Pinnacles Prep Charter School
Minutes
Monthly Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday April 15, 2026 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, Flora Fernandez (remote), Josh Castro, Nate McClennen (remote), Rick Wray, Rosa Pulido (remote)
Trustees Absent
None
Guests Present
Gary Keeler, Jill Fineis, Jonathan Houston (remote), Lisa Aqabal, 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
No request for public comment.
III. Know Our People, Know Our Programs
A.
Guest Staff Speaker (School Nurse) - Lisa Marie Aqabal
Lisa, School Nurse, introduced herself to the board to share about her background and work at Pinnacles Prep.
Lisa believes in Pinnacles Prep's mission and enjoys working with our student population. Her background includes working in colleges, residential health, and psychiatric health.
Lisa noted the differences from the charter school her children formally attended in Portland, Oregon, mentioning that Pinnacles is far more inclusive and diverse.
She shared about her work screening scholars for anxiety and depression, which has led to services for students who otherwise may not have received it.
Lisa has also provided sexual health education to students.
She said the top 5 reasons scholars see the nurse for middle school are:
1. Hand injuries
2. Headaches with no injury, often due to dehydration, lack of sleep, or anxiety
3. Leg injuries
4. Nausea and vomiting
5. Menstrual cramps
Top 5 reasons for high school are:
1. Menstrual crams
2. Leg injuries
3. Stomach and abdominal pain
4. Case management
5. Substance use
Lisa also noted that 4% of scholars are administered ADHD medication.
IV. Critical Issue Discussion
A.
Student Enrollment and Monthly Attendance Report
Sara shared details on the student enrollment. 2 scholars that recently left have returned, and 1 more scholar will be returning as well. We are currently 5 scholars under our budgeted enrollment.
Regarding applications, we have 15 registered for 6th grade.
Attendance is improving in middle school but high school continues to trend downwards. The board and staff discussed different incentives or ideas to improve attendance, but agreed to prioritize focusing on what the root of the issue is. Disaggregating attendance data, such as differentiating between illness and suspension, from overall attendance was suggested.
Tardy data is improving.
Jill provided an overview of a proposed enrollment model adjustment to better meet the needs of our school. This proposal would reduce enrollment from 60 scholars per grade to 30 scholars, which administration feels is right-sizing our school to meet the needs of scholars.
B.
Academic Data Presentations
Gary shared that this year's internship was highly successful, and students and businesses alike were deepy engaged.
Regarding academic progress, Lexia data is improving. IXL data is also showing continual steady growth.
V. Committee Reports
A.
Finance
Josh 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: Green
- Expenditures to Date: Green
- Cash on Hand: Red
- Currently below 60 days cash (39 days)
The color-coded statuses reflect areas of strength and those requiring continued monitoring.
B.
Development Committee
Jill shared the following amounts for donations and grants to-date:
- Number of Individual Gifts received YTD: $48,793.73
- Grants received YTD: $22,267
Jill asked the board to consider increased in engagement in fundraising over the coming year and suggested we have a discussion in a future board meeting to plan for this.
C.
Academic Excellence
Rick asked the board to complete school leader evaluation's for the school CEO and COO, which he shared over email with the board today.
Nate shared plans for next steps to begin work for the ad hoc curriculum review committee.
D.
Governance
Rick reminded board members to complete the F1 financial filing with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Rick also noted that we will soon be reviewing terms for existing board members and officer positions, as well as strategies for new board member recruitment.
Rick will soon term out and asked the board to begin considering or recruiting a Vice Chair who can take over Chair when he leaves the board.
VI. Additional Business
A.
Additional Business and Important Upcoming Dates
Rick reminded the board about the Loteria World Record Event on April 24th, 4 to 10:30pm at the Convention Center in Wenatchee.
Blake shared that State Rep. Andrew Engell will be visiting Pinnacles Prep to meet students and staff on Friday morning.
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 $143,318.94 are also approved.
General Fund
Accounts Payable
Total electronic payments totaling $259,456.22 and Check number N/A through N/A totaling $0
Non-AP Cash Disbursements
Total electronic payments totaling $573.11 and Check numbers 3021 and 3023 totaling $761.35
Payroll
Total electronic payments totaling $143,318.94 and Payroll check numbers N/A totaling $0