No update. 

Leadership Changes at Veritas High School
Dr. Steve Mahoney, a former assistant superintendent in Holyoke, has been hired as the new principal for Veritas High School. He is currently working as a contractor and will officially start on July 1st. Steve has extensive experience in education, including founding Renaissance School in Springfield. He has already begun assessing the school's needs and planning changes.

The leadership team is being restructured, with some positions being eliminated and new ones created. This includes adding an assistant principal position and broadening the scope of existing roles. All current leadership team members will need to reapply for positions, as job descriptions are changing. The restructuring aims to better align roles with student needs rather than adult desires. Steve is working closely with the current administration to implement these changes.

Academic and Cultural Challenges
Steve has identified several key areas for improvement at Veritas High School. There is a disconnect between the two campuses, leading to a feeling of two separate schools rather than one unified institution. This situation affects students, faculty, staff, and families.
 

Students desire more voice and involvement in school decisions and culture. The student leadership structures on each campus are disconnected and need better coordination.
 

The current schedule, including a 15-minute staggered dismissal, is not developmentally appropriate for high school students and needs revision. The professional learning time, personalized learning block, advisory, and seminar programs lack cohesion and clear ownership.
There is a need to better align the 9th and 10th grade experience with developing academic skills and autonomy. The 11th and 12th grades should focus more on post-secondary preparation.

We ran out of time and will revisit this discussion in a future meeting.

Financial Update
The school's financial position is stable, with $1.9 million in cash, representing 46-47 days of cash on hand. The operating budget shows a positive change of $912,537, though this is expected to decrease to around $200,000 by year-end.
 

Expenses are being carefully managed.
 

Enrollment and Funding Concerns
The school lost 13 students in January, bringing total enrollment down to 683, which is below projections. This decline could impact funding.
 

There are also concerns about potential changes to federal education funding, particularly Title I funds, which make up about 15% of the school's budget. If these funds were cut, it would likely result in staffing reductions, particularly among associate teachers. The school is monitoring the situation but is not making drastic changes yet. They may seek additional private funding if necessary to maintain core programs.

The finance committee is exploring options for better protecting the school's deposits above the FDIC-insured limit of $250,000. They are considering using a service called IntraFi, which would spread deposits across multiple banks. There are some concerns about the complexity and potential risks of this approach.