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Research Triangle High School

Minutes

RTHS Board of Directors Meeting

Date and Time

Wednesday January 21, 2026 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. Saviello (remote), A. Tobien (remote), C. Coia (remote), E. Cunningham (remote), J. Berla, J. Corn (remote), P. Thermitus (remote), S. Hunter (remote), S. Khaliq (remote), T. Shahi

Directors Absent

D. Requena, M. Dwomoh

Directors who left before the meeting adjourned

P. Thermitus

Guests Present

A. Drake (remote), A. Griffin (remote), A. Soulashinh, Kamal Saheta (remote), Santosh Kolenchery, Sarah, Sarah Dias, Syam Gadde

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

S. Hunter called a meeting of the board of directors of Research Triangle High School to order on Wednesday Jan 21, 2026 at 5:34 PM.

II. Approve Board Meeting Minutes

A.

Board Meeting Minutes

J. Berla made a motion to approve the minutes from RTHS Board of Directors Meeting on 11-19-25.
T. Shahi seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
A. Tobien
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
P. Thermitus
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
S. Khaliq
Aye
T. Shahi
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
A. Saviello
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Absent
D. Requena
Absent

III. Public Comments

A.

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

  • Kamal Saheta, a parent, speaking on behalf of a group of parents from Robotics team, also present on the call was Santosh Kolenchery.  Raised concerns about the close departure of 3 mentors, covered gender statistics and as a consequence the low morale of the club members.  Requested explanation for the departure of the club mentors

IV. Chief School Officer Report

A.

Executive Overview

A. Griffin provided a CSO update, details on the slides on the agenda:

  • School activities in January
  • College and career update for seniors and juniors

V. Finance Committee Report

A.

RTHS Monthly Financials and Other Business

A. Drake and C. Coia provided an update on the finance committee:

  • Budget surplus, above the requirement for DSCR and is now at 1.52
  • ADM similar to previous year
  • Budget updates
    • new item => staff appreciation 
    • updates to other items, details on the slides attached to the agenda
  • Proposals for surplus were presented
S. Hunter made a motion to approve the updated 2025-26 budget.
A. Tobien seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
S. Khaliq
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
A. Saviello
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Absent
J. Berla
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
P. Thermitus
Abstain
T. Shahi
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye

B.

Executive Session

C. Coia made a motion to go into executive session for personnel matters.
E. Cunningham seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C. Coia made a motion to approve 2 contracts Neal Myers-Perry (Social Studies) and Ash Hopkins (Math).
S. Khaliq seconded the motion.
  • Neal Myers-Perry - social studies teacher, contract amendment due to increased salary (completed his master's degree)
  • Ash Hopkins - new mathematics teacher, replacing Alan Goldstein
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
P. Thermitus
Aye
S. Khaliq
Aye
A. Saviello
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
E. Cunningham
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye

VI. Governance Committee Report

A.

Governance Committee Business

E. Cunningham provided an update, details on the agenda slides:

  • Cellular Phones and Wireless Communication Devices Policies, updated due to state law
    • Language from the attorney and/or state law mostly
  • Articulation with Sterling Montessori
    • New articulation, already have 2 articulation agreements with Durham schools
      • small # of RTHS students coming from the 2 existing articulation schools (~10)
    • Preference in the lottery
    • Strong informal feeder to RTHS and the students do well at RTHS
    • looking to increase student population from Wake
  • Recommendations for board members and leadership positions requested
    • Finance, Governance, Secretary are needed
    • Parent Board Members slots are currently full
T. Shahi made a motion to approve updated Cellular Phones and Wireless Communication Devices Policies.
S. Hunter seconded the motion.

with the spelling correction (w to t) on section 2

The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
C. Coia
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
P. Thermitus
Aye
S. Khaliq
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Absent
E. Cunningham
Aye
A. Saviello
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Hunter made a motion to approve the articulation agreement between RTHS and Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter school.
A. Tobien seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
Roll Call
M. Dwomoh
Absent
D. Requena
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
S. Khaliq
Aye
A. Saviello
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
C. Coia
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
P. Thermitus
Aye

VII. Academic Excellence Committee Report

A.

Academic Excellence Business

J. Corn and A. Griffin provided an update on academic excellence committee:

  • 2026-27 School Academic Calendar
    • similar to current one
  • SET Team update
    • SET team meeting took place yesterday
  • Discipline data and analytis over the past few years at RTHS presented by A. Griffin and D. Thompson
    • Trending towards less events and lesser type of events
S. Khaliq made a motion to approve the presented 2026-27 Academic School Calendar.
J. Berla seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call
C. Coia
Aye
P. Thermitus
Aye
D. Requena
Absent
T. Shahi
Aye
E. Cunningham
Aye
S. Hunter
Aye
A. Tobien
Aye
A. Saviello
Aye
J. Corn
Aye
J. Berla
Aye
M. Dwomoh
Absent
S. Khaliq
Aye
P. Thermitus left.

VIII. Development Committee Report

A.

Development Committee Business

A. Griffin presented an update from the development committee, details on the agenda slides:

  • Giving Tuesday
  • Raptor Funds

IX. Other Business Matters

A.

As needed

  • Board Mini-retreat feedback:
    • ~2hrs via zoom on Friday 
    • Focus on development
    • Action S. Hunter: send possible date for board members input

X. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

T. Shahi made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
A. Tobien 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 7:08 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
A. Tobien