The Board Chair shared a proposal for a new committee at KIPP MA as we consider expansion: Growth Committee. 

She shared the purpose and the members that would be part of the Committee: Stephanie Pierre-Louis and Paul Ketterer (with support from Steve Pizzimenti, Jesse Fetbroth and Zachary Trotsky).

She made space for questions and for people to share suggestions. 

A Board member shared he was strongly in favor. Another Board member shared that they hope as many Board and Committee members can be involved as schedules allow as possible. 

We will be bringing on a new member to the People Committee. 

Our Chief Finance and Talent Officer shared headlines on the audit. We were able to meet goals in both districts and have a clean audit for the 6th year in a row. 

He shared outcomes for the last several years. It would be beneficial to have more cash in Lynn, but we're in a secure spot. 

He shared ESSER funding by year. He also shared budgeted FTEs by year. He noted we haven't had to lay any staff off. 

A Board member asked if we have explored what it would cost under a fully insured health insurance model. Another Board member shared at their company it wasn't worth the risk of health insurance claims to be self insured.

A Board member asked if we've had an increase in students the way we've had an increase in staff. There hasn't been an increase in students. 

A member of the Finance and Facilities Committee shared that the audit was very clean. 

The Executive Director shared an update on a developing situation at KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate. 

She shared an update on our plans for expansion. She shared that public comment has officially opened and will be open through early December. 

She shared that our Chief Finance and Talent Officer will now be fully focused on Finances and will be the staff liason to the Growth Committee. The Executive Director will be overseeing Talent and HR. 

The Chief Academic Officer shared updates on our 23-24 MCAS results.

She shared results for Lynn and Boston compared to LPS and BPS and the state in Math and ELA. She also shared growth comparisons, and data for peer-matched groups (African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino and Students with Disabilities). 

She also shared updates on MLL students in Lynn and Boston. She named that we are not meeting our goals for achievement with this group of students. Our students with disabilities did outperform the sending district in ELA and Math in Lynn. 

Data for MAP was shared, as well as the student-level lifting goals for MCAS achievement. 

She named that we did not meet our ambitious lifting goals. In Boston, where students were lagging, they grew, but not as much as we hoped they would. In Lynn, student achievement decreased. 

Across the state of MA, proficiency in ELA dropped. However, it increased in Boston, so some things we're doing in Boston worked. 

She shared that we are focusing heavily on 6th graders across Lynn and Boston this year given their low achievement in Math and ELA last year.

A Board member asked why Boston has been so stubborn in comparison to Lynn. It was explained that the root causes are widely varied, but we went as all in as we've ever gone at KIPP Boston, but not until March. We are currently months ahead of where we were last year. 

The Executive Director named the impact chronic absenteeism on Boston. The impact of busing was also shared. 

A Board member asked if the current approach is working, and the KIPP MA Team shared that we believe we are taking the right course of action right now.

The strong retention at Boston was discussed, and the impact of our increased focus on literacy was discussed. 

The KIPP MA shared updates on enrollment, attrition, academics, postsecondary outcomes, staff retention and recruitment, development, finance, compliance, professional development, student sense of belonging and family engagement. 

Space was made for questions. 

The team looked at additional data for enrollment. The Executive Director discussed our current strategy for enrolling students in Lynn and Boston. 

The Managing Director of Compliance shared comparison data for suspensions and removals in Lynn and Boston. We don't yet have data for LPS and BPS. She also shared updates for our accountability plan. 

Our Chief Equity and Engagement Officer led the Board in a conversation around chronic absenteeism.