KIPP Capital Region Public Charter Schools
Minutes
KIPP Capital Region Board Meeting
Date and Time
Wednesday June 11, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Location
KIPP Albany Community Charter Middle School (KACCSM)
42 S Dove Street
Albany, NY 12202
Directors Present
A. Duncan, A. Killings, C. Young, G. Feliciano, J. Reilly, K. Young Wilkins, R. Bellafiore, S. Butler (remote), S. Kabir
Directors Absent
D. Applyrs, J. Gray, K. Kimbrough, R. Mexico
Guests Present
A. Dodd (remote), Connor LeClair, Gerald Boyd, Johanna Martin, Joiele Coplin, M. Wright, Michele Kilburn, Najjemba Dennis, Natalie Orcutt, S. Valle, T. Cropper, Tondra Collins
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
J. Reilly called a meeting of the board of directors of KIPP Capital Region Public Charter Schools to order on Wednesday Jun 11, 2025 at 7:33 AM.
C.
Approve Minutes
A. Duncan made a motion to approve the minutes from April 30th KIPP Capital Region Board Meeting on 04-30-25.
S. Kabir seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
II. Discussion Topics
A.
Data Dive
- Open staff roles discussed--staff 81% filled
- DIBELS Overview
- iReady Overview
III. Management & Committee Reports
A.
Management Reports
Leadership report on staffing changes reported by Stephanie Valle.
B.
Committees
No Academic Committee report; will be meeting next week.
No Finance Committee report; John P. Reilly mentioned he has a lead on a new treasurer.
Shai reported on behalf of the Governance Committee.
The committee last met on 5/23 and discussed many topics including
- KACCS SUNY Report
- Will need a new Governance Committee Chair with Shai's departure due to her new employment outside of the Capital Region
- Sharif attended the meeting and has agreed to take on reviewing our ByLaws. The goal will be to develop SOPs for the board.
IV. Discussion Topics
A.
Board Fundraising & Development in SY25-26
- 2025 Annual Appeal Update
- 2025-26 Development Priorities
- KIPP Capital High School
- Reading/Phonics Intervention in Middle Grades
- High School STEM
- Mental Health
- $100,000 Goal for SY 25-26
Board Give or Get Activities
- Activities proposed to reach fundraising goal
- 20th Anniversary Event (tentative based on support)
- Supply Drive (April 2026)
- Annual Appeal
- Important--Events need 100% support from Board of Trustees
B.
SY25-26 Safety Plan
Safety Plan:
- Requirement for schools to submit a safety plan
- For board review over the next two months and a vote in August
C.
Update: KACCS Renewal
KACCS Support Plan:
- Quality and structure of staffing
- Middle School Staffing Discussion:
- Principal Tommy Henley remaining
- Hired new assistant principal
- Few remaining roles to fill
- Elementary school staffing
- School leadership team remaining
- Hired new K-2 instructional coach
- Few remaining to fill
- Middle School Staffing Discussion:
- Principal Support Plan
- Progress Monitoring Review
- Coaching O3s
- Instructional Walkthroughs & Co-Observations
- ILT Meeting Support or Debrief
- Coaching Reflection & Planning
- Intervention Progress
- Concerns Addressed:
- Persistently low academic performance
- Weak intervention and at-risk programming
- Inconsistent curriculum implementation
- Chronic Absenteeism
- Interventions:
- Working Group to establish intervention expectations
- Develop structure for weekly academic progress monitoring meetings
- Teaching and learning coaching visits to continue
- Cohesive coaching cycle PD and structures at KACCSE and KACCSM
- Weekly Data meetings
- Individual support meeting with DOOs
- Elimination of autocalls
- DIP Day incentive planning for days we typically see lower attendance
- Pre-school launch calls to problem solve on attendance issues
- Top 10 chronically absent students will have daily check-ins
- Daily check-ins for first 21 days of school
- Enhanced tracking system for all of the above
- Concerns Addressed:
V. New Business
A.
SY 25-26 Budget
KCAP Budget Development Context:
- KIPP Capital Region budget includes 9 separate budgets
- General Core Aid tuition rates increased on average 5% from FY25 to FY26
- DOOS and RT budget Managers are responsible for collaboration with the Financial Team to create budgets
- KCAP Financial Summaries Discussed
- Net Income compared across KIPP schools
- FY 26 Debt Covenant Projection
- Revenue Sources Overview-Federal funding decrease
- KCAP Expense Overview
C. Young made a motion to Approve the SY 25-26 Budget.
G. Feliciano seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
B.
SY 25-26 Student Handbooks
C. Young made a motion to Approve the SY 25-26 Student Handbooks.
A. Duncan seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
C.
SY 25-26 Academic Calendar
K. Young Wilkins made a motion to Approve the SY 25-26 Academic Calendar.
S. Kabir seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
D.
SY 25-26 Board Meeting Schedule
A. Duncan made a motion to Approve the 25-26 Board Meeting Schedule.
C. Young seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
E.
SY 25-26 Board Member Elections
Board Member Elections:
- New Board Member
- Michele Kilburn
- Renew the following board members:
- John P. Reilly
- Dr. Kim Wilkins
- Ron Mexico
Board Officer Elections:
- Chair
- John P, Reilly
- Vice Chair
- Dr. Kim Wilkins
- Secretary
- Sharif Kabir
- Treasurer
- Interim, Ron Mexico
C. Young made a motion to Elect and Renew the above-mentioned board members.
G. Feliciano seconded the motion.
And set the number of trustees to 12.
A. Duncan made a motion to Elect the above-mentioned Board Officers.
S. Kabir seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
F.
Board Committees
A. Duncan made a motion to Create a KACCS Renewal Committee.
G. Feliciano seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
VI. Executive Session
A.
Executive Session
Executive Session from 9:20am to 9:36am
VII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:36 AM.
Respectfully Submitted,
J. Reilly
Review of progress and new data on Anchor Metrics discussed