• Enclosed FY26 Board Calendar
• Enclosed FY26 Committee Assignments
  • Including the following Building Committee membership updates:
    • Add Jamie Greenthal and Channavy Chhay
    • Remove Andrew Solomon
    • Update Chiv Heng as Chair
• FY26 Officers:
  • Chair: Mayor Brett P. Smiley
  • Vice Chair: Channavy Chhay
  • Treasurer: Chiv Heng
  • Clerk: Mayor Maria Rivera
• Term Renewals:
  • Mayor Brett P. Smiley for a second term: July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028

Vote to authorize the Chair to:

• Approve and submit the School Year 24-25 annual report
• Approve annual updates to school manuals, handbooks, and policies over the summer as needed. Note: these policies will be presented to the Board for ratification at the first meeting of School Year 25-26. The Board will also retrain on the Title IX Policy and the Board's role with respect to the Policy.
• Please see the attached protocol for reference.

• Vote to approve updated LEA Strategic Plan, with any necessary edits, as recommended by the Excel Academy Rhode Island Academic Oversight Committee and School Improvement Team on April 24, 2025.

Note: stakeholder feedback is gathered from sources that may include but are not limited to – the Academic Oversight Committee and School Improvement Team, a family input meeting and survey, the Family Leadership Council, a staff survey, and meetings with individual staff members.

Summary of Updates:

• School Year 24-25 Data has been incorporated.
• The following LEA Strategic Plan goals are largely consistent with last year's, with two updates: (1) an SGP goal which more closely mirrors our Excel's organizational priorities, and (2) ACCESS goals added at the request of RIDE.
  • XLRI will have fewer than 15% students identified as chronically absent.
  • XLRI will achieve an average SGP of 60 or higher on ELA and Math RICAS
  • XLRI will increase the percentage students Meeting and Exceeding Expectations by 6%
  • XLRI will ensure that at least 60% of MLL students meet their ACCESS Growth targets.
  • XLRI will have 50% of teachers and support professionals earn a 3 or higher on the Student Learning component of RIDE rubric.
  • XLRI will increase the percentage of experienced educators who share identities with our students by 10%.

• Vote to approve the FY26 (School Year 25-26) Budget, per the Finance Committee's recommendation on April 10, 2025.

Notes:

• The proposed FY26 Budget is not substantively different from the draft budget reviewed and recommended for approval by the finance committees of each board in April.
• Please prioritize reviewing the FY26 Budget Memo sent by Aaron Stelson on 5.12.26.
  • For finance committee members, Section 2: Organizational Draft Budget (p. 1 – 5) is substantively the same as earlier draft budget you already reviewed.  If you are short on time, you could skim this section.
• The following materials are also provided for reference: the April Cash Balances Email and the 5-Year Strategic Financial Model.

• Vote to confirm a CMO fee in RI for FY26 of 12.5% of public revenue as defined by the CMO agreement, consistent with the FY26 budget.

Note: The CMO Agreement between XLRI & Friends of Excel includes a 14% fee for FY26. This vote is to confirm a lower fee % than what is in the agreement.

• Vote to approve updates to Promissory Notes to extend the maturation deadlines from 6/30/25 to 6/30/32, to align the maturation date with the end of the next five-year charter term and management agreement term.

• Vote to approve resolutions authorizing the addition of Aaron Stelson, Senior Director of Finance, to all Excel Academy Rhode Island financial accounts on which the Chief Financial Officer is currently a signer, retroactive to May 2, 2025.

• Vote to approve resolutions authorizing opening of an investment Vanguard account on behalf of Excel Academy Rhode Island with the following authorized signers: Chiv Heng, Owen Stearns, Aaron Stelson.

• Update on Advocacy Timeline & Next Steps
• Approve a $250K refundable deposit and a $100K diligence budget for the 225 Chapman St. project, and authorize the Treasurer to establish a Promissory Note with Friends of Excel Academy for a $350k loan.
• Thank you to Chiv Heng, Channavy Chhay, and Jamie Greenthal for participating in the recent Site Visit Board Interview!

School Campus Tours

Excel RI

• February 5
• February 28
• March 19
• April 28

Excel MA

• February 25
• March 24
• April 30

Save the Dates:

• Signing Day Ceremony at Excel HS - May 30, 2025, 11am
• Excel Academy Charter High School Graduation - June 11, 2025, 5pm

Reminder: Please schedule 1:1 Board engagement check-ins with Owen & Arthur.