Paul Robeson Charter School
Minutes
Regular Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday January 15, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Location
1289 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
Trenton, NJ 08638
This meeting is being held in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act and is open to the public. Notices were duly posted and the meeting was advertised in The Trentonian and The Times of Trenton. Formal action will be taken.
Trustees Present
B. Englezos, J. Cassimatis, K. Somberg, T. Rebar, V. Aggarwal (remote)
Trustees Absent
B. Blount
Guests Present
A. Wright, C. Freyer (remote), F. Lund (remote), J. Amenda, K. Lamilla (remote), K. Tini, S. Smith, S. Spuhler
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
K. Somberg called a meeting of the board of trustees of Paul Robeson Charter School to order on Thursday Jan 15, 2026 at 4:05 PM.
B.
Record Attendance
II. Discussion
A.
Dashboard
B.
Development Committee / Fundraising Update
Ken provided fundraising updates to the Board
C.
Facility Update
Shelby and Tyler provide Facility update to the Board
D.
Armed Security Guards
John discusses with board option to have armed security guards at the school.
E.
New Charter Regulations
New Charter regulations were discussed with the Board.
F.
Strategic Planning
John recaps the Board on previous Strategic Planning work and updates them on how PRCS will be moving forward - ie with SGL Consulting.
G.
Confirm Recurring Finance Committee Time
III. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes
A.
Motion for Paul Robeson Charter School, Board of Trustees to accept the minutes from the November 20, 2025 board meeting.
B. Englezos made a motion to approve the minutes from Regular Board Meeting on 11-20-25.
J. Cassimatis seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
IV. Motions for Approval
A.
Finance
T. Rebar made a motion to 1. To approve the Secretary’s and Treasurer’s Reports for November & December 2025 as per the attached.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:232.11(a), the Paul Robeson Charter School Board of Trustees acknowledges receipt of the secretary’s certification, and after review of the monthly financial report (appropriations section) certifies that, to the best of its knowledge, as of September & October 2025, no major account or fund has been over expended in violation of N.J.A.C. 6A:232.11(b), and that sufficient funds are available to meet the school’s financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year.
2. To approve the Bills/Check List from November 21, 2025 through January 6, 2026
3. To approve the following payrolls:
11/20/25 Payroll $337,512.94
12/15/25 Payroll $390,115.05
12/19/25 Payroll $307,565.44
4. To approve the acceptance of the Emergent & Capital Maintenance Funds in the amount of $60,921.00 as attached.
J. Cassimatis seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
B.
Personnel
B. Englezos made a motion to 1. To approve the following staff travel and PD expenses & reimbursements:
Employee- Suleymi Ostolaza
Description- NJ AHPERD Annual Convention- Princeton, NJ
Date- Feb 23rd and Feb 24th
Cost- $380
2. To approve the following new hires:
Employee- Kh-ing James
Position- Lunch and Recess Aide
Pay Rate- $22/hr
Position Duration (10/12)- 10-month
3. To approve the following staff resignations:
Employee- Biyanka Bradley
Position- Teacher
Resignation Date- 12/17.
T. Rebar seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
C.
Student Field Trips
J. Cassimatis made a motion to 1. To approve the following student field trips:
Trip Location- LEDI Holocaust Exhibit
Type of Trip- Academic
Costs & Funding Source- Free, Bus- we will pay but get reimbursed
Number of Students Attending- 74 students + 1
Date- Feb 26th
Educational Purpose- Tied to academic content in reading and social studies
Trip Location- Universal Display
Type of Trip- Distinguished Honors Trip
Costs & Funding Source- Bus- $800
Number of Students Attending- 40 students
Date- Feb TBD
Educational Purpose- STEM content for honors students.
T. Rebar seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
D.
Policy/Miscellaneous
T. Rebar made a motion to 1. To approve the second amendment to the Academic and Business Services Agreement between Young Scholars Charter School and Paul Robeson Charter School, as attached, totaling $117,304.00.
2. To approve the contract with The Stepping Stones Group, for speciality contracted services, rate sheet attached.
3. To approve the amended contract with Tri-shield Security for armed guard services, rates attached.
4. To approve the proposal with SGL Consulting for Strategic Planning, totaling $28,000.
B. Englezos seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
V. Closing Items
A.
New Business
B.
Public Comment
C.
Important Dates
D.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 5:41 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
S. Spuhler
John provided Dashboard update to the Board