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Research Triangle High School

Minutes

RTHS Board of Directors Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday August 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Location

Research Triangle High School

3106 East NC Highway 54

Durham, North Carolina 27709

 

or

 

https://rthighschool.zoom.us/j/93566460638

Meeting ID: 935 6646 0638

Directors Present

A. Tobien (remote), C. Coia (remote), E. Cunningham, J. Berla (remote), M. Dwomoh (remote), S. Hunter (remote), S. Rivers-Kobler (remote), T. Shahi (remote)

Directors Absent

D. Requena, J. Corn, M. Babb, P. Thermitus, S. Khaliq

Directors who arrived after the meeting opened

C. Coia

Guests Present

A. Drake (remote), A. Griffin, A. Soulashinh (remote), Anjali (remote), Ashwani (remote), Bekah (remote), C. Klein-Gloria (remote), George Pinsky (remote), John-Paul Schick, Joy (remote), Shweta Kautia (remote), sarah (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

E. Cunningham called a meeting of the board of directors of Research Triangle High School to order on Wednesday Aug 20, 2025 at 5:36 PM.

II. Approve Board Meeting Minutes

A.

Board Meeting Minutes

S. Hunter made a motion to approve the minutes from Board of Directors Meeting on 06-18-25.
M. Dwomoh seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
M. Dwomoh
Aye
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
J. Corn
Absent
M. Babb
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
S. Khaliq
Absent
E. Cunningham
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
P. Thermitus
Absent
C. Coia
Absent
D. Requena
Absent
J. Berla
Aye

B.

Approve Board Meeting Minutes

M. Dwomoh made a motion to approve the minutes from RTHS Board of Directors Meeting on 07-13-25.
J. Berla seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
J. Berla
Aye
C. Coia
Absent
J. Corn
Absent
S. Hunter
Aye
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
S. Khaliq
Absent
E. Cunningham
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
M. Dwomoh
Aye
P. Thermitus
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
D. Requena
Absent

III. Public Comments

A.

Open to all community members (students, family members, faculty and staff, community members, and others)

None

 

C. Coia arrived.

IV. Chief School Officer Report

A.

Executive Overview

A.Griffin provided an overview, details in slides attached to agenda:

  • events at the school welcoming students back
  • in addition Beta Club recognized at national convention and Stanford University to visit RTHS in Sep.

V. Finance Committee Report

A.

RTHS Monthly Financials and Other Business

A. Drake provided an update on the Finance Committee, details on the slides attached to the agenda.

 

  • The budget is slightly under the service to coverage ratio (rounds to 1.2) due to higher salary of the new staff and clarity on the funds is expected to get the surplus.
  • Auditors on site on 16July2025.
  • ADM at 577 (last year funded at 572) and attrition is lower than previous year.

 

 

VI. Executive Session

A.

Executive Session

C. Coia made a motion to go into executive session for personnel matters.
S. Rivers-Kobler seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Roll Call
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
P. Thermitus
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
J. Corn
Absent
D. Requena
Absent
A. Tobien
Aye
S. Khaliq
Absent
M. Dwomoh
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
J. Berla made a motion to approve 4 new staff contracts to RTHS described in discussion.
A. Tobien seconded the motion.

 

  • Diane Dowman, Science Teacher - Chemistry, Biology
  • Colin McGuire, Science Teacher - Physics
  • Susan Jeffries, Social Studies Teacher - Civics
  • Donya Headen, School Counselor
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
D. Requena
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Khaliq
Absent
A. Tobien
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
J. Corn
Absent
P. Thermitus
Absent

VII. Governance Committee Report

A.

Governance Committee Business

M. Dwomoh provided an update on the governance committee.

S. Rivers-Kobler made a motion to approve the board officers as listed in discussion.
C. Coia seconded the motion.

 

2025-26 BOARD OFFICERS FOR APPROVAL
• Board Chair: Elizabeth Cunningham
• Board Vice Chair: Steven Hunter
• Board Secretary: Ailette Tobien
• Finance Committee Chair and Treasurer: Carolyn Coia
• Academic Excellence Committee Chair: Jeni Corn
• Development Committee Chair: Dina Requena
• Governance Committee Chair: Michael Dwomoh
• CSO Evaluation Committee Chair: Carolyn Coia


2025-26 COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRS
• Finance Committee Vice Chair: Elizabeth Cunningham
• Academic Excellence Committee Vice Chair: Samina Khaliq
• Development Committee Vice Chair: Julian Berla
• Governance Committee Vice Chair: Carolyn Coia

The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
E. Cunningham
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
J. Corn
Absent
S. Hunter
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
P. Thermitus
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
S. Khaliq
Absent
C. Coia made a motion to approve the Financial Policies and Procedures.
S. Hunter seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
E. Cunningham
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
D. Requena
Absent
M. Dwomoh
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
P. Thermitus
Absent
A. Tobien
Aye
J. Corn
Absent
S. Khaliq
Absent
S. Rivers-Kobler made a motion to approve the Emergency Preparedness and School Safety Manual.
S. Hunter seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
J. Corn
Absent
S. Khaliq
Absent
M. Babb
Absent
P. Thermitus
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
C. Coia made a motion to approve Exceptional Children's Operating Procedure.
J. Berla seconded the motion.

Conditioned that the document format is standardized (especially the font throughout the document)

The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
T. Shahi
Aye
J. Corn
Absent
J. Berla
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Aye
P. Thermitus
Absent
S. Khaliq
Absent
S. Rivers-Kobler
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
M. Babb
Absent
D. Requena
Absent
C. Coia
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye

VIII. Academic Excellence Committee Report

A.

Academic Excellence Business

S.Hunter and A.Griffin provided an overview and details are on the slides attached to the agenda:

  • Each month focusing on a particular dataset
  • Aug Meeting - student demographics and trends, and attrition

IX. Development Committee Report

A.

Development Committee Business

J.Berla provided an update and details on the slides attached to the agenda:

  • Membership
  • Mission and purpose
  • Fundraising
  • Brainstormed development ideas with the board

 

X. Other Business Matters

A.

As needed

  • Board Retreat Reminder on Sep 23 starting at 10am at RTP Frontier 600, same room as previous: ground floor on the left, long corridor on the left.  Lunch provided.

XI. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

S. Rivers-Kobler made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
S. Hunter seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:57 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
A. Tobien