Keystone hears U.S. News & World Report praising NHA schools

At the Jan. 11 meeting of the Keystone Academy Board of Directors, board president Vesta Losen reported on the U.S. News & World Report story printed in November, highlighting National Heritage Academy schools in Michigan.
She said the report named the top ten charter middle schools in Michigan and they were all NHA schools. Keystone was #8.
Under the listings of the ten top elementary charter schools, nine of the top ten were NHA schools.
Before the meeting started the Keystone Choir filed into the meeting room and sang two songs under the direction of Jessica Gibson – “I Lost My Homework” and “Anthem to Snow.” The students were celebrating the board because January is School Board Appreciation Month.
Keystone Principal Jorvonna Drain presented a package of sweets – three small bundt cakes – and notes of appreciation to all board members.
In other business at the hour-long, Jan. 11 meeting, the board:
• Heard Principal Drain praise the school’s partnership with the Sumpter Township Police Department. Chief Eric Luke requires every Sumpter police officer to walk through our building during their shift, even during the evenings. Their constant presence not only brings comfort and peace of mind, but puts smiles on the students’ faces, she said, noting this started at the end of last school year;
• Learned the school was able to raise $866.66 for Harper Mathis’ Toy Drive. The cancer patient used the money to buy toys for children spending the holidays at Mott’s Children Hospital. Drain said Harper’s mother is an Ann Arbor police officer and Harper is in school;
• Learned Keystone collected 3,607 items for the City of Belleville\Van Buren Township Goodfellows Holiday Assistance Program;
• Was told open enrollment for the 2024-25 school year has started and there are 54 more applications in comparison to last year at this time;
• Heard Principal Drain say with the overall score of 90 out of 100 on a recent survey, the Keystone staff members showed their high evaluations of their jobs. She said the rating gets higher every year, which is a big surprise, and this latest ranking is extremely high. Andrew Roth of NHA said Keystone is a leader in this area and Drain has spoken at two NHA workshops on the subject;
• Was reminded the holiday party for staff is Jan. 12 and food is coming from Qdoba. Gifts, with school promotions on them, have already been distributed;
• Approved school board funds not to exceed $6,500 to help with the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. This is the class that as sixth graders missed out on their sixth-grade trip because of COVID. Twenty three students have registered and six parents. This is just half of the 51 students in the eighth grade, but parents declined for various reasons besides money. Teachers will be going, too, and the number has to be at least 40, with a reduced price for empty seats if that is a problem;
• Approved hiring Alan C. Young and Associates as auditor for the upcoming 2023-24 annual fiscal audit;
• Approved reappointment of Charlene Derrick to serve an additional board term. This will now go to the granter of the school’s charter, Bay Mills Community College, for consideration;
• Decided not to attend the 2024 National Charter Schools Conference in Boston June 30-July 3; and
• Agreed to schedule a special meeting in late January or early February to interview two candidates in anticipation of retirement of a board member. The replacement has to be an educator and both candidates are educators.