Board of Directors and Committees

The Casa Esperanza Board of Directors (“Board”) is governed by the organization’s bylaws. The Board represents the nonprofit organization that was established in 2000 to make a language-studies-based Montessori education available to children in the Triangle area of North Carolina. This education is provided through a private preschool (ages 3 & up), and a public elementary and middle grades charter school, that serves grades K through 8. The Board of Directors is responsible for writing the strategic plan to guide the growth and development of the school, including excellence in academic performance, fiscal responsibility, managed growth, community involvement, and clear leadership.

The Board regularly meets at least once a month on the dates denoted on the Casa calendar. If you would like to offer your talents or service to help build Casa Esperanza Montessori, please consider volunteering on one of the Board committees, described below, or submit your interest in serving as a director of the Board.

Unless otherwise noted on the school online calendar, all meetings are held at the school, located at:10510 Star Road Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Meeting Dates

Committee Structure & Schedule

Board Committee Descriptions

Meeting Dates

Board of Directors Meeting Dates for 2026-27

  • July 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • August 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • September 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • October 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • November 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • December 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
  • January 21, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • February 18, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • March 18, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • April 15, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • May 20, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • June 17, 2027 at 5:00 PM
  • July 15, 2027 at 5:00 PM

If a meeting date needs to change, the update and access link or dial-in (if applicable) will be shown on the calendar; please refer to the calendar to confirm meeting dates and locations. Minutes of the board meeting are posted on the school website after the meeting in which they are approved.

The Board retreat and Annual meeting will be held in July for the current school year. The Board appreciates the opportunity to conduct workshop discussions with one another at the retreat. Date, time, and location will be posted on the calendar prior to the annual meeting.

Click Here to See 2025-26 Board Meeting Dates

Committee Structure & Schedule

All board meetings and committee meetings are listed on the school’s calendar. Any changes to the regular schedule will be made there.

If you are interested in serving on a committee, please contact our Governance Chairperson, or the Chair of the committee you wish to serve!

Board Committee Descriptions

The Governance Committee monitors compliance and governance matters related to the Board. This includes Board recruitment, orientation, and operations, and defining executive matters that may involve the administration and policies, standards or guidelines applicable to the school. It often acts as a steering committee to outline the agenda for the upcoming Board meeting.

The Development Committee ensures that the school’s overall fundraising and capital strategy is met through philanthropy and fund development. The Committee works with faculty, parents, and the Board to set fundraising and capital development goals, set fundraising policies, and assess progress toward meeting our goals. The Committee also is involved in cultivating major gifts and corporate prospects, providing support for special events, examine development trends, and identify new potential grants for the school’s mission related work.

The Finance ensures the financial stability of the school by providing oversight on its budget, financial statements, audits, and investments. Committee members personally and actively support the budget to funding sources, monitor adherence to the budget and keep the board regularly informed of the general financial status of the organization. This Committee also approves the annual budget, approves key financial policies and internal controls and reviews any proposals that require a long-term commitment of the school’s resources.

The Strategic Planning Committee develops a 5-year roadmap for the school and Board to follow in order to clarify and prioritize Casa’s goals for the future. The strategic plan describes how goals will be achieved through the use of available resources, guiding members of an organization to envision its future and develop the necessary plans, procedures and operations to achieve that future. As part of this work the Committee will also articulate milestones so progress can be measured and reviewed on a regular basis. The strategic plan was last created for 2024-2029 by the committee. The Board as a whole will review milestones periodically throughout each school year and may reinstate the committee’s activity as needed throughout the plan years.

The Board reviews the annual plan as part of the Governance committee.

The Academic Committee ensures that the school’s high-level academic goals are met through collaboration, professional development, and progress monitoring. The Academic Committee works with faculty, the Leadership Team, parents, and the Board to set student growth goals, measure progress, and implement educational programs and policies. The Committee is also involved with teacher recruitment, professional development, extracurricular and enrichment activities for students, and the academic rigor of both the Immersion and Enrichment programs. To get involved, please contact gconnor@cemcs.org.