Pinnacles Prep Charter School
Minutes
Monthly Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
In Person: Pinnacles Prep Campus - Great Hall Classroom (504 S. Chelan Ave, Wenatchee)
Online Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81891729392
Board Members: Rick Wray, Blake Baldwin, Flora Fernandez, Rosa Pulido, Josh Castro, Nate McClennen
Contact: Blake Baldwin, Board Secretary
Email: blake@pinnaclesprep.org
Accessibility: This meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. Special aids and services can be made available upon advance request. Advance requests for special aids and services must be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting's start time.
Public Comment (In-Person): Members of the public wishing to comment in person should sign up using the provided sign-in sheet 10 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. You will be called on at the meeting. The Board may respond to public comment during the meeting. Members of the public wishing to provide hard copy written comments at the meeting must bring 8 copies. Ten minutes will be allocated for public comment, with the option of the Chair to allow more.
Public Comment (Virtual): Advance requests for virtual public comment or to provide written public comment electronically must be made no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting's start time. To make this request or provide a written public comment, please email Blake Baldwin at blake@pinnaclesprep.org. If you would prefer to provide oral public comment, you will be called on at the meeting. The Board may respond to public comment during the meeting. A maximum of ten minutes will be allocated for public comment, with the option of the Chair to allow more.
Small School. Big Ideas.
Pinnacles Prep Mission: We exist to cultivate curious, confident, and self-directed
students who lead and succeed in college, their careers, and their communities.
BOARD MEETING NORMS
Procedural: Follow Through on all Agreements | Be Fully Present Physically and Mentally | Start and End on Time
Behavioral: Keep Students at the Center of Our Work | Be Bold and Optimistic | Advance Justice | Put Relationships First | Assume Positive Intent
Trustees Present
Blake Baldwin (remote), Flora Fernandez (remote), Josh Castro (remote), Nate McClennen (remote), Rick Wray (remote)
Trustees Absent
Rosa Pulido
Guests Present
Gary Keeler (remote), Jill Fineis, Matt Paolini (remote), Nikolai Kostka, Sara Rolfs
I. Opening Items
A.
Welcome and Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Consent Agenda Approval
II. Public Comment Period
A.
Open Floor for Public Comments
There was no request for public comment.
III. Know Our People, Know Our Programs
A.
Faculty Special Guest
Nikolai introduced himself to the board. Nikolai teaches 6th grade science and was previously serving as a long term science substitute teacher for Pinnacles Prep High School.
In addition to science, Nikolai will be teaching a video production class which he will also be helping to design. He shared about his plans and goals for this class.
IV. Critical Issue Discussion
A.
Student Enrollment and Attendance Updates
Sara provided the board with an update on enrollment and attendance trends.
The percentage of scholars with at least 90% attendance has been trending down since the start of school.
Sara noted that we will be working with Communities In Schools, which has a strong reputation of working with schools with attendance challenges.
Sara said her next steps will be to gather attendance comparisons to last year as well as tardy data.
As for enrollment, Sara shared a pivot table that the team has been using to track budgeted versus actual enrollment.
B.
Academic Growth and Achievement Update
Gary shared a dataset outlining academic growth and achievement, including intervention to address gaps.
The data shows that there has been steady growth within all grades but 6th grade, which staff are working to identify why.
Separate to this conversation, Rick asked what future plans are for visual arts and music given the art teacher's recent notice of resignation. As for music, a Pinnacle's parent is working with staff to enhance music programming at the school.
Jill shared that there will not be a new art teacher hired this year, but two additional electives will be offered instead.
Jill said they still need to think through what the music program will look like and said she would appreciate the board's support. Blake volunteered to help as a board representative.
C.
Competency Based Learning Framework
Jill shared a presentation about Master-Based Learning. Pinnacles Prep is part of Washington State's Mastery-Based Learning Consortium Cohort.
*add more here from meeting notes
D.
ALE Affiliate Program Update
Jill shared ideas that school administrative staff have been brainstorming to establish an Alternative Learning Environment program for scholars who may have additional needs that would be better addressed in an alternative setting.
Admin staff is proposing an affiliate ALE program, which would allow scholars to take virtual courses.
The ALE policy was approved by the board in tonight's consent agenda and next steps will be to submit an application to the Charter School Commission for approval.
V. Committee Reports
A.
Finance
Matt provided a Finance Committee update, including a review of the current Financial Dashboard indicators:
- Student Recruitment Count: Green
- Public Revenue Received: Green
- Private Revenue Received: Yellow
- Expenditures to Date: Green
- Cash on Hand: Red
- Currently materially below 60 days due to levy equalization payment delay & November is a smaller State payment
The color-coded statuses reflect areas of strength and those requiring continued monitoring.
B.
Academic Excellence
Rick tabled academic excellence committee updates until January.
C.
Development Committee
Jill shared the development budget goal is $22,600 and we are 7% of the way there.
Jill also shared Pinnacles Prep has a corporate sponsorship package prepared and will begin reaching out to prospective donors in the coming weeks.
VI. Additional Business
A.
Importing Upcoming Dates
Sara noted the 7th grade exhibition is January 29th.
Jill provided a brief update on how the meeting with Rep. Burnett went the other day.
Rick asked Gary to share more about what courses will be offered for the upcoming J Term and how many scholars participated.
Gary noted there's been some weather impact that has affected how much scholars have been able to engage but the intent is in place and they are moving forward.
For the Board Minutes
The following payments as audited and certified by the auditing officer, as required by RCW 42.24.080, and those expense reimbursements claims certified, as required by RCW 42.24.090, are approved for payment. In addition, payroll payments in the amount of $147,223.79 are also approved.
General Fund
Accounts Payable
Total electronic payments totaling $154,082.56 and Check number N/A through N/A totaling $0
Non-AP Cash Disbursements
Total electronic payments totaling $1,232.59 and Check number N/A through N/A totaling $0
Payroll
Total electronic payments totaling $147,223.79 and Payroll check numbers N/A totaling $0