The New American Academy Charter School

Minutes

TNAACS Board Meeting

Date and Time

Thursday December 19, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Directors Present

C. C​uellar-Lezcano (remote), C. Kelly (remote), D. Dula (remote), F. Monrose (remote), V. McDonald (remote)

Directors Absent

E. DeAngelis, H. Hunt, J. Beavers, M. Lynch

Guests Present

J. Trani (remote), L. Parquette Silva

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

C. Kelly called a meeting of the board of directors of The New American Academy Charter School to order on Thursday Dec 19, 2024 at 5:00 PM.

C.

Approve Minutes

C. C​uellar-Lezcano made a motion to approve the minutes from TNAACS Board Meeting on 11-21-24.
C. Kelly seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.

II. Finance & Data

A.

Monthly Financials

Elaine Schmiedeshoff from CSBM reviewed November's monthly financials. The school's cash position continues to be strong, with 171 days of cash on hand. CSBM predicts this should not change through the end of the year. Current enrollment is projected at 245, causing a variance in the budget, and a loss is projected for FY 2025. This loss is predicted to decrease as the year goes on, and depreciation will also bring this number down. 

B.

TNAACS 990 Tax Exempt Tax Return Document

D. Dula made a motion to Approve the TNAACS 990 Exempt Organization Tax Return for 2023.
C. C​uellar-Lezcano seconded the motion.

TNAACS is required to submit a 990 tax form annually. This form was prepared by our accountant, MMB. The information on this form is taken directly from our annual audit.  This form shows that 80% of our income is used for programming purposes. After it is approved, the form needs to be signed by Mac electronically. 

The board VOTED to approve the motion.

C.

School Wide Data

Jenny Trani shared our latest enrollment data. She shared that our current enrollment is 245 due to three student discharges. These discharges resulted from students moving out of state and, in one case, to the Bronx. Jenny shared that it is typical to see this shift at the end of the year. 

 

We have 17 applications as of 12/19. Jenny shared the school's lead sheet and how it tracks contact with potential families. She shared that the school will host a monthly virtual event for K applicants. 

 


Jenny shared that the SST team met to review the current schoolwide discipline infraction data and to analyze trends in suspension data. They also reviewed intervention plans for students and their impact. The SST came up with next steps based on this data. The team requested additional resources. Colleen Kelly will be reaching out to Tina Spaic to share resources.

 

III. Governance

A.

TNAACS NYSED Renewal

C. Kelly made a motion to Approve Fleur Monrose as Treasurer of the TNAACS Board.
C. C​uellar-Lezcano seconded the motion.

The board shared feedback from their focus group. They thought the focus group went well and found the questions fair and reasonable. One thing discussed was the need for the board to have a treasurer. Fleur Monrose volunteered for the position. Colleen made a motion to approve Fleur as treasurer, and Cristy seconded. The vote was unanimous in favor of Fleur as the treasurer. Lisa said she would inform Jennifer Marshall. 

 

Lisa then reviewed the site visit with the board and shared the site visit schedule. She shared that there were  11 classroom observations, including CKLA and math lessons across each grade band, PLTW, ESL, small groups, and push-in and pull-out SPED. She also shared there were multiple focus groups, including a parent focus group, a teacher focus group that included a variety of grades and experience levels, A student support focus group that included counselors, SPED and ELL teachers.

 

 

The board VOTED to approve the motion.

B.

Board Professional Development Opportunities

Lisa share several upcoming board professional development opportunities provided by Board On Track. 

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 7:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
L. Parquette Silva