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Excel Academy Massachusetts

Board of Trustees Meeting

Published on February 18, 2026 at 12:27 PM EST

Date and Time

Friday October 3, 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT

Location

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Meeting ID: 282 398 897 809 4

Passcode: wC6Kx6S3

Meeting Notice Posted Publicly: 9/30/25

 

Please note: All items listed on the agenda are subject to a possible vote by the Board of Trustees.

Agenda

Section Number Topic Number Details Purpose Presenter Time
I. Opening Items 8:30 AM
  A. Record Attendance Discuss Arthur Kaynor
  B. Call the Meeting to Order Discuss Caitlin Brumme 1 m
  C. Public Comment Discuss Arthur Kaynor 1 m
  D. Approve Prior Meeting Minutes Approve Minutes Arthur Kaynor 1 m
    Approve minutes for Board of Trustees Meeting on June 13, 2025  
II. Academic Oversight 8:33 AM
  A. State of the School Update and Report from Academic Oversight Committee & NAT Discuss Academic Oversight Committee & Network Academic Team 30 m
   

We are pleased to share the following materials with you:

 

  • Academic Oversight Committee 9/29/25 update slides (attached/enclosed)
  • Quarterly Board Academic Data Dashboard – updated with SY24-25 EOY academic data (linked here)
    • Note: the MCAS data embargo was lifted at 11:30am on 9/29/25. 
  • (optional reading) Case Studies presented at Network Summit Day (linked here)
     
  
III. Finance 9:03 AM
  A. Finance Committee Update Discuss David Stolow 5 m
   
  • Treasurer Report from 9/30/25 Finance Committee meeting
  
  B. Approve Updated Financial Policies & Procedures Vote Arthur Kaynor 5 m
   
  • Vote to approve updated fiscal policies, retroactively to July 1, 2025.
  • Please see enclosed executive summary and updated policy documents.
  
  C. FYI - Reminder about FY25 Annual Audit FYI Arthur Kaynor
   

Excel MA & Friends of Excel Audit Review & Approval Meeting

  • Mon., Oct. 27 via Teams, 8:30-10am
  • Excel RI FC optionally attending for informational and collaborative purposes

 

Excel RI Audit Review & Approval Meeting

  • Thurs., Dec. 4 at CSEA, 5:30-7pm
  • Excel MA & Friends FC optionally attending for informational and collaborative purposes
  
IV. Governance 9:13 AM
  A. Governance & Nominating Committee Update Discuss Maher Colaylat 5 m
   
  • Update on Board recruitment needs
    • Treasurer
    • Fundraising capacity
    • Marketing/communications expertise
  • Update on DESE Site Visit
    • Action Plan and report enclosed
  
  B. Confirm SY25-26 Committee Assignments FYI Arthur Kaynor
   


N/A - Committee assignments were approved in June and there are no new updates. The committee overview is enclosed for reference.

  
  C. Vote to Approve SY23-24 and SY24-25 Head of School Evaluations Vote Arthur Kaynor 5 m
   

Vote/Action:

  • Vote to approve SY23-24 and SY24-25 Head of School evaluations retroactively, per the Governance & Nominating Committee's recommendation on 8/15/25

Head of School Evaluation Notes:

  • Annual Head of School evaluations will be conducted similarly in SY25-26 as in prior years, but with a Board approval vote per DESE's recommendation.
  • There were two instead of four Head of School evaluations in SY23-24 because the Heads of School for two campuses (Excel Chelsea and Excel East Boston) were on leave or had communicated plans to transition. A member of the Governance & Nominating Committee (Dave Sachs) participated in the hiring process for each new Head of School and captured learning about the needs and priorities for each campus through those hiring processes.
  
  D. Votes to approve SY23-24 CEO/CMO evaluation Vote Arthur Kaynor 5 m
   

Vote/Action:

  • Vote to approve the SY23-24 CEO/CMO evaluation retroactively, per the Governance & Nominating Committee's recommendation on 8/15/25

Updates:

  • For the SY24-25 CEO/CMO evaluation, we are following the same process as last year, with one adjustment: the Governance & Nominating Committee will review and recommend the evaluation to the Board, and the Board will vote to approve the evaluation.
  • For the SY25-26 CEO/CMO evaluation, we will separate the CEO and CMO evaluation processes. The Governance & Nominating Committee will complete a CMO evaluation for SY25-26, which each full Board will then vote to approve. The CMO evaluation will then be provided as an input to the annual CEO evaluation process that is administered by the Friends of Excel Board of Directors.
  
  E. Title IX Policy Approval and Training Vote Arthur Kaynor 15 m
   

Votes/Actions:

  • Vote to ratify updates to the Excel Academy Title IX policy for the SY25-26 school year
  • Receive training on the Title IX policy and the role of the Board of Trustees

Summary of Policy Updates:

  • Reverted to pre-SY24-25 policy, aligned to current federal guidance
  • Retained SY24-25 improvements that are consistent with current federal guidance
  
  F. Ratify SY25-26 Student & Family Handbook, SY25-26 Employee Handbook, and other policy and manual updates (enclosed/linked) Vote Arthur Kaynor 10 m
   

All documents are available here and the complete list is outlined in the enclosed protocol.

  
V. Board Engagement 9:53 AM
  A. Advocacy Update Discuss Owen Stearns & Arthur Kaynor 5 m
   
  • Advocacy updates
  • Trailblazer Grant funding to enhance data systems
  • Role of Boards
  
  B. Upcoming Events FYI Arthur Kaynor 1 m
   

Campus Visit Schedule

  • Oct. TBD (RI) and 10/22 (MA)
  • Nov. TBD (RI) and 11/17 (MA)
  • 1/26 (RI) and 1/28 (MA)
  • 2/9 (RI) and 2/10 (MA)
  • 3/18 (RI) and 3/20 (MA)

Other Events

  • 9/9/25 - MCPSA Board Training on Advocacy
  • 9/16/25 - RIEC Voter Registration Campaign Kick-Off, 5-7pm at Roger Williams Park Casino in Providence
  • 9/30/25 - Joint Committee on Education Hearing on various bills
  • 10/25/25 - 2nd Annual Family Community Resource Fair, 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at Excel Academy Charter High School
    • Please bring friends and family. Last year 30 vendors and over 300 community members participated. We hope to exceed those numbers this year!
  
VI. Other Business
 

N/A - No discussion or voting topics for this meeting

  
VII. Closing Items 9:59 AM
  A. Adjourn Meeting Vote Caitlin Brumme 1 m

The public is welcome to attend any meeting of the Board of Trustees or its subcommittees. If communication assistance (readers/ interpreters/captions) or any other accommodations are needed to ensure equal participation, please contact Arthur Kaynor at akaynor@excelacademy.org at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting. Any changes in the agenda will be posted on Excel Academy Charter School’s website, Excel’s principal place of business, and will be electronically filed with the Secretary of State at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting. If you would like to attend a Board meeting and provide public comment, please sign up 48 hours in advance here: https://forms.gle/7315BJ7v1bHGGh2Q9.

 

Excel Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, country of ancestral origin, or veteran status in administration of its admissions or educational policies, curricular programs, other school-administered programs, or in its hiring and employment practices in accordance with applicable federal, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island laws and regulations.