Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday November 14, 2023 at 5:30 PM
Location
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
1857 Middlesex Street, Lowell MA 01851
Rm. 1224 - High School Music Room
Meeting Notice
The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell, 1857 Middlesex Street, Lowell, MA
will hold a Board of Trustees monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. in room 1224.
Posted to The Lowell Sun 11/12/2023.
Trustees Present
A. Miller, B. Chapman, K. McCarthy, P. Patel, W. McGrail
Trustees Absent
None
Guests Present
A. Bakr, C. Connors, C. Crane, C. Nystrom, T. Cameron, prondon@collegiatelowell.org
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
C.
School Mission
D.
Approve Agenda - November 2023
E.
Approve Minutes - October 2023
II. Public Comment
A.
Floor Open to the Public
No comments from the public.
III. Student Life and School Culture
A.
Update
Presentation of Student Life School Council - DeAndre, Emily, Marianna, Julia.
Homecoming and Spriit Week.
Student Council Event
Transition
Mill City Santa - December
Mrs. McCarthy asked about families in need during the holiday season.
IV. New Business
A.
Tuition Reimbursement
Mr. Bakr presented to the board a proposal for a tuition reimbursement program.
Discussion on requirements of program. Grading requirements discussed. Discussion on relevancy of course work in the area in which employee works. Discussion surrounding funding and availability dependent upon number of staff members who participate in the program.
V. Committee Reports
A.
Finance
Discussion of monthly budget vs. actual report by committee chair, Alan Miller and Business Manager, Carl Nystrom.
B.
Education
No report. Sub-committee meeting scheduled for 12/12/23 @ 4:30 p.m.
C.
Facility
Update from B. Chapman. Turf field nearing completion. Expected completion within 1-2 weeks. Grand opening ribbon cutting being planned for November 28th. Scoreboard installation expected in Spring 2024.
Discussion surrounding acoustics in the Physics lab and need for soundproofing. C. Nystrom exploring pricing options. Potentially similar in the cafeteria.
D.
Governance
Discussion of Board By-Law amendment and feedback from DESE on necessary changes.
Discussion from K. McCarthy regarding update on status of school, post transition and feedback from stakeholders. A. Bakr seeking feedback from stakeholders and present to Board in January or February 2024.
E.
Community Outreach
Update by B. Chapman regarding update with Lowell Five and partnership, including financial literacy program. Seeking to further expand the partnership between Collegiate and Lowell Five.
F.
Board Development
Discussion regarding expanding the board of trustees members. Discussion on potential candidates.
VI. Director's Report
A.
Marketing
Presentation by C. Crane. Discussion on strategic partnerships.
- Veterans day assembly with former military
- Open House update 7/13/23
- Connection with Lowell Community Charter for enrollment
- MassHire partnership
- Seeking guest for field ribbon cutting
- Meeting with seniors re: internship opportunities
B.
Academics
Presentation by A. Bakr regarding MCAS results. Reviewed accountability report results from DESE. No assistance or intervention required. Moderate progress overall. Reviewed growth, achievement, AP courses, attendance - elementary and high school. Shared comparison between Collegiate, state, Lowell Public, and neighboring charter school(s).
Presentation by C. Connors on MAP testing results from Fall 2023. Breakdown of results K-8 math and Reading. MAP expected to be a prediction of MCAS abilities.
Discussion of Academic Dashboard presentation to board monthly to show progress. Dashboard to be discussed during December Academic Sub-committee meeting.
C.
Staffing
T. Cameron shared data on staffing progress over past month. A. Bakr expanded upon current coverage of vacant positions.
D.
Enrollment
C. Nystrom shared current enrollment data. Discussed new students and withdrawals.
E.
Discipline
Update by A. Bakr.
- Full day of PD on 11/7 on classroom management strategies and positive behavior interventions.
- Teacher involvement increase. Suspensions decreasing.
F.
Upcoming Events
Update by A. Bakr.
- Football 11/22 @ Greater Lowell Tech - 1:00 p.m.
- Open House 11/28
- Field Ribbon Cutting 11/28
- Turkey Bowl 11/22
- Christmas Party 12/15
- STEM Fair 1/8
VII. Unfinished Business
A.
Board on Track Update
Discussion on trial.
B.
Board By-Laws Amendment
Discussed during Governance Committee update.
VIII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
- Board of Trustees Minutes 10.17.23 Draft.pdf
- November Student Life Presentation.pdf
- Budget vs Actual October 2023 v11.8.2023.pdf
- Director's Report 11.14.2023.pdf
Board Members recited the School Mission.