Keystone Academy board allocates $9,000 for special projects

At the Oct. 12 regular meeting of the Keystone Academy Board of Directors, the board allocated a total of $9,000 from its budget for cheerleading uniforms, perfect attendance awards, and staff recognition.
Principal Jorvonna Drain said the cheerleading uniforms were so old and worn that last year they just wore T-shirts and dark skirts.
“We have purchased new uniforms for all our sports teams except” uniforms for the cheerleaders, she said. “The old uniforms no longer match nor fit all girls’ sizes.”
The board approved $2,500 for 25 uniforms. When asked if they were pleated, Principal Drain said that’s what she asked and the salesperson told her that pleated “was dated” and they are straight skirts now.
The board also approved $2,000 for the perfect attendance awards budget. Principal Drain said, “To emphasize the importance of attendance, we would like to recognize any student who achieves perfect attendance, with no absences, tardies, or early dismissal for the entire school year. These funds will be used to purchase items that the students can earn.”
She said last year there were 12 students and one staff member that had perfect attendance and they were each able to get $180, one dollar for each school day.
Drain said they also have monthly awards for perfect attendance and that is supported by pizza sales.
She said the students are very intent on perfect attendance and one student made his mother change all his doctors’ appointments so he wouldn’t have to miss a day or have early dismissal.
Drain said last year her two daughters, who come to school with her, were tardy once and lost out on the award. She said now they insist on her leaving early enough so that wouldn’t happen again.
The board also approved allocating $4,500 for the Staff Recognition Budget. Drain said 18 teachers who provide special services will get a $250 stipend at the end of the school year for going above and beyond their normal duties.
She said this includes 10 team leads, two National Junior Honor Society coordinators, a yearbook coordinator, art club, newspaper, science, and PTO representative. All these roles require a year-long commitment from the staff which provides students with an enhanced educational experience, she said.
Drain said the after-school art club is popular, along with a new science club that does experiments. This month it’s making slime and next month will be ice cream. The newspaper club, which will make a digital newspaper, has been formed for fourth through eighth graders. A new girls’ coding club is being formed after school for grades third through eighth.
In other business at the 38-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the 2024-25 offered seats schedule. A total of 721 seats will be offered in Young 5s through eighth grade, the same as the prior academic year. As of the board meeting, Keystone had 696 students enrolled, with one student starting the following Thursday, which is 65 more students than last year at this time. Board member Steve Harvath asked about the number of students in each class and Drain said they try not to go above 30. She said each class has a teacher and paraprofessional and up to two or three extra adults for workshops ;
• Learned the school’s social worker position still is not filled, but National Heritage Academy representative Andrew Roth said that there is a severe shortage of social workers throughout NHA and other educational systems across the country; and
• Was presented with comparisons of overall proficiency compared to the Van Buren Public Schools and Keystone continues to outperform Van Buren district in every grade level and every subject area. Drain reported that Keystone has a greater achievement gap (5% more) between it and Van Buren in comparison this year from last year. According to scores, Keystone had an overall proficiency rating of 59% in all grades and subjects in 2022-23. Van Buren had a 26% overall rating and the State of Michigan had a 37% rating.