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Excel Academy Massachusetts

Board of Trustees Meeting

Published on February 18, 2026 at 12:22 PM EST

Date and Time

Friday March 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM EDT

Location

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Meeting ID: 259 446 867 848

Passcode: FFtgZr

Meeting Notice Posted Publicly: 3/25/25

 

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 Board Meeting minutes Approve Minutes Arthur Kaynor 1 m
    Approve minutes for Board of Trustees Meeting on February 7, 2025  
II. Academic Oversight 8:33 AM
  A. Vote on proposal regarding local competency determinations and graduation requirements Vote Network Academic Team & Academic Oversight Committee 20 m
   

Vote to approve the following, as recommended by the Academic Oversight Committee on 3/24/25:

  • The enclosed proposal regarding codifying Excel's local competency determinations
  • The enclosed proposal regarding amending Excel's local graduation requirements to include earning an MCAS score of 469 in ELA & Math and 470 in Science (Biology)
  • The proposed creation of a faculty working group to develop an alternative graduation pathway, which the Board will consider for approval at its June meeting
  
  B. State of the School Update and Report from Academic Oversight Committee & NAT Discuss Network Academic Team & Academic Oversight Committee 15 m
   

Reference links:

 

  • Quarterly Board Academic Data Dashboard (linked here)
  • Newly implemented Teacher Observation Rubric (linked here)
  
III. Finance 9:08 AM
  A. FY26 Budget Process Update FYI Arthur Kaynor 1 m
   

Please note that the Finance Committee will be meeting on April 11th, 10-11am via Microsoft Teams to review a draft budget for FY26 (School Year 25-26). Non-Committee Board members are welcome to participate each year in the school's budget planning process. Please reach out to Arthur Kaynor if you would like to be invited to attend the Finance Committee meeting and/or would like to meet with a member of the Finance Team to learn more about the budget. Following the Finance Committee meeting, a budget proposal memo will be circulated to Excel's three Boards in advance of their May and June meetings when each Board will vote to approve its respective budget for FY26.

  
IV. Governance 9:09 AM
  A. Update on Board Recruitment & Succession Planning Discuss Owen Stearns & Governance & Nominating Committee 10 m
  B. FY25 Goals Progress Update Discuss Owen Stearns 10 m
V. Other Business 9:29 AM
  A. Reminder about upcoming events & engagement goals FYI Owen Stearns & Arthur Kaynor 2 m
   

School Campus Tours

 

Excel RI

  • February 5
  • February 28
  • March 19
  • April 28 - to be rescheduled

Excel MA

  • January 14
  • February 25
  • March 24
  • April 30 - to be rescheduled

 

Save the Dates:

  • Signing Day Ceremony at Excel HS - May 30, 2025, 11am
  • Excel Academy Charter High School Graduation - June 11, 2025, 5pm

 

Reminder: Please schedule 1:1 Board engagement check-ins with Owen Stearns & Arthur Kaynor.

  
VI. Closing Items 9:31 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.