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American Dream Charter School

Minutes

ADCS Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting

SY25-26

Date and Time

Monday September 15, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Location

Zoom

Trustees Present

A. Cabrera (remote), L. Rojas (remote), P. Simon (remote), R. Espinal (remote), Z. Martinez (remote)

Trustees Absent

None

Guests Present

M. Melkonian (remote), N. Gallagher (remote), S. Espinal (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

Z. Martinez called a meeting of the board of trustees of American Dream Charter School to order on Monday Sep 15, 2025 at 5:36 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

Z. Martinez made a motion to approve the minutes from ADCS Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting on 08-18-25.
P. Simon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

D.

Executive Session - HR Matters

II. Educational Success

A.

Benchmark 1: Student Performance

The school year has started strongly

  • 6th grade has lower enrolment
  • The year has started strongly, and the kids are looking good in their uniform and their clear backpacks.

B.

Benchmark 2: Teaching and Learning

C.

BENCHMARK 3: Culture, Climate, and Student and Family Engagement

III. Organizational Soundness

A.

BENCHMARK 4: Financial Condition

Financial Condition 

  • NG - Gave financial conditions and account balances 
  • Closing the old JP Morgan Chase account by October

B.

BENCHMARK 5: Financial Management

NG - I will update the financial report since I have not received one from Accounting Solutions, New York. We're in the midst of finishing up our annual audit, so they've really been working on it. 

C.

BENCHMARK 6: Board Oversight and Governance:

Oversight and Governance

  • NG - Has attached to Board on Track the results of the brief assessment that you all took. The Self Assessment Rating is very high. It's five. And so those results are posted in the agenda.

D.

BENCHMARK 7: Organizational Capacity

Organizational Capacity

  • NG - Gave the Board a brief staffing update. We have hired 16 new employees over the summer.  
  • We still have openings in high school history, English, Geometry, and Algebra II.

IV. Faithfulness to Charter & Law

A.

BENCHMARK 8: Mission and Key Design Elements

B.

BENCHMARK 9: Enrollment, Recruitment, and Retention

Enrollment, Recruitment, and Retention

  • NG - Melissa has already provided an update on enrollment.
  • Key issue raised: discrepancy between the NYC Common Application timeline and ADS admissions policy.
    • NYC Common Application: opens to families on October 1.
    • ADS Admissions Policy: states that applications for the following school year open on November 1.
  • Concern: ADS potentially loses a full month of applicants (October) due to this gap.
  • Action Taken:
    • Question for the board: Should ADS adjust its admissions policy to align with the NYC Common Application window?

 

Z. Martinez made a motion to Motion to update the language for the admission policy. From October to November to now, beginning in the summer and then into the fall, and then also changes instead of November to October.
P. Simon seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

BENCHMARK 10: Legal Compliance

V. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:08 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Z. Martinez