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Excel Academy Massachusetts

Board of Trustees Meeting

Published on February 18, 2026 at 12:28 PM EST

Date and Time

Friday November 7, 2025 at 8:30 AM EST

Location

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Meeting ID: 243 555 868 398 2

Passcode: ix7Bh9CE

Meeting Notice Posted Publicly on 11/4/25.

 

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 October 3, 2025  
II. Academic Oversight
 

N/A - No discussion or voting items for this meeting.

  
III. Talent 8:33 AM
  A. Annual Board Talent Update Discuss Alejandra Gil 25 m
IV. Finance 8:58 AM
  A. FY25 Annual Audit Update Discuss David Stolow 5 m
   
  • Excel MA and Friends of Excel both received a clean audit, with no findings and no auditor-proposed adjustments. Excel MA shows negative changes in net position of -$67K.  Friends of Excel has a change in unrestricted net assets of +$1.06M.
  • The Excel MA & Friends audits were accepted by each respective Finance Committee on 10/27/25.
  • The Excel RI Finance Committee will meet to accept the Excel RI audit on 12/4/25. Members of the Excel MA and Friends of Excel Finance Committees are invited optionally.
  • Note re: Federal Delay: The Federal Government has not issued the final uniform guidance for federal audits. They released a draft in July and usually release a final version in August. They will not release the final version until after the government shut down, and there is no timeline for its release. Our auditors cannot issue the final financial audit report until the final uniform guidance is issued. The audits are prepared based on the draft version, and we do not think there will be much of an impact once the final uniform guidance comes out. However, it will mean a delay in getting Board signatures on the audited financials. This delay will not negatively impact our debt covenants or our compliance requirements with DESE.

Link to Excel Academy FY25 Audit Files

  
V. Governance 9:03 AM
  A. Discuss and Approve SY25-26 Board Goals Discuss Owen Stearns & Arthur Kaynor 20 m
   

Materials enclosed:

  • SY25-26 Excel MA Board Goals (attached)
  • SY24-25 Excel MA Board Goals End-of-Year Report (attached)
  • SY24-25 CEO/CMO Goals Report
  • Overview of Excel Board Recruitment Priorities
  
VI. Board Engagement 9:23 AM
  A. Upcoming Events Discuss Owen Stearns & Arthur Kaynor 5 m
   

Campus Visit Schedule

  • 10/28 (RI) and 10/22 (MA)
  • 11/17 (MA) with Rep. Tyler
  • 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 in MA
  • 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 in MA
  • 10/25/25 - 2nd Annual Family Community Resource Fair, 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at Excel Academy Charter High School
  • 11/12/25 - MA Legislative Hearing on various bills
  
VII. Other Business
 

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

  
VIII. Closing Items 9:28 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.