Bronx Preparatory Charter School Board of Trustees Meeting

Bronx Preparatory Charter School
Board of Trustees Meeting
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
6:30PM
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
535 Madison Avenue NY, NY 10022
Conference Room C
Minutes
Trustees Present
Nancy Garvey
Debbie Evangelakos
Brian Berger
Yuliana Kim-Grant
Philip Wharton
Donna Sanders
Trustees Absent
Philip Gelston
Kristen Macleod
Ravi Suria
David Roman
Maricruz Alvarado
Invited Guests
Emmanuel George
Katie Duffy
Howard Schnidman
Eliza Saunders
Kavita Dolan resigned prior to the meeting.
Nancy Garvey called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m.
Motion: Motion to approve the following minutes:
• Bronx Prep (09.23.14)
Motion by: Yuliana Kim-Grant
Seconded by: Brian Berger
Motion passed unanimously at 6:46 p.m.
Nancy Garvey began by noting that she and Debbie visited Bronx Prep recently and was impressed
with the progress that has been made. Teachers are working long hours but feel as though their
efforts are purposeful and making a difference in terms of scholars progressing academically. Board
discussion ensued about the school visit and conversations with teachers.
School Update
Emmanuel George began the school update by reviewing the data dashboard distributed to the
board. Mr. George noted that the school’s population of scholars with disabilities (SWD) appears
low at the moment because many scholars who need special education services have not been
evaluated. Parents are often reluctant to agree to evaluations because they believe that IEPs may lead
WWW. DEMOCRACYPREP.ORG
to their children being stigmatized. Discussion ensued about the school’s enrollment of scholars
with disabilities and the provision of support services.
Mr. George pivoted to a discussion of school culture, for which DREAM Dollars are a useful proxy.
He noted that the high school’s DREAM Dollar balance is likely too high, which is a sign that the
behavior system has not yet been implemented with full fidelity. On the academic side, he noted that
seventh grade is working through behavioral and homework completion challenges. Discussion
ensued about teacher quality and training. Similarly, Mr. George noted that the high school course
pass rates look too high in some classes, and that one of his major pushes is increasing the rigor in
those classrooms. Discussion ensued about student data, SAT scores, and alumni support.
Network Update
Katie Duffy started the network update by noting that school reviews have been completed. Bronx
Prep Middle and High School have both shown tremendous progress, although everyone
understands there is still a considerable amount of room to grow. At the moment, the middle school
appears to be stronger, especially from a teacher quality standpoint. Principals created action plans
to address the feedback they received, and the spring review will be used to measure how much
progress has been made in those areas. The reviews revealed that scholars have a high level of
respect for each other. The leadership team will continue to increase the rigor, and the expectation is
that rigor will continue to increase along with attendance and investment. Bronx Prep scholars
participated for the first time in a Get Out the Vote effort on Election Day, an initiative that was
featured on the local news.
Charter Renewal Update
Ms. Duffy noted that the school recently submitted a series of documents to SUNY in preparation
for the Charter Schools Institute’s visit on December 2. Discussion ensued about the renewal
process.
Finance Update
Mr. Schnidman reviewed the school’s final audited financial statement for FY14 and the
management notes concerning compensation documentation and lottery preferences. Subsequently,
he discussed FY15 forecast. The school continues to project a net operating surplus.
Motion: Motion to confirm that — irrespective of the Attorney General’s formal approval being
issued on September 29, 2014 — the lease between Friends of Bronx Prep and Bronx Prep Charter
School contemplates a full year’s worth of rent payments beginning on July 1, 2014.
Motion by: Phillip Wharton
Seconded by: Debbie Evangelakos
Motion passed unanimously at 8:20 p.m.
The Finance and Audit Committee will report back to the board on any issues raised by the school’s
auditor regarding formal separation between Bronx Prep and Friends.
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Adoption of Code of Ethics
Motion: Motion to adopt the revised Code of Ethics as presented and attached.
Motion by: Nancy Garvey
Seconded by: Brian Berger
Motion passed unanimously at 8:28 p.m.
Bronx Prep/ Friends of Bronx Prep Contracted Services Agreement
Motion: Motion to approve the Contracted Services Agreement between Bronx Prep and Friends of
Bronx Prep subject to minor changes and modifications as determined by the Board and Democracy
Prep’s Chief Financial Officer.
Motion by: Phil Wharton
Seconded by: Brian Berger
Motion passed unanimously at 8:28 p.m.
Motion: Motion to approve the appointment of Katie Duffy to the Bronx Prep Board of Trustees
pending CSI approval.
Motion by: Brian Berger
Seconded by: Yuliana Kim-Grant
Motion passed unanimously at 8:29 p.m.
Motion: Motion to adjourn the meeting.
Motion by: Nancy Garvey
Seconded by: Debbie Evangelakos.
Motion passed unanimously at 8:33 p.m.
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