Chair Steve Bernard the board accepted the resignation of Dr. Rita Jones-Hyde from the Heights Charter School Board of Directors. The Board expressed its appreciation for Dr. Jones-Hyde’s service and acknowledged receipt of her letter of resignation.

Ms. Linda Edmond presented a report on two student trips to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including visits to institutions in Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana. The purpose of the trips was to broaden student exposure and encourage college applications.

Highlights included:

• Student engagement and increased motivation to apply to HBCUs
• Strong impressions of Paul Quinn College and Wiley College
• Discussion of Paul Quinn College’s admissions criteria (minimum 2.5 GPA; scholarships available for 3.0 GPA and above)

Steve thanks Linda for her service and dedication to the school and students. 

Sarah Glatt from Paper Crane Associates provided an update on the strategic planning process, explaining that the goal is to define the current state of the school and set a vision for its future. She reported that working groups focused on the early college model, leadership and staffing, and facilities are actively meeting and have identified priorities. The plan aims to support student success, adapt the early college model, and invest in the school itself, with a goal to complete the process by the end of the school year. The working groups will continue meeting throughout April, and drafts of goals and priorities will be shared with the board for discussion at upcoming meetings.

Justin Gadry presents about one of our top scholars who is an early college student and hoop star, Naziiah Herisse. He speaks on her impressive stats (a full scholarship-level) and speaks on her many acceptances to four year colleges and universities. Naziiah also led the entire state per game and is the first student athlete coming out of New Heights. Naziiah and Noah Gadry along with Ms. Norton visited Lake Superior State University where she participated in a full media day in new uniform, toured the school and campus, and had dinner with the coaching staff. They offered her a contract with full athletic scholarship along with a meal plan and housing. She will be committing to Lake Superior. 

Justin ends the presentation praising our school athletic future. 

Dr. Dennis presents the two building projects. 

The meeting discussed two capital projects seeking board approval before bidding: upgrading the PA system and gym audio system. Delroy Dennis and Mr. Gilberto presented the need for these improvements, highlighting current system limitations, including outdated equipment, lack of visual alerts, and non-compliance with ADA regulations for emergency situations. The proposed project includes a turnkey solution covering design, build, integration, installation, testing, and training, with a goal to close out bids by April 29. Nicholas questioned the need for board approval at this stage since the project would require cash funding without pre-approved capital planning. Omari clarified that the current vote would only allow the team to conduct due diligence and gather bids, with a final decision pending at the next meeting. Jason raised concerns about the lack of information on other potential capital expenditures and suggested considering all major capital projects together rather than piecemeal presentations.

The Finance Committee discussed exploring grants for a potential capital improvement plan. The board voted to accept the report and allow the team to proceed with their research on capital projects, with Nicholas confirming that the current budget is on track to end with approximately $150,000 in surplus.

Lourdes begins the AEC report with her Enrollment report:

Lourdes presented the Academic Excellence Committee report, sharing current student enrollment data showing 730 students across various grades, with 646 from Brockton, 26 from Randolph, 39 from Taunton, and 19 out of district. She reported that 115 seats were offered to incoming 6th graders through a March 6th lottery, with a waitlist of 204 students across different grades. William Lyttle inquired about future lotteries and funding constraints, to which Omari explained that while students can be added anytime, funding stops at 735 students, and that no additional funding would be received after February 15th for any new enrollments.

The board meeting covered grade distribution data presented by Kaitlin, showing overall A percentages of 30.9% for middle school and 29.4% for high school students in Semester 1, with lower F percentages overall. Maria presented updates on early college pathways, including a proposed educator pathway with Stonehill College, an information security certificate with Massasoit, and potential HVAC and carbon-free programs with South Shore Vocational Technical High School. 

Vinnie announces that they are currently in negotiating the Executive Director's contract and will present more information in April. 

The meeting ended with a discussion about a sensitive matter that could not be addressed in public session due to personnel restrictions, with the board being directed to refer the issue to an appropriate committee for proper procedure.