River Valley Charter School

Minutes

Executive Committee meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday May 8, 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

Committee Members Absent

None

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

D. Herrera called a meeting of the Executive Committee Committee of River Valley Charter School to order on Wednesday May 8, 2024 at 7:09 PM.

C.

Succession Planning

CW-- Attended workshop board on track workshop with JLE, template offering and reviewed and Kudos given to JLE from CW that her documents were very detailed and thoughtful done as compared to templates offered 

DH-- Can the board to anything to help move the document along or to support you/JLE in doing so? 

JLE-- Nothing the board can do to support at this point. 

D.

Financial Update

Budget discussion- will continue to review budget and will send to vote for June Board meeting

YTD Financials are in a good place

E.

EC Business

Staffing for next year-- 

JLE- "still working the plan" 

Numerous assistants/co-teachers shifting 

Two open position- 

School psychologist position with be open 

Jen Ryan  T/W/Th 

 

Grounds Project Update-- 

Community Vision Event--Well attended and warm event. Very cool to see kids and family together in more of a community volunteer 

Copley and Wolfe have been easy to work with next meeting anticipate at Mill 77 w/ 2 -3 design for final approval 

Meeting with foundational donor (nonprofits and come from communities, families, or corporations)

Founders Lunch and Invite into school for COL 

 

On going pond stuff-

A sewage pipe was discovered that runs a narrow length front of the property that the town owns 

 

5/21-- On boarding a new Leader Webinar DH would like as many board members as possible to attend 

DESE and Mass charter aware of leadership change 

 

Annual Report due 7/31-- required board vote v. best practice to have board vote. Do we need a July Board meeting  

 

June meeting will be when we vote on Officer Slate thus making it the Annual Meeting and potentially discuss committee goal or get primed to do them 

 

Looking forward to next year -

leadership position next year-- Need/Open clerk/secretary position, EB stepping down 

Treasurer, Vice Chair and Chair have expressed interest to remain in their EC position but other BOT members may also run for those positions 

 

Accountability Committee needs a lot of support going into next year as there will be changes to parent survey, dashboard creation and other heavy lifts. Consideration of Co-chairs discussed. 

 

 

 

 

F.

Set Agenda for Board Meeting

Agenda for next week's BOT agenda reviewed. 

 

II. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 7:58 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
D. Herrera