Great Oaks Charter School - Bridgeport

“Go-bpt signed a termination agreement with great oaks foundation, a not-for-profit organization for school management services, whereby the school would assume the independent responsibility of these services in the 3rd quarter of 2023 onwards. For the fiscal year 2024, the school paid go-f management fees of $82,000 under the services agreement and a $276,913 tutor fee. In addition, the cost of this reorganization to become an independent school required additional one-time expenses in payroll administration and technical support.”

“A draft copy of the 990 was provided to the board of directors for review. The board voted to authorize the treasurer to approve the final 990.”

“The board expects that directors, administrators, faculty, staff, and other employees of the school will abide by the conflict of interest policy. The board of directors affirms that the directors, officers, administrators, faculty, staff, and other employees of the schoool have an obligation to exercise their authority and to carry out the duties of their respective positions in which their personal interests are, or may be, in conflict with the interests of the school. Where a potential conflict of interest exists it shall be the responsibility of the person involved or any other person with knowledge to notify the board of directors of the circumstances resulting in the potential conflict so that the board of directors can provide such guidance and take such action as it shall deem appropriate. Areas of potential conflict of interest are: financial interest, inside information, conflicting interest other than financial, and gifts, and favors. No director who directly or indirectly is involved in the potential conflict if interest shall be counted in determining the extistence of quorum at any meeting of the board where the potential conflict is considered, nor shall the director vote on any action of the board regarding that potential conflict.”

“To determine a reasonable and competitive compensation for the chief executive officer that will attract and retain strong talent to lead the school, the board chair and treasurer will: - review the updated roles and responsibilities of the chief executive officer - review the chief executive officer's current performance - align the proposed salary to the equitable cost of living increases within the school community - submit the recommendation to the full board for approval - perform this process at a minimum of every 2 years in addition, a survey of local charter schools will be performed based on available data”

“The organization makes its form 990 available for public inspection as required under section 6104 of the internal revenue code. In addition, the financial statements and governing documents are also available upon written request.”

“As a public charter school, great oaks charter school uses high dosage tutoring, a rigorously tailored academic program and a whole-student approach to help students achieve success in the career or college of their choice. 661 students in grades 6 to 12 from the bridgeport, ct community are admitted through an open-choice lottery. As a community, we take pride in our students' social and emotional development, anchored in restorative practices aimed at teaching empathy, personal accountability and responsibility. We encourage our students to advocate for themselves, each other and their community through social causes and activities. We firmly believe that our students will shape the world, not be defined by it. As a school of innovation selected by the center for reinventing public education and our significant work with the barr foundation, great oaks charter school bridgeport is unique with its emphasis on incorporating tutoring into the school day as a normal function for all students. Our americorps fellows/tutors live on campus and work from 8 am 5 pm to deliver curriculum aligned lessons in small group settings to students of all abilities and learning needs. Professional development of americorps fellows/tutors is provided through in-classroom training, teacher certification programs and professional training to continue with their career opportunities in teaching and to better serve our students. Many of our fellows/tutors return for 2 years with a high percentage entering our school as fully-certified teachers by year 3. Teacher retention at great oaks charter school bridgeport is considerably high for a charter school organization in an urban setting. With a nearly 90% retention rate go-bpt invests in professional development through a shortened schedule every tuesday to allow teachers time for data meetings, lesson planning, development of instructional strategies and celebrations of achievement. After school activities at go-bpt are a blend of academic and non-academic programs that focus on self-directed learning, community relationships and social and emotional growth. Through our community partnerships, inclusive of 100 black men, my brothers/sisters keeper, and girl live!, students are exposed to learning and leadership opportunities in and outside of the school. Go-bpt also respects challenges to academic assistance and offers 24/7 live tutoring in all academic areas as well as an on-line academy program for multi-language learners from 5 pm 6 pm and all learners from 6 pm 7 pm every monday, wednesday and thursday. Currently, over 8 different native languages are represented by the student body. Altogether, great oaks charter school bridgeport has seen a return on investment in student achievement growing in key areas over the last 3 years while reducing absenteeism and disciplinary action.”

“Great oaks charter school - bridgeport provides all students with high-quality education through high-dosage tutoring & individualized academic support. Our teachers and americorps fellows/tutors foster strong relationships to help students thrive academically and socially. Through strategic leadership, restorative practices and a commitment to innovation, the school has transformed student culture, improved academic achievement and built a sustainable educator pipeline. As we enter our second decade, go-bpt remains dedicated to closing the opportunity gap and preparing every student for college and career success.”

“The school has a finance committee that is responsible for the oversight ofthe audit and the selection of the independent accountant. This process has not changed from the prior year.”