• Bill shared that the school received an unconditional five-year charter renewal, which is an excellent result the entire school community should be proud of.
• He noted that the Board's engagement and oversight was reviewed very positively.
• Robert expressed satisfaction with the renewal results.
• The next step is to rewrite the accountability plan for the next five years.  We will go through a process of drafting this plan and getting preliminary approval from DESE and then will bring it to the Board for approval.
• The new charter will run from July 1, 2025 to June 2030.

Bill discussed federal policy changes regarding immigration and shared that the school drafted a precautionary plan for any potential ICE enforcement at school.  The Attorney General and Department of Education provided guidance on the issue and the School engaged its counsel to develop the policy.

The school created a new ICE Policy and Protocol and updated its directory information policy, which is included in our Student & Family Handbook.  Bill and Bob discussed the school's policy on interactions with ICE and confirmed that the school would comply with judicial warrants.  Bill noted that in the event ICE was present on campus, he would immediately contact the school's counsel.  He explained that he has trained staff on these protocols and communicated these protocols to families.  The committee agreed with these actions.

Sherriff raised a broader question about staying informed on state and federal policy updates that could affect the school, and suggested a standing item at board meetings.  Bill agreed and will plan to do this.  

Bill noted that a committee vote on the policy changes was not needed but that he will ask the board to vote to ratify these policy updates at its next meeting.

Bill and Garth discussed the steps they are taking to address any conflict of interest due to the fact that Bill's wife and Garth are shareholders at the same law firm.  Based on the advice of the school's counsel, Garth will recuse himself from discussions about Bill's evaluation, compensation, and the annual budget.  The school will submit the attached 23(b)(3) disclosure form to DESE, which is the board's appointing authority.  

Bill gave an update on his strategic priorities for the upcoming year, which are a continuation of last year's priorities.  They include strengthening the school's fundraising program, launching an alumni support program, and succession planning for senior leaders. 

• He noted the importance of organizational goals such as student performance, workforce satisfaction, and student and family engagement. 
• The committee was supportive of these priorities.  Bob emphasized the importance of tracking graduate performance.
• Bill shared that it has been challenging to launch a new program with limited capacity while maintaining focus on core school programs.  He shared that this has been more challenging than expected given that we have less staff capacity than we planned to have at the beginning of the year.  He shared that the school is projecting less on personnel spending due to an open senior position, but has brought on a consultant to add some capacity. 
• He shared that he is working to establish a legal framework for the program and minimize legal fees.  He also shared that he is planning to hire someone next year to staff the program
• He also mentioned that Meghan is interested in coming back more full-time, which could add more capacity. 
• Bill shared an opportunity to consider expansion, an idea he was recently approached about.  The committee discussed how this could relate to the existing strategic plan, potential pros and cons to consider, and decided to add the topic to the April meeting to discuss further.

• Bill proposed adding an April 3rd or April 10th board meeting to remain compliant with the board bylaws.
• The meeting's structure was left undecided, with Sherriff suggesting it could be in-person or remote. 
• Bill also suggested a strategic planning meeting in May or June.  He planned to consult with Shawna Wells about facilitating the discussion.

• Bill shared information about an upcoming open meeting law training on March 11th.  Garth agreed to attend and report takeaways back to the group. 

The next meeting is scheduled for April 28th, 2025 at 12:00 PM.