at 563 students, though that number can change over the first several weeks of a new term.

The board also announced a public hearing on Aug. 15 to review the proposed budget for the 2012-2013 school year. The board expects the meeting to be held at the school at 6 p.m. Precise details will be posted on the school website.

Board members were joined for the meeting by Lee Reed, an attorney with Adams and Reese; Kathy Hebert, the board’s accountant; Carletta Graves, a parent, and a reporter from the Lens.

Graves read a letter she sent to school leader Tiffany Hardrick asking the board to hire more paraprofessionals and social workers to deal with  behavioral issues at the school.

The board thanked Graves for her letter and said they would review it.

The board then went into executive session to discuss a “pending claim.” When pressed by a reporter to more fully explain the reason for the closed-door meeting, board members declined to expand.

The agenda simply said the board planned an executive session with no further explanation — a violation of state open-meetings law

In addition to this advance announcement, a board must provide the public with a detailed explanation of the issue warranting such a private meeting, and such exemptions are limited by Louisiana law.