The Exploris School
Minutes
The Exploris School Board Regular Monthly Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday March 26, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Location
The Exploris School: Elementary Campus
17 S Swain St, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
5th Grade Classroom
Directors Present
A. Rodriguez (remote), E. Grunden, L. Collins (remote), M. Nelson, R. Averitte, S. Scipione
Directors Absent
M. Perry, P. President
Ex Officio Members Present
D. Brown, E. Burton, J. Corbat
Non Voting Members Present
D. Brown, E. Burton, J. Corbat
Guests Present
K. Morgan
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
E. Grunden called a meeting of the board of directors of The Exploris School to order on Thursday Mar 26, 2026 at 4:37 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
A. Rodriguez made a motion to approve the minutes from The Exploris School Board Regular Monthly Meeting on 02-26-26.
S. Scipione seconded the motion.
none
D.
Public Comment
II. Committee Reports
A.
Governance
L. Collins made a motion to Approve Samantha Graham as a member of the Exploris Board of Directors.
R. Averitte seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
B.
Educational Excellence
Ethan presented the report from the Educational Excellence Committee.
C.
Facilities
Josh presented three documents with updates on the new building project.
D.
Finance Committee
M. Nelson made a motion to Motion to approve the engagement letter with TJT for audit services for the 26-27 school year.
E. Grunden seconded the motion.
- audit prices have raised at about 15%
- we are still working with prices that are below average for charter schools
- with the upcoming bond applications, staying with our current, proven, and highly rated firm is recommended. We have a long history with this firm
III. Director's Report
A.
March 2026 Report to the Board
Deb presented highlights from the monthly report.
IV. Community Reports
A.
Kaizen Report
Shawna presented a report from the school Kaizen team.
B.
PTO Report
The PTO representative was not able to attend so Josh presented a short report.
C.
Foundation Report
- Josh presented a report.
- The Fun Run was our most successful yet, raising over 30K which will be targeted for field experiences and Explorations support.
- The student support team also ran a side by side "Run for Mental Health" mini spirit week with team banners and other activities that increased engagement.
V. Board Business
A.
Discussion of upcoming dates.
- April 7th Town Hall: in person 6:00 pm at ES
- bring something for the food pantry
- April 12th Spring Fling
- April 21st Board members required for our Charter Renewal virtual site visit through Office of Charter Schools
VI. Closed Session
A.
Closed Session
There were no items for closed session.
VII. 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 5:50 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
D. Brown
Documents used during the meeting
- SG .pdf
- Engagement Timline to Date - March 6 2026.pdf
- March 2026 BOARD_Exploris Facilities Update.pdf
- 2026.03.05_March- Exploris Presentation_vff.pdf
- 3-19-26 Audit Engagement Letter for the 25-26 year.pdf
- 03. Board Report 2026.02 - Exploris.pdf
- 05. Income Statement 2026.02 - Exploris.pdf
- 06. Balance Sheet 2026.02 - Exploris.pdf
- Bank Account Balances 2026.02 - Exploris.pdf
- March 2026 Exploris Leadership Team Board Report.pdf
Eric invited public comment and read the guidelines. There was no public comment verbally or submitted in writing.