W. Gardner presented a draft of our Charter Renewal Application to be submitted to DESE by July 31. W. Gardner outlined the process that will occur over the course of the year as we apply for an additional 5 year term for our charter. 
C. Hicks inquired about the physical space for the new building. 

W. Gardner provided the Board with an update on the status of plans to reopen. DESE has asked all schools to prepare three plans for reopening: fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote. We will be submitting our draft plans by July 31st as requested. The final plan for reopening will be approved by the Board sometime in August. 

• We continue to test the feasibility of safely opening fully in person, but are concerned about the safety of scholars and staff. 
• Simultaneously, we are developing a hybrid model and continue to think through different ways to get our highest needs scholars in the building along with our youngest scholars who we know struggle with remote learning. 
• We continue to plan for remote learning as our base model, especially as we expect we may need to be fully remote at some tie during the year, even if not for opening. 

C. Hicks inquired about the start date of school. This will be September 3rd. 
C. Hicks inquired about the number of staff planning to return. We are in the process of surveying our staff to continue to understand the needs and concerns of our staff members. 
W. Gardner shared the school's priorities for the launch of school. 
C. Bator asked about Alma's ability to continue to make sure that we can be very hands on with all staff. W. Gardner replied that our training and coaching of teachers will certainly look very different, but we will continue to prioritize this work as a crew. 
C. Arnold asked about planning for a future when we have a vaccine and are able to return in person if there has yet been any discussion of how to remediate academic progress for scholars. W. Gardner responded that we are planning for this as best we can in the creation of our plans for this year, but that we anticipate this will be a multi-year challenge that we will need to continue to address in the coming years. 
C. Bator asked about the effectiveness of bus transportation at this time. W. Gardner replied that we are planning for more busses for kids to spread out with additional protocols. We know that arrival and dismissal will take longer this year, so we are planning that into our schedules. 

C. Arnold asked about Finance Committee membership. 
B. Cunningham stated that we are seeking to recruit new members. 

W. Gardner previewed an opportunity for growth outside of New Bedford