The Exploris School
Minutes
The Exploris School Board Regular Monthly Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday April 23, 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, M. Nelson, R. Averitte (remote), S. Graham (remote), S. Scipione
Directors Absent
L. Collins, M. Perry, P. President
Ex Officio Members Present
E. Burton, J. Corbat
Non Voting Members Present
E. Burton, J. Corbat
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
D.
Public Comment
II. Committee Reports
A.
Governance
B.
Educational Excellence
- The committee explained functions in iXL, which is used to monitor student progress and suggest intervention steps. The committee is looking at ways to improve its use by teachers.
- Tutors from NC State's Elementary Ed program are working with Exploris students. The school is building an intricate partnership with NCSU and this partnership is novel.
- Board members are encouraged to attend Portfolio presentations; this will happen before the May board meeting.
C.
Facilities
The facilities update slide deck is in the meeting agenda packet.
D.
Finance Committee
III. Director's Report
A.
March 2026 Report to the Board
AR: was there additional information in the interview process that suggested she can handle a capital campaign?
JC: This is the thing missing from her resume, but she has been a part of large campaigns and the way she addressed our campaign gave the committee confidence in her ability to do what we need (self-starting, independent, enthusiastic, ready to lead). Our engagement with CapDev will be able to provide support for her also.
SS: How will we assess her progress?
JC: She reports to me. Assessment will be based on rate of growth of donor base as well as amount of giving. Input will come from the Foundation as well.
RA: Will she attend board meetings or simply present reports?
JC: I expect her to attend board meetings and provide regular updates and get used to working with the board.
KM: And also the Foundation board meetings so everything can be coordinated.
IV. Community Reports
A.
Kaizen Report
Led a staff discussion of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and collected reflections to be reviewed. Next meeting will be about family engagement. SS is looking for a replacement as she rotates off of this team next year. The Kaizen retreat will happen on the last day of school.
One commenter suggested that students are being bullied. The commenter was recommended to take their specific comments to the appropriate school director, in accordance with the school's grievance policy.