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Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School

Minutes

March Board of Trustees Meeting

Date and Time

Tuesday March 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Location

433 West 204th Street, New York, NY 10034

 

All board addresses were posted 72 hours in advance of the meeting.

Trustees Present

J. Looney (remote), K. Drezner (remote), K. Mangual (remote), K. Smith (remote), M. Rosenthal (remote), S. Santo (remote)

Trustees Absent

C. Talero, J. Almonte, R. Khamis, S. Mlynar, V. Singh

Guests Present

A. Rodriguez (remote), B. Mercedes, C. Reyes, G. Thiyagarajah (remote), J. Pichardo, K. Cuateco (remote), N. Polanco

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

M. Rosenthal called a meeting of the board of trustees of Inwood Academy for Leadership Charter School to order on Tuesday Mar 17, 2026 at 7:08 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

M. Rosenthal made a motion to approve the minutes from February Board of Trustees Meeting on 02-24-26.
J. Looney seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

II. Academic Accountability

A.

K-12 Progress Towards Goals

G. Thiyagarajah presented the following Elementary School update to the board: 

  • Attendance: 91% YTD (on track); 41% chronic absenteeism remains a key concern
  • Academics (K–2):
    • ELA: Strong growth (16% → 44% on grade level); on track for 65% goal
    • Math: Growth (5% → 37% on grade level); trending toward goal
  • Strengths: Strong early literacy gains, effective phonics instruction, solid K teacher retention
  • Risks: New student enrollment, 1st/2nd grade staffing consistency
  • Focus: Small-group intervention, phonics/numeracy reinforcement, continued literacy acceleration

K. Cuateco presented the following Middle School update to the board: 

  • Attendance: 92% YTD; 36% chronic absenteeism
  • ELA (Grades 5–8): On track for 45% proficiency, but many students still below grade level
  • Math (Grades 5–7):
    • Grade 5 on track
    • Grades 6–7 at risk of missing proficiency targets
  • Strengths: Data-driven instruction, targeted interventions, improved movement toward grade level
  • Risks: High number of students starting far below grade level, staffing transitions
  • Focus: Tier 2/3 interventions, state test prep, vocabulary + writing (ELA), key standards coverage (Math)

A. Rodriguez presented the following High School update to the board:

  • Attendance: 89% YTD; 39% chronic absenteeism
  • Graduation: 75% projected vs. 87% goal → At Risk
    • Main barrier = credit accumulation (not Regents)
  • Regents Performance:
    • English Regents: On track (68% projected vs. 72% goal)
    • Algebra I: At risk (32% projected vs. 52% goal)
    • 8th Grade Algebra I: Off track (49% avg; 39% pass projection)
  • Strengths: Strong Regents completion rates, improved Q1→Q2 growth, targeted senior supports
  • Risks: Credit gaps, attendance issues, Algebra performance, staffing transitions
  • Focus: Credit recovery, Regents prep, targeted intervention for borderline students, weekly graduation tracking

III. Finance and Facilities Committee Update

A.

To update the Board on Lottery Applications, Finance and Facilities Items..

J. Pichardo presented the following to the board:

  • Enrollment is stable at 912 students K–12
  • Higher than last months number
  • Backfilling of seats has stopped for time being

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 8:44 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
M. Rosenthal