Kathy Ortiz provided an update on student enrollment, noting that while the budget was built for 580 students, actual enrollment reached 602. She also shared several highlights since the last board meeting, including our first-ever Beats & Brew donor-cultivation event, multiple family workshops such as a salsa class, and our annual Sofrito Mixer. BAM led a supply and non-perishable goods drive for Jamaica in response to the recent hurricane, and Ortiz spotlighted our student poetry classes with Tony Award–winning artist Lemon Andersen.

With David Barnard input, the only update provided was that the project at 950 Longfellow Ave is continuing on schedule.

Melanie Hok presented the financial update, covering the FY25 audit submission, the current reporting period ending October 31, 2025, and the school’s likely transition to a PEO for the 2026 benefits year due to the high renewal costs from the current carrier, CIGNA.
 

With the Finance Committee’s approval, the FY25 audited financial statements (year ending June 30, 2025) were finalized and submitted to NYSED Board of Regents on time. Results were consistent with prior reporting, with no material findings. The Federal Single Audit was not included in the submission,  as the OMB 2025 Federal Compliance Supplement has not yet been released; the Single Audit component will be completed and submitted once the supplement is available.

For the current period ending October 31, 2025, Melanie reported no significant changes. The school remains on budget overall, with personnel expenses continuing to track below budget due to unfilled positions.

Joseph Chiofalo presented the Development & Communications update, covering the official launch of the 2025 - ’26 A.R.T.S. campaign. The campaign includes BCSA’s best performing newsletter to date, and a print mailer to current and lapsed donors and partners. The sofrito social event boasted its highest ever attendance. A new RSVP form has been launched on the website, allowing users to register for events all year long. An Instagram post covering poet Lemon Andersen’s seminar at the middle school went viral and is BCSA’s best performing social media post of all time. Joseph previewed Giving Tuesday, which will be on December 2nd. The school’s goal is $5,000.

Kathy Ortiz provided an overview of upcoming events and scheduled committee meetings. Additionally, she shared 3 day Thanksgiving holiday break and our next Board meeting is Dec 9, 2025.