Bronx Charter School for the Arts
Minutes
Monthly Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday April 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location
Zoom
Trustees Present
Arlene Bascom (remote), Charles Whites (remote), David Barnard (remote), Eric Osorio (remote), Susan Geisenheimer (remote), Zahreen Ghaznavi (remote)
Trustees Absent
Barbara H. Scott, Denise Brecher, Evette Stair- Radlein, Lori Biancamano
Ex Officio Members Present
Kathy Ortiz (remote)
Non Voting Members Present
Kathy Ortiz (remote)
Guests Present
Joseph Chiofalo (remote), Lydia Bremer (remote), Melanie Hok (remote), Patricia Rooney (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Approve Minutes
II. Executive Director Report
A.
Update
III. Finance
A.
Update
Ms. Melanie Hok reported no major changes; the school is currently planning its budget and will present the proposed budget for the next fiscal year at the upcoming board meeting.
IV. Development & Communications Report
A.
Update
Mr. Joseph Chiofalo reported the results of Bronx Arts’ first virtual art auction, From our Walls to Yours. 11 of 12 paintings were sold, raising a total of $3,044.
Bronx Arts has been awarded a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies' Summer Boost initiative for the fourth summer running. Summer Boost allows schools to host summer programming to mitigate learning loss between school terms. Bronx Arts’ grant amount is $160,000 intended to serve 100 students from rising 1st - 8th grades.
Before June 30th, grant applications will be submitted to the Cowles Charitable Trust, the Hearst Foundation, and the Achelis & Bodman Foundation.
V. Upcoming Events
A.
Update
Ms. Ortiz shared the upcoming key dates and events:
- April 21–22: NYS ELA Exam
- April 28–29: NYS Math Exam
- April 30, 10:00 am: Facilities Committee
- May 5: NYS Grade 5 Science Exam
- May 5, 4:00 pm: ED Evaluation & Support
- May 8, 10:00 am: Executive Committee
- May 8, 10:30 am: Finance Committee
- May 12, 6:00 pm: Board Meeting
- May 20, 5:00–7:00 pm: Jazz on Longfellow
Board members are encouraged to invite at least five guests to Jazz on Longfellow.
Ms. Kathy Ortiz provided an update on enrollment, attendance, and key organizational milestones. In March, the school achieved a 90% average daily attendance rate.
The lottery was held on April 1, with approximately 100 families participating virtually—the highest level of engagement to date. For the upcoming school year, re-enrollment currently stands at 97%. A total of 207 offers were extended for 162 available seats, with approximately 80% of those offers accepted to date.
Ms. Ortiz acknowledged Ms. Rooney, Ms. Bremer, Ms. Millie, and the entire operations team for their swift and effective post-lottery outreach to families. Recruitment efforts remain ongoing and include open houses, targeted mailings, canvassing, community outreach, and social media engagement. Families most often reported learning about the school through referrals, community partnerships, and online searches.
Ms. Ortiz also reported that the midterm renewal visit went very well, and the school is currently awaiting the written report from its NYSED Board of Regents liaison. The Executive Director’s evaluation will be scheduled at a later date.