No announcements were made.

No public comments were made.

The board reconvened from closed session at 6:55 PM and there were no reportable actions.

Board member Davis reported no actions were taken during the Fiscal Committee meeting and the committee asked detailed questions regarding the financials. He deferred the discussion to after budget is presented to the full board.

Adrienne, CEO discussed AMPS is moving forward with its charter renewal petitions and upcoming community engagement while adjusting DCA's projected enrollment and preparing for summer programming. Additionally, the network has onboarded its new Business Manager, celebrated various student and staff events, and successfully remained on top of its compliance deadlines.

Prasanth, Director of Client Finance at Charter Impact, presented the monthly financial reports, highlighting that all schools are generally operating from a position of financial strength with strong cash balances and healthy fund reserves that exceed requirements. Downtown Charter Academy is trending according to plan and operating from a very healthy position, projected to end the year with $4.735 million in net assets, representing 81.5% of total expenses, and a small surplus of $14,074. John Henry High School is projected to end the year with $1.7 million in net assets, or 26.5% of annual expenses, which is well above the 5% requirement; despite a projected year-end deficit of $123,000, which is slightly higher than the second interim due to lower state aid, its cash balance remains strong at $3.913 million. Richmond Charter Academy is moving in the right direction with a projected year-end deficit of $190,000, which is lower than previously budgeted, and the school maintains a healthy year-end cash projection of $3.090 million, enough to cover roughly 7 months of expenses. At Benito Juarez Elementary, revenue and expenses are moving in line and trending better against the budget than expected, with a projected year-end surplus of $26,111, a fund balance of $3.145 million or 35%, and an excellent cash reserve capable of sustaining 7 months of operations. Finally, Oakland Charter Academy is facing an increased year-end deficit of $456,000 driven by lower-than-expected average daily attendance and lower state funding, but the school remains highly resilient, boasting $4.743 million in net assets, which represents 120% of annual expenses, and a massive cash balance projected at $4.977 million, sufficient to cover 15 months of expenses.

Board member Liz said during the fiscal committee meeting, the committee highlighted two main issues affecting the budget: lower than projected ADA and late invoices from prior year vendors. To address these, the committee recommended utilizing a rolling average of historic figures for more conservative ADA forecasting while prioritizing the reduction of chronic absenteeism, and they questioned the future use of consistently late vendors.

Board member Jorge requested a deeper analysis of how fluctuating ADA numbers impact the budget, and he asked for clarification on what the terms "cash position" and "cash balance" precisely mean in this financial context.

Board Chair Rodolfo requested a reflective presentation on their strategies to improve chronic absenteeism, specifically detailing what initiatives were tried, what will be done differently next year, and what the upcoming plan looks like.

Prasanth presented the preliminary 2026-2027 budget projections for multiple schools, utilizing a standard 2.87% COLA and prioritizing long-term financial right-sizing to yield growing surpluses and healthy fund balances in the out-years. For Downtown Charter Academy, Benito Juarez Elementary, and John Henry High School, the models project steady surpluses, stable or modestly growing enrollments, and strong cash positions with year-end fund balances scaling well above initial baselines. In contrast, while Richmond Charter Academy is running operationally lean and expects a surplus in the immediate 2026-2027 year, large depreciation charges are driving projected deficits in the following out-years; however, management is actively exploring pathways to mitigate this decline, and the school maintains a strong, growing cash position to meet its forward obligations.

Adrienne, CEO clarified that the depreciation at Richmond Charter Academy is tied to the property build-out, leading leadership to consider options like reducing the management fee to address the financial impact.

Board Chair Rodolfo questioned whether they should be more conservative and reduce the projected attendance rate at John Henry High School down, while also requesting a clearer picture of what the actual enrollment numbers look like for the upcoming year.

Board member Liz noted that the committee elected to use a rolling average for the forecast, but she was unsure whether that figure ended up being higher or lower than the actual P2 attendance results.

Mary, Senior Director of Student Services and Special Education announced that the board is conducting a public hearing to allow community feedback on the proposed LCAP and annual budget before its final adoption in June. Developed using input gathered from students, families, staff, and stakeholders, the three-year plan outlines specific school goals, actions, services, and expenditures to address both state and local priorities. Across all schools, the LCAP focuses on three core goals: aligning instruction with rigorous academic standards to improve test scores, boosting parent and community engagement, and fostering safe, inclusive environments that support student social-emotional health.

Public hearing was opened for Downtown Charter Academy. No public comments were made.

Mary shared that John Henry High School shares the same three core LCAP goals, with a specific focus on building infrastructure to combat chronic absenteeism and improve student attendance processes. She highlighted positive trends, including an increased sense of student belonging, decreased suspension rates, and fewer high-visibility campus incidents. Moving forward, the school will emphasize proactive Student Attendance Review Team work, Tier 1 classroom implementations, leveled instructional coaching, and the consistent analysis of data and student work.

Public hearing was opened for John Henry High School. No public comments were made.

Mary shared that Oakland Charter Academy is successfully meeting growth targets for 64% of its English language learners and fostering a collaborative environment through transparent parent communication. To address areas needing improvement, the school is re-evaluating math intervention strategies and teacher office hours, intensifying family engagement and student incentives to combat chronic absenteeism, and strengthening restorative practices to reverse a recent increase in student suspensions.

Public hearing was opened for Oakland Charter Academy. No public comments were made.

Mary reported that Richmond Charter Academy staff feel highly supported through weekly live coaching and frequent professional development, while student agency has grown through a new Student Government Association that recently raised $2,200 to fund school incentives. To build on this collaborative culture, the school will continue to prioritize teacher recruitment and retention, refine its instructional coaching systems to target student achievement gaps, and emphasize small-group, data-driven curriculum implementation.

Public hearing was opened for Richmond Charter Academy. No public comments were made.

Mary highlighted that Benito Juarez Elementary uses iReady and AIMSweb data to drive precise, small-group interventions for student growth while supporting staff through weekly live coaching and individualized professional growth plans. She noted that the school has built a collaborative culture using transparent parent communication and high-impact events like an upcoming carnival, an SBAC testing parade, and "Danish with Dads." Moving forward, the school's primary areas of focus will include reducing chronic absenteeism, refining instructional coaching and scaffolding systems to target gaps in ELA and math, and sustaining curriculum alignment to meet state standards.

Public hearing was opened for Richmond Charter Elementary - Benito Juarez. No public comments were made.

Marisol, Senior Director of Operations provided a network-wide enrollment update, noting that as of May 8th, there were 480 accepted offers and a projected total network enrollment of 1,498 students across BJE, RCA, JHHS, and DCA. She highlighted that 9th-grade enrollment is the main area of struggle where most declined offers are concentrated, prompting the network to launch targeted digital marketing campaigns and conduct family exit interviews to address concerns like facilities, transportation, and IEP supports.

Board Chair Rodolfo expressed appreciation for the enrollment snapshot and requested that the team return in June with an updated presentation tracking the conversion from student acceptance to final registration, alongside the findings from their root-cause analysis to help understand why middle school students on the same campus are not transferring into the high school.

Board member Jorge expressed concern that the proposed 9th grade root-cause analysis sounded too clinical, suggesting that instead of just gathering data, the network should offer substantial and attractive incentives. Such as guaranteed college admissions or pipeline preferences to encourage students to stay.

Marisol shared that the network is applying for a $5 million grant through the Local Community Benefit Fund, funded by fines levied against the Valero and Chevron refineries. This is to upgrade HVAC and ventilation systems at Richmond Charter Academy, Benito Juarez, and John Henry High School to improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency.

Marisol, shared that Downtown Charter Academy needs to replace several restroom partitions and install proper vinyl flooring, partnering with Kya under the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS). The proposed project involves replacing 13 toilet compartments (along with an additional 6) for a total quoted price of $71,166.

Sally, HR Coordinator presented a Declaration of Need for fully qualified educators for the 2026-2027 school year to be submitted to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This document requests authorizations for general limited assignments, CLAD permits, and English Language Learner authorizations to ensure teacher credential compliance at John Henry High School. Sally also shared a quick recap of their progress, noting that three teachers recently completed their CTEL programming, others are currently in progress, and one teacher has successfully added a credential to their general assignment.

Board Chair Rodolfo stated that he would vote to approve the current item but requested a comprehensive teacher credentialing report for their June meeting so the board can see a clear picture of staff credentialing progress moving forward.

Mary shared Get Empowered program for DCA that will provide summer enrichment activities including fitness, martial arts, visual arts, graffiti arts, and theater. This high-quality programming aligns with the Expanded Learning Program for students at an estimated cost of $12,700.

Adrienne is requesting that the board reschedule the June 15th meeting to either June 9th or June 11th due to upcoming travel conflicts for herself and several SLT members.

Adrienne asked the board if they want a meeting or retreat in July and if they wish to continue scheduling their standing board meetings on the third Thursday with some exception dates for 2026-2027.

The board decided to not hold a meeting in July and stated that their standing board meetings on the third Thursday will suffice. They said to bring the Board Meeting Calendar for approval in the June board meeting. 

Adrienne requested board approval for a 3% COLA across the board for all staff employed on or before March 1, 2026. This proposed 3% increase slightly exceeds the 2.87% COLA originally proposed by the governor.

Board chair Rodolfo asked about the total financial impact of the proposal.

Adrienne noted that a specific dollar amount is not available but is already accounted for in the preliminary budget.

Adrienne proposed a contract with Lead Liberated that is funded primarily by CCFPP funds. This contract includes an additional four to five sessions. She requested board authorization to negotiate the final agreement up to $170,000. The continuation of the contract is followed by a desire from the organization to deepen its partnership and fully integrate their deans of instruction throughout the year.

Adrienne presented a delayed College Board invoice from the 2024-2025 fiscal year for AP tests administered at Oakland Charter High School. She requested board approval to officially settle the payment.

Adrienne presented the organization's tax return, noting that its extended due date was the following day. She stated that both the internal team and Charter Impact had reviewed the figures without any adjustments, and she asked the board to accept the report.

Adrienne presented a talent acquisition update focused on increasing hiring efficiency and reducing vacancies across AMPS. The network currently has 32 open roles but maintains a strong pipeline with 444 active candidates and over 400 re-engaged applicants from the previous school year. To accelerate hiring, their strategy utilizes the Teach Start Fellows program, strategic internal transfers, and tailored site-level workflows to consistently convert pipeline candidates into active hires.

Board member Liz asked for a rough breakdown of the current staffing vacancies by role type, such as teachers versus instructional support staff, and is clarifying whether the 32 open roles represent a stagnant number or a continuous influx of new job postings.