The New American Academy Charter School
Minutes
TNAACS Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday July 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Directors Present
C. Kelly (remote), D. Dula (remote), H. Hunt (remote), J. Beavers (remote)
Directors Absent
C. C​uellar-Lezcano, F. Monrose, V. McDonald
Guests Present
J. Trani (remote), L. Parquette Silva
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Finance & Data
A.
Monthly Financials
B.
Enrollment Data
Jenny Trani shared the school's latest enrollment data for the 25/26 school year. We are currently at 130 applicants as of the end of July. Last year, we were at 155; the previous year, at 145; and the year before that, at 215. The month isn't over yet, so we are close to last year's number. Jenny shared that we did not do so well in June, when applications were low, but it has picked up in July. Jenny shared that our target is 281 to meet our charter requirement, but we are unlikely to hit that number. As a result, we are budgeting for 265. Our actual numbers are currently 228, which includes current students who have indicated their intention to return, and 33 applicants who have completed their registration. We have 37 applications in process, and if they are included, we are close to 265. Colleen asked what verified applicants meant. Jenny shared that 'verified' means their registration is complete and they have provided all the required documentation. Operations must be done one by one. Lisa shared that she and Kori met with Schola recently. There has been a major shift in both their leadership and staff. They apologized for essentially being radio silent and are committed to working hard to increase enrollment.
III. Governance
A.
Districtwide Safety Plan
Lisa explained that each year, TNAACS collaborates with PS 233 to create a building-wide safety plan. As a co-located school in DOE space, TNAACS is required to follow a plan approved by the NYPD and the Department of School Safety. Additionally, TNAACS is required to create a version of this plan for NYSED, which must be posted on the school's website. Lisa explained that the posted version must be a "forward-facing" version, meaning it cannot contain too many specifics that could inadvertently compromise building security in the event of an actual emergency. Lisa reviewed the NYSED plan with the board
B.
TNAACS Board Member Trustee Financial Disclosure Form
Lisa reminded TNAACS board members that, as part of the school's annual report, each board member is required to fill out a Board Member Financial Disclosure form, and that these forms are needed before August 1st
C.
Revision to TNAACS Career Ladder Promotion Policy
Lisa Silva shared that a staff member who is not NYS certified requested to be promoted to Partner. Current TNAACS promotion policy requires all Partners to hold NYS certification. The teacher in question has been with TNAACS for eight years and has over ten years of experience in a private school at the time of hire. As an external hire with over 10 years of experience, she qualified for hire as an Associate without being certified. However, she was informed at the time of her hire that the expectation was that she would obtain certification and could not be promoted to partner without it. Lisa shared that, given the current feedback from some staff members indicating favoritism, she is uncomfortable making an exception for one particular staff member, and that for the staff member to be promoted, the policy would need to be revised. Lisa shared that ELT was torn about whether or not to recommend a policy change, and it was decided to bring the issue to the board for a decision. After further discussion, the board voted not to change the policy. A motion was made to deny the request.
D.
Executive Session
Board went into executive session for 45 minutes.
IV. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
- TNAACS District Safety Plan 2025 2026.docx
- annual-report-current-former-trustee-financial-disclosure-form (3).pdf
- Partner Teacher Description.docx
Elaine Schmiedeshoff reviewed the June monthly financials. She shared that CSBM was in the process of preparing for the audit, so that some numbers might change. The current revenue is $ 6.5 million, and overall expenses were $ 6.9 million, resulting in a net loss of $340,000. However, minus depreciation, that number goes down to $225,000, and this is roughly where FY 25 ended. Jenny shared that after reconciliation, we should see an additional shift of $13,000. Elaine shared that TNAACS remains in a very strong financial position, with 146 days of cash on hand. Enrollment was slightly lower than budgeted, accounting for most of the variances in the financials. The school is in a good financial position overall, with sufficient working capital, a healthy cash balance, and a substantial bank balance.