OVERVIEW

Compass Charter School welcomes dedicated and mission-aligned individuals to serve on our Board of Trustees. We recruit two types of board members: voting members, who hold full governance authority and fiduciary responsibility, and nonvoting family/parent members, who bring the family perspective to board deliberations. All prospective board members, regardless of type, go through a structured process designed to ensure strong fit, transparency, and compliance with New York State Education Department (NYSED) requirements.

SHARED EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL BOARD MEMBERS

All board members, voting and nonvoting, are expected to:

▪ Attend and actively participate in all regularly scheduled board meetings.

▪ Uphold Compass's mission, values, and commitment to progressive, sustainability-focused education.

▪ Maintain confidentiality of executive session discussions.

▪ Disclose any conflicts of interest promptly and recuse when appropriate.

▪ Complete any required board training.

▪ Act in the best interest of Compass students and the school community as a whole.

NONVOTING FAMILY/PARENT MEMBERS

Nonvoting family/parent members are current Compass families who join the board in an advisory capacity, bringing the community perspective to board discussions. They participate fully in board meetings but do not hold voting authority and are not subject to NYSED approval. To be eligible, a nonvoting family/parent member must have a currently enrolled child at Compass Charter School.

Step 1: Expression of Interest

▪ Families are invited to express interest in a parent board seat through an open call communicated via ParentSquare and school communications.

▪ Interested parents or guardians submit a brief statement of interest and are encouraged to connect with the School Leader or Board Chair with any questions.

Step 2: Application

▪ Interested parents complete an application through Team Tailor.

▪ The application includes a short personal statement and any relevant background the applicant wishes to share.

▪ After reviewing applications, the Executive Committee identifies and advances candidates for further consideration, seeking to build a board that reflects a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to strengthen the school's governance and mission.

Step 3: Vetting

▪ The candidate meets with at least two board members and the School Leader.

▪ Conversations focus on the candidate's connection to the Compass community, interest in school governance, and understanding of the nonvoting advisory role.

▪ The Board Development Working Group coordinates scheduling and feedback.

Step 4: Board Approval

▪ The Board Development Working Group presents the candidate to the full board.

▪ The board votes to approve the appointment of the nonvoting parent member for a one-year term.

SY2026–27 Timeline (Current Year Exception)

As this process is being adopted in July 2026, the standard March–June timeline is not applicable for the current year. The following adjusted timeline applies for seating the inaugural nonvoting parent member(s) for SY2026–27:

Late July 2026: Open call launched following the July 28th board meeting. Families are notified of the parent board seat opportunity via ParentSquare and school communications.

August 2026: Application period open. Interested families complete an application through Team Tailor. The application deadline is August 31, 2026.

Early September 2026: Applications reviewed and vetting conversations scheduled. Each advancing candidate meets with at least two board members and the School Leader.

September 2026: Board vote. The full board votes to approve the nonvoting parent member(s) at the September board meeting. The appointment takes effect immediately upon approval.

Beginning in March 2027, the standard annual recruitment timeline will apply.