Rochester Academy Charter School

Minutes

Board Meeting

Date and Time

Friday May 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Location

Central Office Conference Room

Trustees Present

C. Sampson, G. Tillery, J. Santos, S. Al, W. Middleton

Trustees Absent

T. Wright

Guests Present

D. Ozcan, J. Doyle, M. Demirtas, Z. Ercan

I. Opening Items

A.

Record Attendance and Guests

B.

Call the Meeting to Order

W. Middleton called a meeting of the board of trustees of Rochester Academy Charter School to order on Friday May 15, 2026 at 5:20 PM.

C.

Public Comment Session

D.

Approve Minutes

S. Al made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Meeting on 05-01-26.
G. Tillery seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

II. Academic Excellence

A.

Monthly Topic

J. Doyle presented the monthly scoreboard for the Wildly Important Goal of the strategic plan. Additionally, she outlined projected staffing requirements for the upcoming school year.

III. Community Outreach

A.

Presentation of Monthly School Activities Report

Z. Ercan reported on monthly activities, noting that social media traffic has spiked following news of seniors earning full-tuition scholarships to local institutions.

IV. Finance and Facilities

A.

Enrollment

M. Demirtas provided current enrollment data, noting the school will achieve its target average.

Z. Ercan presented the outlook for the next academic year.

B.

Review PEO Partnership

C. Sampson made a motion to approve the ExtensisHR partnership, pending confirmation of "in-network" status for local hospitals.
G. Tillery seconded the motion.

The Finance Committee and School Leadership evaluated the proposed partnership with ExtensisHR. It was determined that utilizing their PEO services would offer significant mutual benefits for employees and the school.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

Parking Lot Project

The project proposal will be presented to the Board for review at the next scheduled meeting.

D.

26-27 Budget Process

As the per-pupil tuition rate has not yet been finalized, further discussion regarding the budget has been tabled until the next board meeting.

E.

Financials

D. Ozcan presented the monthly financial report.

V. Development

A.

Fundraising Plan

J. Santos requested that the fundraising plan be included as a formal discussion item during the upcoming Board Retreat.

VI. Governance

A.

Discuss Professional Development Opportunities

B.

Review Board Member Term Renewals

C. Sampson made a motion to approve the extension of G. Tillery’s board membership for an additional one-year term.
S. Al seconded the motion.

It was noted that per the school's bylaws regarding parent representation, G. Tillery’s term is eligible for a one-year extension. The Board expressed its appreciation for his continued service and valued contributions to the school.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
C. Sampson made a motion to approve the extension of J. Santos’ board membership for an additional three-year term.
S. Al seconded the motion.

The Board expressed its appreciation for J. Santos' continued service and valued contributions to the school.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

C.

Discuss Board Retreat Meeting Details

Due to summer scheduling conflicts, the Board decided to make a change to the July meeting date and finalized the date for the upcoming Board Retreat.

 

July Board Meeting: Rescheduled for July 21, 2026.

Board Retreat: Scheduled for August 11, 2026.

Non-board member committee members will be invited to the Board Retreat.

VII. Other Business

A.

Employee Changes Review

S. Al made a motion to approve the staffing changes.
G. Tillery seconded the motion.

The Board reviewed the current lists of new hires, terminations, and resignations. It was noted that recruitment efforts have been successful, with three candidates recently hired as a direct result of the school leaders attending the latest hiring event.

The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.

VIII. Closing Items

A.

Board Meeting Evaluation

The meeting was comprehensive and thorough in its deliberations.

B.

Adjourn Meeting

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:54 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
M. Demirtas

Following the general session, the Governance Committee transitioned to an interview with a RACS graduate regarding their candidacy for the Academic Excellence Committee.