Keystone Academy board of directors expels student for 180 days

After more than an hour in closed-door session on Feb. 11, the Keystone Academy Board of Directors voted unanimously to expel a student for 180 school days.
The mother, father, and son were in the closed session with the board and its attorney.
The attorney said she will present the family with a letter for the student to take to the next school. She explained the expulsion is only from Keystone and the student may apply for entry to another district.
After the public was allowed into the opened board meeting, a second closed-door session sent them out again so the board could confer with its attorney. That closed session was an additional 15 minutes long.
This all happened at the beginning of the board meeting, which had been moved from its regular meeting date of Feb. 13 to the Feb. 11 session.
Board secretary Kimberly Kowalski was absent from the meeting.
A reliable source told the Independent this is the first 180-day expulsion for Keystone in her memory.
In other business at the Feb. 11 meeting, the board:
• Accepted board-appreciation gifts from Principal Jorvonna Drain. Principal Drain also announced a special meal and dessert would be served at the end of the meeting as part of their appreciation. Keystone board meetings usually start with a meal for board members and the public, but for this meeting with the expulsion hearing the timing was changed;
• Unanimously approved the selection of Alan C. Young as the auditor for the 2024-25 financial audit and authorized board president Steven Harsant to sign the letter of engagement;
• Approved paying the additional $195.46 spent for Christmas marketing appreciation presents for staff;
• Heard National Heritage Academies representative Andrew Roth announce that he would send this month’s NHA video to the board at the end of the month. He said the video will be promoting the upcoming NHA board symposium on July 14-16 in Grand Rapids and Principal Drain may be in it. The symposium is celebrating NHA’s 30 years of service;
• Heard Principal Drain thank the PTO for providing every classroom with indoor recess kits. The kits were two bags filled with new board/card games, puzzles, and craft supplies for students to use when they have indoor recess;
• Learned grades 3-8 increased proficiency on the Interim 1 ranking compared to last year. The overall proficiency increased by 4% in ELA (English Language Arts) and 8% in Math. The results of the Interim 2 ranking will be announced at the next board meeting when testing is done; and
• Welcomed visitor Lydia Rudasumbwa who explained she needed to attend and report on a municipal board meeting as part of her work for an advanced degree in social work. She and her husband from Rwanda, who is also working on an advanced degree, live in Van Buren Township.