• The School Advisory Committee Reps provided insights into special education assessments, emphasizing the need for clear role definitions for absent teachers. They also proposed the establishment of a dedicated space for special education support and discussed scheduling STAR assessments to reduce student burnout. Strategies for collecting staff feedback to improve professional development were also highlighted, aiming to enhance communication and collaboration within the committee. Russotto also shared plans for improving the SAC feedback process, focusing on gathering and addressing concerns in an efficient manner.
• Mason de Gomez presented a recap of Staff Appreciation Week, which featured activities inspired by Bad Bunny's album, including a dance party and a Hawaiian luncheon. Espinosa and Burgos praised the creativity of the events, while Russotto noted the positive impact of sending appreciation notes from students and families to staff. 
• Muñoz reported on the success of Fiesta Fusion, which attracted around 400 attendees despite weather concerns, showcasing the team's collaborative efforts in engaging the community.

Governance

• Plans were discussed to expand to nine members by summer and to review the upcoming CEO evaluation, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month and shared with the board and leadership team for review in June.
• Jake Becker, recommended by Espinosa, was nominated for board membership. His resume had been circulated in advance. Flores noted his extensive experience in health services, education, and finance, while Espinosa highlighted his leadership qualities and strong commitment to the community. The group discussed potential committee assignments, with audit and finance being a likely fit.  
• DuCette has recommended Derek Coffman as a potential candidate. Coffman is currently the Major Gifts Officer at Temple University. Coffman brings fundraising and development experience. His possible role as a board member would strengthen the Advancement Committee.
• Russotto suggested reaching out to Dave Thomas from the Community College of Philadelphia for a potential board candidacy. He has already provided the school with a letter of support for the high school application and is experienced in dual enrollment programming. 

Advancement

• Feuer-Edwards shared plans to begin deeper strategic planning in the summer, noting spring had been especially demanding. She emphasized the need for additional committee support to build momentum.

Audit & Finance

• Nuccio expressed gratitude for the detailed work done by Omnivest and the Audit & Finance Committee during a recent meeting. She mentioned that the committee had thoroughly reviewed the financial documents and expressed confidence in the materials prepared. Updates were provided on budget assumptions and proposed salary guidelines for FY 25-26. The salary guidelines aim to align with local market rates, particularly those of the Philadelphia school district, and introduce a new step-based model for staff compensation, providing more predictable increases. Preliminary documents were under internal review and presented as part of the forecast.

Eglin reviewed the April 2025 financial statements and explained adjustments to the current ratio, clarifying that the correct calculation should result in a healthier 2.55, rather than the initially reported 0.53. The debt ratio is 0.85, meeting bond covenants. The forecast through June 2025 projects a net income exceeding the budget, with cash on hand expected to be above budget at 81.46 days, surpassing the required 45 days.

Russotto provided a brief update on the high school application process.  The application was electronically resubmitted on May 23, 2025, and a required digital copy of the file on a thumb drive was dropped off at the Charter School Office on May 27, 2025.  

Russotto briefly noted updates in the May Development Report, emphasizing continued outreach and ongoing grant pursuits.  Russotto also shared that a site visit from the van Ameringen Foundation was positive, with a high probability of funding being granted to support school-based therapy. 

May's school report was provided to the board for review. This month's report includes additional school culture data, continues to keep board leadership goals at the forefront, and highlights the school's use of technology.  

A presentation on school technology was provided by the Technology team, consisting of Nikki Johnson (IT Director), Jason Long (IT Manager), and Jose Nuñez (IT Support Technician).  The technology department has faced several longstanding challenges, including difficulties in recruiting qualified IT staff, limited collaboration between previous IT leadership and school administration, and a lack of mentoring for prior tech directors. These factors have contributed to gaps in oversight and internal controls. The following strategic steps have been taken to address challenges: 

• Hired an experienced IT Manager. The technology team is working to build internal capacity and foster more substantial alignment with leadership.
• Completed a two-year asset management project. The team has fully populated an asset tracking system, overcoming past gaps in inventory oversight. A low-cost solution utilizing asset stickers has been implemented. 
• Established new procedures for managing loaner laptops and loss prevention. 
• Established a predictable device replacement cycle.
• Enhanced professional development opportunities for staff. 
• Enhanced security protocols with the implementation of multifactor authentication and the introduction of phishing simulation campaigns to increase awareness and resilience among staff.

Entered into Executive Session at 6:21 pm to discuss personnel matters and compensation and returned to the regular session at 6:39 pm. 

There were no stipends or bonuses presented for approval.