The Chairman greeted all Directors and guests. 

Roll call was conducted by Dr. Bill Ursillo. A quorum was present. 

Dr. Mary Anne DeVivio presented the Principal’s Report. 

Keynotes included:

• Current attendance is at 90% ADA, with enrollment at 460 students. 
• 35 fifth-grade students have siblings, with verbal intent to return noted.
• Assessment results will be shared with the Academic Committee. Preliminary mid-year results are similar to last year, and MAP scores are being compared to i-Ready scores.
• The Summer Boost application has opened, and the school has been identified as a TFA mentor site. 
• The December concert was reported as successful.
• After-school test preparation program will open next week for grades 3–5 and is expected to serve approximately 150 students. 
• The middle school charter school fair is scheduled for January 14, with 13 schools participating. Charter school data has been analyzed and will be shared with families for more informed decision-making.
• Grades 2 and 3 will participate in the District 10 spelling bee in January.
• The International Spirit of Math contest will take place on February 28. 
• Parents will be notified of the upcoming CSI NYS parent survey.

Dr. Ursillo, Chair of the Academic Committee, presented the November 2025 Academic Committee report. 

Keynotes included:

• The leadership team will present at the Sanctuary Conference in April on Sanctuary practices and data-driven instruction.
• New report cards were discussed, along with website traffic metrics. Mr. Ronda presented favorable i-Ready diagnostic testing results.
• The committee discussed how the school can continue supporting community culture.
• Members discussed support for the charter renewal application process, including ideas related to a separate middle school location and classroom expansion, and expressed enthusiasm for providing ongoing support.

Dr. Gershen-Lowy, Chair of the Finance Committee, presented the November 2025 Finance Committee report. 

Keynotes included:

• Ms. Gnesina reviewed the October 2025 monthly financial statements, October 2025 Money Market statement, disbursement report, and expenses report over $5,000.
  • $8.4M cash on hand across all accounts, excluding escrow. 
  • General education enrollment at 454 students. 
  • Special education enrollment is higher than budgeted, which results in increased revenue.
  • Projected surplus of $64,000 was reported. Full-year projections show approximately $600,000 over budget in revenue, driven by increased state and federal income, including federal food program funds and special education revenue.
  • Expenses are projected to exceed the budget by approximately $500,000, primarily due to personnel costs, open positions with higher salaries, food-related expenses, and after-school program costs. 
  • A surplus of $64,000 is projected. 
  • Total funds across all accounts were reported at $8.475 million. 
  • The Money Market account balance is $536,000, including interest.
• The Finance Committee will continue reviewing expenses over $5,000. While the $5,000 threshold is arbitrary, members agreed that a defined threshold is helpful.
• Ms. Gnesina recommended moving excess funds from the checking account into a higher-interest savings account, noting that over $2M is currently held in checking. She will review the numbers by Friday and provide a recommendation to the Finance Committee in January. Approval of the transfer consistent with the FPP was noted. 
• The Financial Policies and Procedures (FPP) manual, last revised in February, will be updated again. The proposed actions are in compliance with the FPP and will be carried out by the leadership team.
• Salary adjustments were discussed. Dr. DeVivio reviewed certification levels and conducted a compensation analysis against the DOE salary scale. Twelve teachers were identified as earning below comparable levels. Salaries were adjusted in December, and retention bonuses were also issued at that time. Ms. Gnesina confirmed that these costs were built into the budget.
• All banking institutions involved in school financials are FDIC insured at the same level. The Board discussed consideration of moving the operating account to Metropolitan Bank.

Mr. McCarthy, Chair of the Governance Committee, presented the November 2025 Governance Committee report. 

Keynotes included:

• The committee discussed various lease and facility options. The committee expressed interest in engaging a specialist from Whiteman Osterman & Hanna to provide insight into potential lease rates.

There was no Partner’s Report presented this month. 

The board discussed the annual board self-evaluation and noted that a CSI template on board efficacy is available for review. 

The board will review the Financial Policies and Procedures (FPP) manual in February, with minor updates anticipated due to Mr. Sgambati’s support. 

The selection of the auditor for the 2025-2026 school year will take place at the May board meeting. 

The National Charter Schools Conference is scheduled for June 25-June 27 in New Orleans.
Board members were asked to notify Ms. Bailey if interested in attending.

Directors were updated on lease progress. The Sparkill Dominican Sisters informed CMCS
that the lease will be extended. Counsel will circulate the lease draft for review, which includes
proposed rent increases for both CMCS and CMCCS. Board members were asked to notify Mr.
McCarthy of any items to discuss with counsel.