Young Scholars Charter School

Minutes

Regular Board Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday May 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM

Location

900 North Marshall Street

Philadelphia, PA 19123

 

(Remote Option)

This meeting is being held in compliance with Open Meeting requirements of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and is open to the public.  Notices were duly posted and the meeting was advertised in The Philadelphia Daily News. Formal action will be taken.

Trustees Present

A. Wang (remote), B. Young (remote), G. Singer (remote), J. Brown (remote), L. Umbrecht (remote), R. Halpern (remote), S. Piltch (remote), S. Schwartz (remote), W. Churchill (remote), W. Weisman (remote)

Trustees Absent

None

Guests Present

A. Wright (remote), J. Amenda (remote), K. Corcoran (remote), K. Lamilla (remote), K. Tini (remote), S. Smith (remote)

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

R. Halpern called a meeting of the board of trustees of Young Scholars Charter School to order on Tuesday May 5, 2026 at 4:04 PM.

C.

To Approve New Board Member, Toby Grosswald, effective 5/5/2026

R. Halpern made a motion to To approve the election of new Board Member, Toby Grosswald, effective 5/5/2026.
W. Churchill seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

II. Board Discussion Topics

A.

Dashboard Review

John Amenda presented updates on the school's priorities for May, highlighting the completion of PSSA testing, efforts to maintain high student and teacher attendance, and initiatives to support student engagement and growth. The school aims to achieve 95% student attendance and 60% of students meeting their MAP growth targets by the end of the school year, with plans to implement new instructional strategies and interventions.

B.

26-27 Org Chart and Program Priorities

John Amenda explained the school's organizational structure and staff roles, including the principal's leadership team and departmental oversight. He detailed the staffing breakdown across curriculum, special education, operations, and student support roles.

C.

Facility Update

Level Field joined the meeting and covered updates on the facility project, including starting a 60-day due diligence period. They provided details on key activities, including site feasibility analysis, property condition assessment, and the project budget. They discussed ongoing efforts to identify cost-saving opportunities, value engineering, and potential lenders, with a focus on acquiring an acquisition and pre-development loan. 

D.

Talent Report

Aniyah Wright provided an update on staffing, noting that most faculty are returning for the next school year, leaving 5 open positions including a newly created Director of Special Education role and positions for a math teacher and operations manager.

E.

Committee Updates Where Applicable

Financial updates revealed the organization exceeded their fundraising goal of $450,000  and is on track to end the year with a positive net income. Kevin Corcoran reported the organization is in good financial health with a healthy balance sheet positioning them well for potential future investments.

III. Approval of Minutes

A.

Resolved that the Board approve the Regular session minutes from the March 24, 2026 meeting.

R. Halpern made a motion to approve the minutes from March 24, 2026 Regular Board Meeting on 03-24-26.
B. Young seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

IV. Closing Items

A.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
W. Weisman