230 students- max enrollment Added 2 new students this week, both from Lynn Very excited to add 2 7th graders Below 230 for less than a month

Since we we're notified in October that we would be unable to use mailers, we've had to pivot. Using a marketing company called "Underdog Strategies" to target FB and Instagram. $4000 initial investment: $2000 for content creation and placement, $2000 ad

Intention is to generate 50 "leads" -> 15 applications. Turnout is 110 leads and 45 applications. Phone follow up has been crucial. Reached about 27,000 people, average of 5 views per person.

Spent about $1400 on newspaper ads, but didn't yield as many applicants. Compared to last year's spending ($8500) we've spent about the same.
 

Marketing plan should include year-round engagement moving forward.

This year we 157 applications so far, with 21 from Salem (on the mandatory skip-over list). 85 applications for 4th grade last year as of closing date (15 after the date), 65 applications currently.

20 prospective 4th grade applicants will shadow tomorrow, planned Swampscott open house on district half day. Full open house last weekend. Focus will be on filling 4th grade and retention.

Lindsay: can we take siblings of current Salem siblings? Stephanie: Yes, we can. They're grandfathered in 44 Lynn 34 MHD 25 Peabody 21 Salem 17 Swampscott 5 Beverly 3 Nahant 2 Danvers

Katie: How can we be more active- can I give my contact information as a Swampscott parent? Stephanie: Yes Kim: Maybe we could host a coffee shop chat? Stephanie: We've talked about hosting a coffee or something. We can take another look after the lottery

We need to be able to show demand from sending districts, Stephanie has some concerns. Met with the DOE in January, expect that the finding will be a 5 year roadmap to fix demand. We're getting huge demand from Peabody and Beverly. Potential amendment '27

We don't need status as a proven provider to apply for amendment (besides Salem and Lynn) to include Peabody and Beverly as sending districts.

Katie: Successful events have been family-hosted events for recruiting. All the things you're doing.

Stephanie: Currently at 56%sending, 44% non sending. 129 from sending districts 32 from Peabody 31 Lynn 23 Salem

Targeted ads in Portuguese going out, would like 4th grade numbers in the 80s for robust classes.

New instructional assistant in grade 5, new prospective assistant shadowing tomorrow for full staffing.

7:30 Staff survey of climate (42 out of 44 staff) showed at or above expectations as compared to schools of our size.

Trust among staff was the outlier, below expectation based on other schools of our size. Thinking about how to incorporate that feedback into the second half of the school year.

Kim: What do you do to build trust among the staff? Stephanie: It's a lot of conversations, how do we get the content teachers, the two adults in the room, and the second adult not to feel like they're only responsible for THESE students and the content

...teacher feeling like they're responsible for THESE students. It's a shift, it's a lot more structured than it's been before.

Teachers are in the middle of mid year evaluations, which will be finished in the next two weeks. Winter diagnostic assessments are underway, 56% progress toward expected growth. This is an early indicator. ELA diagnostics happening this week.

2/11, all teachers will engage with diagnostics. KD will facilitate analysis. Need to make sure we're promoting higher level questions.

Community event updates: 30th gala will be 5/8 at Nahant Country Club. Efforts are underway for fundraising and sponsors. Music extravaganza is coming up, as is the all-school Spelling Bee.
 

Katie Sullivan- founding member. Sharing slides about the HOS evaluation process: Timeline, Evidence (relevant evidence- event attendance, communication with parents via PS, meeting contributions etc)

Does the board want to stick with the mid year cycle form? The formatting issue stemmed from the overflowing of the comments. Eric suggests a Google Form that would aggregate the comments for Stephanie.

Eric will put this together so the board can fill this out after Stephanie presents at the February meeting. March meeting will be the conversation about the summarized board feedback.

 

Lindsay and Karen went to a training, will push this to have Karen present next meeting.

Kim: Next week is Charter School Advocacy Week! We're talking about access and availability, and funding. 

Facilities per pupil funding- Money we use towards overhead. Charters are given significantly (~$430 year/ student- almost $100,000 annually) less than public schools. You can talk to your state reps about the difficult decisions that need to be made because of the deficit in funding. 

EX window replacement vs math interventionist to bring up MCAS scores

Fair Funding Virtual kick off rally 2/2

Kim: 2/11 board hosting lunch for the staff! A chance to say thank you and engage with staff. How should this be structured?

Usually PTO caters from Manhattan Sandwich Co, but we can do something else.

Kim is happy to order/ pay and people can Venmo her as they are comfortable.

Kim will send a follow up email.

8:38- Lindsay: Please find a session through MCPSA to engage with and find something that will count as PD as a board member and share back if you are so inspired. 

We are a board of 14, can be up to 15. Losing folks in June and October, and will need to fill 3-4 spots. Think about your networks and communities, and who would be a good fit for this group.

8:45- Lindsay will "roll off" board chair after graduation in June, if you have any interest, reach out via email ASAP please!

8:46 Emily: Successful grants! electronics recycling event raised $1200 and were granted additional funds from Stop and Shop.

Expenses (budgeted) caused a one-off loss month.

Student placement has created a special circumstance fee of $16,000- 40 school day assessment. 

Second consecutive year, state clawed back more than $16,000.

8:50- Polly: Charter needs to pay for an out-of-district students?

Stephanie: We are our own special education district, if it's determined that the student needs to continue in a different setting, then the district becomes fiscally responsible. There will be a second bill. 

Emily: Transportation alone will likely be $8000.

8:55- Katie: Met last week, went through several pages for the draft handbook for the board of trustees. Of note: we're talking about the boards role in policy, but it's a slippery slope, so were working on finessing that. 

8:57- Ellen: we're not meeting that often and our next meeting is in February to talk about the diagnostic data.

8:58 Kim: Planning for the Gala, would really like to encourage board members to participate and give in whatever ways you can. Currently looking for sponsors, goal is to raise $50,000. Currently meeting Friday mornings at the school to party plan!

This is sponsorship not solicitation so board members can contribute.

Tickets will be $100 per person.

The board can promote ticket sales and encourage sponsors, silent auction items, etc.

9:07- Katie: Kim will you be reaching out to the list of alumni, families, etc?

Kim: Yes, Meg has been, Ellen has some folks!

9:11 Chris: The DEI committee would like to craft a policy document to drive deliverables that would then be approved by the board. Committee members will follow up with governance and continue investigating other extant policies at other schools. 

Kim: What additional protections would a DEI statement provide that a general discrimination statement wouldn't?

Rachel: We're continuing to research this and make sure we're compliant with MA law.

Polly: What's the goal of this document?

Lindsay: Our goal is to be a thought partner with the HOS, and to support and take some of the weight of big decisions so there's something for our HOS to point to and lean on. 

Polly: Does DESE not have best practice?

Chris: DESE provides some of these and we've referenced them.

Katie: Did Stephanie ask for this?

Stephanie: I have asked to rely on the board as a thought process. I've brought examples of things that are happening and wee've talked about using the anti-discrimination policy in most of these situations. I have some concerns about picking which we make policies on, because I don't want to leave someone out.

9:23 Polly: I think just having... Just using other reliable resources...

It's a weird thing because we're not on equal footing as the other public schools but it's interesting because we need to consider our community.

9:33 Chris: reviewed the HOS process (mentioned earlier) for Mid year evaluation, confirmed survey anonymity practices. Discussed and supported the decision to give the staff climate survey in January.