Young Scholars Charter School
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday September 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM
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
B. Young (remote), K. Jayne (remote), L. Umbrecht (remote), R. Halpern (remote), S. Piltch (remote), S. Schwartz (remote), W. Churchill (remote), W. Weisman (remote)
Trustees Absent
A. Wang, G. Singer, J. Brown, T. Grosswald
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
C.
To accept the resignations of the following board members effectively immediately:
II. Board Discussion Topics
A.
YSCS Goal Setting and Data Review
B.
Enrollment Update
Shakira Smith shared that multiple enrollment strategies are being implemented, including reaching out to previously declined applicants, advertising with SEPTA, hosting a K-12 fair for on-the-spot applications, and utilizing enrollment ambassadors to boost the school's visibility in the community.
C.
Facility Update
D.
Committee Updates Where Applicable
Kevin Corcoran presented on behalf of the Finance Committee. He reported that funding rates increased significantly, providing financial cushion if enrollment goals aren't met. The Finance Committee will conduct their first end-of-year projection after September data collection.
E.
Talent Update
Aniyah Wright presented a talent update showing the school is fully staffed for the start of the school year with 48 total staff members, including 14 new hires. The board approved the HR handbook updates, which included new AI policies and critical attendance days changes.
Kristen Tini presented student achievement data showing 93% completion of beginning-of-year testing, with 49% of students performing at or above national average in at least one subject. Reading emerged as the strongest subject, while mathematics and science showed lower performance, particularly affecting 7th and 8th grade students who had limited growth in previous years. The team discussed plans to address these challenges through expanded high-impact tutoring, new curricula including Foundations and Wilson programs, and increased coaching partnerships, with expectations to achieve 10% gains in both math and reading this year.