DESE representative Patrick Buckwalter stated that the purpose of the meeting was for DESE to evaluate three aspects of Springfield Prep: whether the school is faithful to its charter, the school’s academic success, and whether Springfield Prep is a viable organization.  Mr. Buckwalter then asked questions of the board members, and the board members discussed a number of topics relating to the functioning of the Springfield Prep board and the school itself.

There was a discussion of the school’s mission and whether the school actually aligns with its mission and achieves academic success.  Board members identified data they review to determine whether the school is operating consistent with its mission, such as measures of academic progress and the financial health of the organization.

There was a discussion of the role of the board and its relationship to the CEO and the management of the school.  Board members indicated that they engaged in governance and not day-to-day management.

Mr. Buckwalter asked about compliance with the Open Meeting Law.  Mr. Grant described the school’s processes for complying with the Open Meeting Law, and recent training that had been done for board members.  Mr. Buckwalter asked about the procedure for posting of board meeting minutes and said the link for the board minutes was not working on the school’s website. 

Mr. Buckwalter asked about how the board gathers information to fulfill its governance function.  There was a discussion of the information that flows from the CEO and from the sub-committees of the board to the full board.

Board members discussed the school’s succession plan at both the board level and for the Head of School.  There was also a discussion of the board’s consideration of the school’s goals for the school’s facility and development/fundraising.