Kate Scott of KNS Consulting presented the findings of the bi‑annual Board Audit of the River Valley Charter School Board of Trustees.

Audit Scope

Ms. Scott explained that the audit included trustee interviews, observation of board and committee meetings, and review of governing documents, meeting minutes, surveys, and DESE materials.

3. Summary of Findings

Ms. Scott highlighted the following areas of strength:

• Trustee commitment and professional expertise
• Strong financial oversight, including regular Finance Committee review and a recent clean audit
• Improved board practices, including the use of Board on Track, clear agendas, and a consent agenda
• Growing use of academic data through the Accountability Committee

Ms. Scott also identified areas for improvement, including:

• Board alignment and clarity between governance and management roles
• Absence of a formal Executive Director evaluation process
• Lack of documented leadership succession planning
• Limited use of the strategic plan in guiding board work
• Upcoming board turnover and consistency in communication with the school community

4. Compliance and Board Operations

Ms. Scott noted that the board is generally compliant with bylaws and Open Meeting Law requirements, with meetings properly posted and minutes publicly available.
She recommended consolidating public comment into a single period at board meetings and providing training on the appropriate use of Executive Session.

5. Leadership Structure

Ms. Scott indicated that senior leadership capacity and structure at the school has implications for governance effectiveness and emphasized the board’s role in supporting the Executive Director in establishing a clearly defined and fully staffed leadership structure.

6. Board Composition and Committee Structure

Ms. Scott raised considerations regarding board composition, including the proportion of current parents serving as trustees, and noted that the Committee on Trustees is the appropriate body for further review of this topic.

Ms. Scott recommended discontinuing the Grievance Committee and instead strengthening school‑level complaint procedures with appropriate board oversight.

7. Recommendations and Next Steps

Ms. Scott outlined near‑term and longer‑term governance recommendations for the board’s consideration, including:

• Establishing a formal Executive Director evaluation process
• Documenting leadership and officer succession planning
• Strengthening board training, onboarding, and ongoing education

The Committee discussed prioritizing these recommendations and bringing selected items forward to the full Board for review and possible action.