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River Valley Charter School

Board Meeting

Published on June 26, 2026 at 5:34 PM EDT

Date and Time

Tuesday June 30, 2026 at 6:00 PM EDT

Location

Middle School Great Room

River Valley Charter School welcomes your participation at Board meetings. The purpose of a public meeting of the Board of Trustees (“Board”) is to conduct the affairs of the organization in public. Your participation assures us of continuing community interest in our school and assists the Board in making the best decisions for our school. To assist you in the ease of speaking/participating in our meetings, guidelines are provided at the bottom of this agenda. All materials for all board and committee meetings, are available on our Board on track public portal found at rivervalleycharter.org.

 

 

Agenda

Section Number Topic Number Details Purpose Presenter Time
I. Opening Items 6:00 PM
  A. Record Attendance   Jonathan Nickerson 1 m
  B. Call the Meeting to Order   Tanya Murdy
  C. Public Comment Discuss Tanya Murdy 15 m
   
  • 3 minutes each
  • 5 speakers 
  
  D. Review Trustee Code of Conduct   Tanya Murdy 1 m
     
II. Approve Previous Board Minutes 6:17 PM
  A. Approve Minutes Approve Minutes Tanya Murdy 1 m
    Minutes for Board Meeting on June 17, 2026  
III. Director's Update 6:18 PM
  A. Director's Report-Joey Gustafson Discuss Joey Gustafson 20 m
   
  • Updates
  • Summer goals

 

  
IV. Interim Executive Director 6:38 PM
  A. Interim Executive Director vote Vote Tanya Murdy 5 m
   

Formally vote on Joey Gustafson as Interim Executive Director for the 2026-2027 school year. 

Contract remains the same. 

  
V. Executive Director Search 6:43 PM
  A. Executive Director Search Discuss Tanya Murdy 10 m
   

Discuss process and committee. 

 

  
VI. Board of Trustee 2026-2027 Planning 6:53 PM
  A. Planning Discuss Tanya Murdy 15 m
   
  • Committee Selection 
  • Committee meeting dates
    • COT/Exec: Wednesdays
    • Development: Tuesdays
    • Finance: Monthly Zoom and Quarterly in person
    • Accountability: 
  • Discuss Board of Trustees meeting date: 4th Wednesday of the month.
  
VII. Exectuive Committee 7:08 PM
  A. DESE Complaint FYI Tanya Murdy 5 m
   

DESE complaint stating lack of board oversight in regard to PBE. 
 

The Department has carefully reviewed your concerns. However, the alleged changes in

the PBE program do not affect the Charter School’s ability to carry out its mission to

“provide a rigorous academic program based on the Montessori philosophy and rooted

in the history, culture, and ecology of the Merrimack River Valley” and provide students

with the key design elements of the charter, which include “educational program based

on the Montessori philosophy; elements of the curriculum rooted in the history, culture,

and ecology of the Merrimack River Valley; and critical thinking and problem solving.” As

you have not alleged that the Charter School has failed to implement a material term of

its charter, you have not alleged a violation of M.G.L. c. 71 §89(w) or its implementing

regulations under 603 CMR 1.00 that the Department has the authority to investigate.

The Department appreciates your outreach on behalf of your student and all other

students at the Charter School. To address your concerns, you may wish to consider

contacting the Charter School Office at charterschools@mass.gov.As of the date of this letter, this complaint is closed, and the Department will not take

further action on this complaint.


 

  
     
  B. Year In Review Discuss Tanya Murdy 5 m
   
  • Transitioned board leadership
  • Transitioned executive director leadership
  • External board audit: focus on systems and structures.  More focus on managing through process and data. 
  
  C. DESE Letter to Board Discuss Tanya Murdy 5 m
   

Board to focus on upholding the charter and governance process. 

"...act in the best interests of the school rather than in the interests of any individual, group, or outside organization."

 

Use DESE's Criterion 9 as a roadmap to guide us moving forward. 

Effective governance is not optional—it is a condition of maintaining the school's charter.

 

Action Items: 

  • Leadership training at Alnoba-8/28/26 (time TBD ~9am-3pm)
  • OML training with legal (TBD this summer)
  • Onboarding with Kate Scott (tentatively 9/12/26)-all current trustees welcome for a refresher
  • Maintain a clear distinction between governance and management

 

  
     
VIII. Accountability 7:23 PM
  A. Year in Review Discuss Albert Ting 5 m
     
IX. Development 7:28 PM
  A. Year in Review Discuss Elizabeth Rankin 5 m
X. Committee on Trustees 7:33 PM
  A. THANK YOU! Discuss Jonathan Nickerson 10 m
   

We extend our sincere gratitude for their dedication, time, expertise, and commitment to the mission of River Valley Charter School.

 

  • Albert Ting
  • Chris Whitford
  • Denise Herrera
  • Elizabeth Rankin
  • Erin Bradley
  • Patti Ganley
  
  B. New Trustees FYI Tanya Murdy 5 m
   

Onboarded in DESE BMMS system--should be approved by 7/1/26

  • Alex Tsonas
  • Alison Salerno
  • Beth Friedman
  • Daniel Candelario
  • Farrell Boghos
  • Jon Ellen (faculty rep)
  • Meredith Makin
  • Tyler Chaisson
  
  C. Thank you, Trustees! FYI Tanya Murdy 2 m
   

As we close out 2025-2026, we have navigated unchartered territory, rough seas, made tough decisions but remained the course--unwavering focus on our mission.  Thank you for the countless hours, meetings, committee work and dedication to RVCS.  

  
XI. Closing Items 7:50 PM
  A. Board Meeting Survey FYI Tanya Murdy 1 m
   

https://app2.boardontrack.com/surveyForm/show/1163

  
  B. Adjourn Meeting Vote

THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the order of consideration of matters on this agenda may be changed without prior notice.

REASONABLE LIMITATIONS MAY BE PLACED ON PUBLIC TESTIMONY The Board Chair reserves the right to impose reasonable time limits on public testimony to ensure that the agenda is completed.