JGiles showed appreciation for the school and how much one of her children benefitted from their attendance. 

The full Director's Report appears in the board packet. Time was allowed for further discussion.

ERankin: Do we have any concerns about maintenance or the building? KKuse - We are trying to find the source of a few leaks in the roof. We're getting a new phone system.

DHerrera - Preliminary MCAS results are coming in June, is there a plan to review those earlier than the usual October. Perhaps approach faculty that we have the data in June. How can we leverage this? 

Grounds Update - 

The work is permitted and ready to roll. Got through Conservation Committee and no longer are required  to remove phragmites. The ponds are man made detention ponds. NBPT City Council voted to approve the $150 from CPA. They also agreed to the rescoping of the project. 

The requirements of the agreement and requests of ConCom are listed in the Director's Report. Note of change in report: We do NOT have to remove the phragmites. 

DHerrera - Mentions that there is a very specific bidding process that we must follow.

The Board is in support of accepting the $150K from CPA. We will have a meeting next week for an official vote. May 5, 5 pm.

KKuse will get foundation approval to make the easement. 

DMitchell - Are there other big programatic changes for next year? KKuse - We are most likely dismantling the Place Based Education program. 

DHerrera -  What is the rationale? KKuse - The change of administration and finances The school needs a reset. It needs to cut some of the extra and to focus on Montessori. While there has been a degree of support for PBE, there is a larger degree of concern. 

DMitchell - It sounds like we have run at a surplus for four years, we are not in a financial constraint. I also take issue that the school needs a reset. The school is not broken.

ERankin - Would advocate for the school to find a way for children to be outside and exploring the mission of the school.

NDurkee - Even as a parent whose child loved PBE, I support a direction that is more Montessori and your vision. All classes will still have the opportunity to do creative things outside of the classrooms.

CWhitford - Do you see an increase in things like field trips?

KKuse - The kids need to be outside and they need continuity. They also need a full work cycle. 

ESimone - From a perspective of someone who was here before PBE, the learning was a shell of what it could have been. We need to step away from using PBE as a selling point of the school.

CGetz- As a founder, one of the things that attracted us was the Montessori principle of Going Out. To get out into the community and learn or take what you've learned in the classroom and put it into practical use. But it has always been a juggling act because different teachers approach it differently. I want to make sure that you aren't driven by parents, that you are driven by Montessori method.

DMitchell - Recommends having a plan for the shift before dismantling the program.

KKuse - We are working on a plan for field trips and exploring the idea of the kids raising chickens here. 

ATing - Recommends moving this conversation to next month so that we can put it on the agenda. Also, this is a management decision.

Finance Committee - Nothing in addition to the earlier Salary Line Item Vote.

JNickerson - Metrics for the dashboard. 

Time in the meeting for people to huddle up and let us know what metrics you are going to use for tracking in the future. 

Trustees split into the Committees to talk about their metrics for approximately 10 minutes.

Requests that the results of the discussions be emailed within a week so that they can be compiled at the next COL meeting.

ATing - Now that you've had time to think about it, please communicate your interest in leadership positions in the next week.

ERankin - Added a June meeting. We need to look at planning for next year and the annual fund.

Year to Date - Annual fund 25K, almost 20K through the Readathon. This is better than we've done in the past. 

We will have more sophisticated software (Donor Perfect) for building and tracking relationships and fund raising efforts in the future.

ESimone- Our last accountability committee was to revisit the dashboard mock up. 

First pass - attainable KPIs.

Attendance, student retention, faculty, etc.

Made good progress on agenda items and is giving members their time back. Last meeting will be in June.

We have a few slots open still. 

BMacQuade shared the rubric for the COLs so that Trustees had the background going into the COLs. She shared what to expect from a COL and the structure of the presentation.

It is the capstone of River Valley. It is the culmination of everything they've done, they analyze their learning style, their influences, how they've handled challenges.

CWhitford shared a synopsis of a MCPSA webinar that discussed Charter School Viability.

There is a call to action as there are a lot of concerns about things that could impact charter schools in the future. They mainly circle State and Federal Government and bills that have recently been introduced. 

Changes in the DESE board. There is concern that some appointments of people who are anti charter school. MCPSA wants advocacy from the charter schools to reach out to the Governor's office. It was made clear that they don't want school resources being used for these actions. 

The overall context was alarmist. There are definitely indicators of concern.