ADCS II Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting Minutes

November 17, 2025, 6:30-7:00 PM

SY25-26

Monday November 17, 2025 at 6:30 PM

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

L. Rojas

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

R. Espinal called a meeting of the board of trustees of American Dream Charter School to order on Monday Nov 17, 2025 at 6:13 PM.

R. Espinal made a motion to approve the minutes from ADCS II Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting on 10-20-25.

P. Simon seconded the motion.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

CSP Grant Update
- CSP Grant Secured
  - School has officially been awarded the CSP grant.
  - The original application was prepared for approximately $2 million, so the awarded amount required a major budget review and adjustments.
Budget Revision in Progress
- Several lower-priority items were removed from the budget, including:
  - Conference travel
  - Certain consulting services
  - A revised budget is currently being resubmitted for approval.
Current Status
- Grant is a major win, but implementation is a significant lift requiring extensive administrative work and planning.
- Team is moving forward with all required steps to ensure the grant can be activated and utilized once approved.
Upcoming Liaison Input
- Brandy, our CSP liaison, indicated she has additional information to share regarding her work in CSD 6, which may inform our long-term strategy.
- Further updates are expected during the December meeting, once we receive her guidance and assess potential next steps.
Next Steps
- Continue toward final budget approval.
- Prepare to begin spending once authorization is granted.
- Maintain parallel planning to align CSP work with potential expansion or new-school pathways, pending December discussions.

Account Balances & Financial Update
- Current Account Balances given by - NG
Importance of Maintaining These Funds
- CSP funding now works on a reimbursement model, not upfront disbursement as it did when ADS opened in 2014.
- The school must spend funds first, then submit documentation to draw down grant money.
- Having cash on hand is essential - without these balances, the school would be unable to cover upfront CSP-eligible expenses.
Clarification on the CSP Grant
- CSP grants are typically awarded to new or opening charter schools to support early startup costs.
- New schools remain unfunded until students are enrolled and per-pupil payments begin, often not until the summer before opening.
- Without CSP funding, new charters would be financially unsupported until around July 2026 (in this case), creating significant operational risk.
Funding Structure
- CSP is a federal grant program, but states manage distribution, oversight, and the application rating process.
- Funds originate federally, flow to the state, and then are awarded to schools that meet the criteria.

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:19 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

R. Espinal