Chair: Rick Cruz
Vice Chair: Saba Bireda
Members: Steve Bumbaugh,
Ricarda Ganjam, Naomi Shelton, Lea Crusey, Jim Sandman, Scott Pearson (Ex-Officio)

Meeting Transcript

The Board released the February meeting transcript. Read it here. 

Effective Financial Oversight

• The Board read into the record administrative contracts greater than $25k. A listing is available here. Learn more about public charter school contracting here.

Transparent Academic Oversight

The School Reform Act requires DC PCSB to review each DC public charter school's performance at least once every five years.  This review includes an assessment of a school's academic, legal, and fiscal performance. The Board delayed the vote on Paul PCS’ review until the April Board Meeting to give DC PCSB staff time to revise its recommended conditions for charter continuance in light of the impact of COVID-19.
 
The Board read into the record the results of the School Year 2019-20 Compliance Review, which concluded in January 2020. During the review period, DC PCSB staff reviewed compliance documents or information submitted by each Local Education Agency (LEA). At the conclusion of the review, DC PCSB staff generated a Compliance Review Report for each LEA, classifying each compliance requirement as either compliant, in progress, or not compliant. View the reports. 

New Charter School Proposals

In January, the Board received four applications, notified Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) citywide of the applications and opened the charter applications for public comment. While, DC PCSB staff began reviewing each application, which included 1) analyzing academic, operational, and financial plans, and 2) conducting interviews with the founding group. The Board held a public hearing last month to hear from the public and the applicant groups. 

• The Board denied Washington Arabic's request to open a public charter school. Read more.  

• The Board denied The Garden School of Business and Entrepreneurship request to open a public charter school. Read more. 

• The Board Capital Experience Lab request to open a public charter school. Read more.
• The Board approved Global Citizens' to open a public charter school. The school will open in Ward 7 or 8 in the school year 2021-22 with 100 students, 50 PK3 students and 50 PK4 students. Read more.