Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy
Minutes
BVP Board Meeting
Date and Time
Monday August 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Location
BVP High School - 65 Macondray St., Cumberland
The Board reserves the right to take a vote on any item listed on this agenda.
Directors Present
B. Collins, D. Garcia, L. Kizekai, L. Stack, M. Rivera
Directors Absent
J. Morton, J. Mutter, J. Souza, T. Brookshire
Guests Present
B. Dowd, J. Darveau, J. Giraldo, M. Emet, R. Boswell, S. Anderson
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes from 06/16/2025
D.
Public Comment
II. Recurring Items
A.
CEO Report
- School opens tomorrow!
- BVP High school ranked 5 of 62 High School in the state, the highest ranked open enrollment Title I School
- Federal funding has been tricky - funds were impounded at the beginning of the summer, including for programs already underway
- Fedeal allocations went down for the upcoming year and likely the year after which was not known until July
B.
CFO Report
Jake presented an overview of the CFO Report as included in the Board Packet
- Cash on hand is lower than expected due to impounding of Federal funds
- Latest S&P Rating updates
- Amended budget information
III. Previous Items
A.
Organizational Goals for 2025-2026
S. Bennetts provided an overview of academic updates and goals for the upcoming year, including:
- K-2 reading scores exceeded 2024-25 goal
- SAT & PSAT results were the strongest since 2019
- RICAS 3-6 math results are predicted to be stronger in every grade/cohort than in 2023-24
- RICAS ELA results are predicted to be up in 5th & 6th grades, with growth in every cohort since 2023-24
- Attendance was down in 2024-25, and was less than 20% chonic absenteeism, which is the lowest since pandemic. BVP is beating the state average for 3rd yr in a row.
S. Bennets also presented an additional proposed goal relative to MLL requirements and an overview of new MLL regulations, as outlined in the Board Packet.
IV. New Items
A.
Scholar and Family Handbook for 2025-2026
S. Anderson provided an overview of changes to the Scholar and Family Handbook, particularly around curriculum policies and communication with families.
The Board is requesting revisions regarding the curriculum policy to be reviewed at the next meeting.
B.
Staff Handbook for 2025-2026
J. Giraldo provided an overview of proposed changes to the staff handbook, particularly around logistical changes to payroll, time off policies, staff academic integrity and perfomrance expectations, and clarification of tech, remote work and dress code policies.
V. Executive Session
A.
Vote to enter Executive Session pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws ยง 42-46-5(a)(2) Potential Litigation
B.
Executive Session
C.
Vote to Reconvene in Open Session
D.
Report on Actions Taken in Executive Session
No votes were taken in Executive Session
No public comment