Melisa Lemire, Chair, opened the floor for discussion following the Boards recent decision to not renew the charter and surrender it to the Commonwealth effective June 30th, 2025. Lemire addressed action items amongst the Board including votes that would take place as well as the appointment of trustees responsible for ensuring the completion of the Department of Education Closing Procedures. 

Lemire directed the attention of the Board to the General School Updates. Sonya Pratt, Executive Director, provided recent School Updates following the decision of the Board to not renew the charter and surrender it to the Commonwealth effective June 30th, 2025. Pratt noted all staff were notified in person as well as via email. Pratt also noted families were provided communication via email, mail and phone call. She shared families and staff have responded well and the School held a Community Meeting for any further questions from the Community.

Pratt then gave an overview of recent and upcoming School Events, including Black History Trivia Night and Saturday MCAS Practice Testing. 

Next, the Board turned their attention to the General Finance Updates. Ted Gildea, Vice Chair and Treasurer, noted that the School remains in a financially strong position. He shared that the School continues to meet its goal for this year and the School Year 2023-2024 budget remains on track. He also shared that although changes are planned for School Year 2024-2025, the School will remain financially strong and in-depth discussions have begun amongst the Finance Committee. 

Jordan Pina, Chief Operating Officer, shared an overview of the Nutrition Department. Pina stated following a Nutrition Review the School would implement the Meal Modification Policy and ensure proper documentation for student dietary needs. Pina noted the Board must vote on a Meal Modification Policy to ensure that all meal reimbursements are properly documented and submitted for approval and reimbursement.

Melisa Lemire, Board Chair, shared the Governance Committee discussed Compliance and Board Growth in their recent meeting. Lemire emphasized the importance of Board Members staying engaged, particularly as the School approaches it's 30th School Year. Lemire shared despite efforts to reengage Board Member, Michelle Allwood, she has not been responsive or attended meetings. She prompted a motion to the Board to remove Michelle Allwood as a trustee. 

Ted Gildea, Committee Chair, shared that all financial updates were shared during the General School Updates section.

Alekz Hirschmann shared that the Academic Excellence Committee met with Laura Edouard, Principal, earlier in the week and discussed the most recent set of Academic Data. Hirschmann shared the School's passing rates increased by 8 percent, noted from Progress Reports in the second quarter. Hirschmann also shared that despite a slight dip attributed to midterms, there was significant growth in the 10th-grade class and in MAP testing. He noted the Schools efforts to align classes with the MCAS format yielded positive outcomes, especially in Math and English. He shared the School provided incentives for growth and students remained engaged and motivated, demonstrating a commitment to improvement. Hirschmann noted overall there is strong focus on student success and continued efforts for improvement into the next academic year.

Jacqueline Bennett, Committee Chair, shared that the Committee did not meet in February 2024, but that the previous meeting focused on recruitment for a successor Executive Director, which is no longer needed. She noted that moving forward the Committee will work through an extension contract for Pratt.

Finally, the Board turned its attention to the Organizational Goals Dashboard. Pratt began sharing updates focusing on educational outcomes such as passing rates and graduation projections for different classes. She shared there has been a dip in passing rates compared to the previous quarter, which is typical for midterms. However, it's noted that the performance in Science, especially Biology, had significant discrepancies between different sections. Laura Edouard, Principal, is investigating the factors contributing to these discrepancies and plans to address the issue effectively.  

Pratt stated The Class of 2024 is projected to have a graduation rate of 91%, indicating strong performance throughout the year. Additionally, she noted a significant portion of the class (65%) has been accepted into two or four-year post-secondary institutions.

Overall, Pratt noted the data reflects positive trends in Organizational Performance.