River Valley Charter School
Minutes
Executive Committee meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday February 7, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Location
River Valley Charter School, 2 Perry Way, Newburyport, MA. In the Great Room, Middle School.
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.
The mission of River Valley Charter School is to provide a rigorous academic program based on the Montessori philosophy and rooted in the history, culture, and ecology of the Merrimack River Valley. Students will reach their full potential as scholars and become self reliant and productive members of society. They will be adept at critical thinking and creative problem solving and will be fully prepared to succeed in future schools, careers and civic life.
Committee Members Present
A. Ting, C. Whitford, D. Herrera, E. Bradley, J. Evans
Committee Members Absent
None
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Tanya Murdy and Laura Burbine- Public
C.
Call the Meeting to Order
D.
Mid Year Director review
Staff one sent out to 16 selected by JLE-- all but one have completed DUE 2/9/2024
All member of the board have received survey-- COMPLETION DATE 2/14/2024
2 members have completed so far
Reminder that COT handed back the responsibility of the directors-- Mid year director review w/ EC 5:45 Director review w/ EC at RVCS
E.
Financial Update
CW- mid year 70,000 below budget mostly due to state level; expense budget coming in
Surplus position of + 6 months
Ground Re-design Project- State legislators here and were in support of helping us advocate for lease/payment for parking for teachers at the Amory
F.
Board Business
COT update---
- recruitment is underway-- google doc within COT
- Board Retreat planning large topic at last meeting-- 100% attendance is the goal looking at 5/18, 5/19
- succession planning for EC needs to be address
- Application for new BOT members are due in April
Accountability Family Survey--
- April is the goal
Health and Wellness--
DH-- What is the school doing in response to infection ds spread? two E1 classes have had 1 cases
JLE-- Checked in school MD to make sure that this spike is not isolated to RVCS, he confirms that there has been a community uptick?
18 kids out today; 45 kids out one day last month (Tuesday).
EB-- asked what deep cleaning protocol is?
JLE will look into what the protocol is as she knows we have one, but unsure what the details of is.
G.
Set Agenda for Board Meeting
1. Board Expectations
2. Montessori Minute
3. Committee Roles & Responsibilities- Review and approve
4. Peabody Essex Museum-- look back if people went
5. Add Charter Approval
6. New Accountability Plan
H.
Director Update
School Lunch Program Update-- federally funded lunch program (63 responses from the school family via currant will be going out
Superintendent Checklist: SIMS March, Charter Specific Data Mid Feb (3)
School Calendar 24/25-- approve August 27th first day (one day earlier than last year);
Early Release days draft has 17 Wednesday slated for release at 1:30 so 1 and 3rd Wednesdays w/ September and February-- proposed last day w/o snow days is June 13th
Charter Renewal
Tanya Murdy-- wondering if the school is taking an increased look at how to disinfect given the marked rise in infectious ds spread.
Laura Burbine- Concerned about marked rise in numbers of illness.