No members of the public provided comments at this meeting.

O. Stearns presented updates on the State of the School, including the following highlights:

• The new modular units are up and running and look great.
• Classrooms are calm and safe, and there is consistency across classrooms
  • Students understand clear and purposeful expectations.
  • Routines and procedures allow for calm and safe transitions.
• Student Culture indicators:
  • Attendance: 95.3% in September (up from 93% this time last year)
  • Chronic absenteeism: 19.8% (down from 20.3% this time last year)
  • Suspensions: 0
• Hiring:
  • 100% of core teaching and leadership roles are filled
  • 100% of staff who completed SY23-24 returned in SY24-25, which is a testament to the excellent work of the leadership team
• We are fully enrolled with a healthy waitlist (320 as of 9/24/24).
• The school and network academic leadership teams have been working heavily on the implementation of a new instructional observation rubric, which we will have a chance to learn more about at the November Board and Academic Oversight Committee meeting.

F. Rojas shared her perspective as a parent, and noted that orientation went very smoothly, kids are excited to be back, and Back to School nights are coming up soon.

A. Kaynor reminded the Board that the Academic Oversight Committee will meet on Nov. 7 and that the Board will have an opportunity to meet with Dr. Ring and her team then.

L. Cariaga-Lo asked a clarifying question about the modular units, and O. Stearns clarified that our 5th grade classes are using the modulars currently.

L. Giordano asked a clarifying question regarding whether dismissal still occurs through front office. C. Reed noted that it does, and that we re-ran the fencing so that you can't enter the modulars except through the school, and that this also allowed us to increase space for the playground.

J. Greenthal asked how  neighbors have responded to the school. O. Stearns noted that we have received no complaints from  neighbors, and that staff park on-site and parent drop-off occurs across the street at the church, and that pick-up and drop-off are well staffed and supervised to minimize any disruption for neighbors.

C. Heng asked a clarifying question regarding how many students take the bus vs. rely on parent drop-off, and C. Reed clarified that the majority of students take the bus, which has been reliable. F. Rojas noted that her daughter takes the bus and that the app. notifies her when the bus will be arriving and has been working very well. Parents are please with the way it is working from her observations and experience.

C. Reed and A. Solomon presented updates on real estate. 

C. Reed presented lessons learned from the modulars construction, and the Board asked clarifying questions which C. Reed was able to answer.

O. Stearns presented an update on the school's ongoing efforts following our advocacy related to the Carl G. Lauro building last spring.

A. Kaynor and A. Solomon presented the Board with a summary of updates to the Title IX policy and provided the Board with a training on the policy and the Board's role.

A. Kaynor provided an update and reminder about the FY24 annual audit meeting schedule, as summarized on the agenda.