Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School of Excellence
Minutes
Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday June 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Location
Board Of Trustees is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Board Of Trustees' Monthly Meeting
Time: Jan 21, 2025 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every month on the Third Tue, until Jul 15, 2025, 7 occurrence(s)
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Monthly: https://mlkcs-org.zoom.us/meeting/tZUtceuspj4rE9EDOb1Jb9cCQnlV6cB4xnsU/ics?icsToken=DJg3TlA-lP3MTwL-RAAALAAAALtkhqUJuIdSD2TC0FFQDNrxO54voBrhE0rGost3OL_O-FTjFMSLn9mjXej4pWBwWPmEgr1A5b8VBl76-zAwMDAwMQ&meetingMasterEventId=eppMBExJSECSI11CdolQ9Q
Join Zoom Meeting
https://mlkcs-org.zoom.us/j/81062485195?pwd=DKrpa7OhazdCK8mmnDJ1C0fLlgoVVy.1
Meeting ID: 810 6248 5195
Passcode: 422412
---
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,81062485195#,,,,*422412# US (New York)
+13017158592,,81062485195#,,,,*422412# US (Washington DC)
---
Dial by your location
• +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 253 205 0468 US
Meeting ID: 810 6248 5195
Passcode: 422412
Find your local number: https://mlkcs-org.zoom.us/u/kezWTFztIm
Trustees Present
Alton Jones (remote), Darren James (remote), Denise Pagan-Vega (remote), Diana Foskett (remote), Donna Carroll (remote), James Lightfoot (remote), Kiyota Garcia (remote), Nealon Jayne-Lewis (remote), Sherard Johnson (remote), Teremar Rodriguez-Vazquez (remote)
Trustees Absent
Bertha Wecher
Guests Present
Kendra Salvador (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Executive Director's Report to the Board
A.
Executive Director's Report to the Board
Presenter: Kendra Salvador
Discussion Summary:
Academics:
- End-of-year data shows continued growth in achievement.
- Notable gains in literacy and proficiency across grades.
- Attendance averaged 94%, up from 93.2% last year.
Discipline & Culture:
- First cohort trained in Responsive Classroom strategies.
- Code of Conduct under revision to align with restorative practices.
- Ongoing review of discipline data helped inform interventions.
- Year-end suspensions total 350, with analysis showing improvement from prior years.
Enrollment & Staffing:
- Enrollment at full capacity (350), with waitlists in all grades.
- New principal hired; will begin July 1.
- Only two teaching positions remain open.
- OT position filled with strong AIC candidate.
Community & Operations:
- Engagement with Somali Bantu community initiated.
- Participated in community events (e.g., pancake breakfast).
- Summer cleaning and tech upgrades underway.
Reporting & Compliance:
- Charter renewal application and annual report in progress.
- Undergoing tiered monitoring reviews for SPED, ESL, and grants.
- Audit engagement letter prepared and ready for board approval.
B.
Engagement Letter for Auditors
Presenter: Kendra Salvador
- Discussion Summary: Audit engagement letter presented (identical to prior year; single audit)
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| Denise Pagan-Vega |
Aye
|
| Teremar Rodriguez-Vazquez |
Aye
|
| Nealon Jayne-Lewis |
Aye
|
| James Lightfoot |
Aye
|
| Bertha Wecher |
Absent
|
| Donna Carroll |
Aye
|
| Sherard Johnson |
Aye
|
| Diana Foskett |
Aye
|
| Kiyota Garcia |
Aye
|
| Alton Jones |
Aye
|
| Darren James |
Aye
|
III. Committee Updates
A.
Academic Excellence
Presenter: Kendra Salvador
Discussion Summary:
- Academic Excellence Committee did not meet due to technical difficulties with Zoom
- By the time the issue was identified, most participants had dropped off the call
- A slide deck with academic data was updated and included in the meeting materials
- Compliance Alert: Diana reminded committees that agendas and minutes must be posted publicly via BoardOnTrack, especially with charter renewal on the horizon
B.
Finance Committee
Discussion Summary:
- Strong Financial Standing: Continued surplus and conservative budgeting
- Banking Issues: Concern raised about low-interest returns from Berkshire Bank
- Action Items:
- Kendra to retrieve loan documents
- Reach out to Berkshire for better investment options
- Compare offers from Monson Savings and Peoples Bank
- Commentary: Darren James highlighted the stronger community presence and partnership interest shown by Peoples and Monson over Berkshire
C.
HR Committee
Presenter: Kendra Salvador
- Summary: The HR Committee will meet on June 26
- Over the summer, the committee is focused on reviewing and updating the employee handbook in collaboration with Kendra and staff
- Any proposed policy or handbook changes will be presented at the next board meeting for a vote
IV. Other Business
A.
Discussion of Remote Board Issues
Speakers: Teremar Rodriguez-Vazquez and Diana Day Foskett
Summary:
- The board confirmed there are no outstanding issues related to remote participation
- This agenda item is now considered resolved and will be removed from future agendas until 2027
B.
Discuss Summer Retreat
Presenter: Teremar Rodriguez-Vazquez
Summary:
- The annual Board Retreat is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM, to be held in person at the school
- The retreat will focus on:
- Committee work
- Planning goals for the upcoming school year
- Establishing the meeting cadence
- Reviewing and approving reports due by August 1
- The retreat will also include a formal board meeting to vote on any necessary items before the start of the school year
- No separate board meeting is planned for August unless urgent approval is needed
- Attendance is expected from all board members, and an email will be sent out to confirm availability
- Food and light entertainment will be provided
- Board On Track will be invited to participate—either in person or remotely—for training and onboarding support, especially for new board members
- Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops/devices to access Board On Track and come prepared with questions
June 17, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes