The Next Step Public Charter School

“Relevant information is given to a 3rd party for 990 preparation and review. The completed document is then presented to the executive director, who presents the 990 to the finance committee. Upon the finance committee's review, it is forwarded to the full board for their approval. After final approval, the 990 is filed with the irs.”

“During the annual orientation, all new board members are required to complete and sign a disclosure document. Each person shall complete a disclosure form each year and the policy is reviewed annually by each member of the board. Prior to board action involving a conflict of interest, the board member having a conflict of interest shall disclose all facts related to the conflict of interest. Such disclosure is reflected in the minutes of the meeting and the board addresses the matter in a way to ensure the best interests of the school are furthered. The board member who has a conflict of interest shall recuse themselves from participating in the decision except to respond to questions.”

“The executive director's compensation is determined and approved by the board of directors using salary surveys, form 990's of other organizations and other appropriate information related to comparable positions of similar sized organizations.”

“All governing documents, policies and financial statements are forwarded to the district of columbia public charter school board, which provides oversite and distribution of relevant information to the public. The form 990 is made available upon request and is available on guidestar.org for public inspection.”

“Teachers individualize instruction to help students achieve their academic goals at their own pace. The charter school places students by skill level, rather than age or grade, and promotes students according to their progress. When students complete their program of study, the charter school college and career readiness program assists students and alumni with continued education and career planning. The school currently serves a population of 396 students. Services adult basic education - tnspcs offers literacy, numeracy and other academic content at all levels of ability to students, in both english and spanish, with placement based upon pre-tests. Ged preparation - the charter school offers students who test above the 8th grade level the preparation, guidance and support necessary to pass the exam to attain the general education development (ged) certificate in english or spanish. Students in day and night school study ged content and skills in their classes, and must pass a preliminary practice test before they take the official exam. The charter school offers financial assistance to those students who pass the practice test when they register for the official ged. English language learners - the charter school offers esol classes to english language learners (ells) in day and night school. Students learn the language skills that will enable them to navigate effectively within their school, their community, and the wider world. Life skills - the charter school offers interactive workshops addressing sexual health education, substance abuse, financial literacy, immigration and cultural adaptation, and community involvement. Teachers encourage students to develop their abilities in such academic life skills as goal- setting, organization, initiative and self-advocacy, independent work and collaboration within each class. College and career readiness- the ccr program is designed to help charter school students and alumni make and implement short and long-term plans for post-secondary and vocational paths. Two full-time ccr specialists provide workshops on job readiness skills (resume-writing, interviewing, etc.), manage the dual enrollment program whereby students take courses at two local colleges while enrolled at tnspcs and offer guidance on college, employment and vocations, as well as help students access financial resources to continue their education. Student support services- case managers complete an in-depth needs assessment of each student to evaluate what social, physical and emotional supports will enable the student to grow academically. Case managers counsel students and help them access appropriate social services. Sss offers mental health counseling as well as attendance monitoring and transportation assistance, in addition to extensive referrals for outside services. Every student is assigned a case manager when they enroll at the next step. The department is made up of social workers, case managers, attendance and transportation coordinators and a resource and enrichment coordinator. Each of these service providers works with students individually and collectively to identify any areas of their psychosocial functioning that require support. Tutoring program/volunteers - both paid and volunteer tutors are an essential part of the charter school program, and their involvement allows individualized instruction for students, enabling students to progress at their own pace. Tutors work during the day and night school as classroom aides, or as one-on-one tutors with students in the following subjects: esol, reading and language arts, and math. Bilingual tutors are also available. Food program - the charter school provides a free breakfast, lunch and dinner program in accordance with federal law and the u.s. Department of agriculture (usda) policy.”

“Interest rate swap -204,320 total -204,320 on october 9, 2014, the charter school entered into an interest rate swap agreement with suntrust bank for a notional amount equal to the obligation under the loan payable whereby a portion of the floating rate was swapped into a fixed rate. Under the agreement, the charter school pays the bank interest at a fixed rate of 3.51% on the principal loan balance through the termination date of the swap agreement, which is october 1, 2021. The swap mechanism is intended to allow the school to realize the potential benefit of a lower fixed rate by reducing the impact of market changes in the variable interest rate. Interest expense related to the interest rate swap for the years ended june 30, 2016 and 2015 was 116,563 and 90,516, respectively. At june 30, 2016 and 2015, the fair value of the interest rate swap was 418,062 and 213,743, respectively.”