Keystone Academy earns six NHA awards, student gets NHA scholarship

Keystone Academy, a charter school in Sumpter Township, has earned six awards from National Heritage Academies, which manages the school, including the top Founder’s Award which is only given out to one school.
At the Aug. 10 regular meeting of the Keystone board of directors, Principal Jorvanna Drain displayed the awards in the middle of the meeting table and explained their significances. Then she and board members picked them up and posed for a picture.
The Founder’s Award was for Keystone being the top school of the 100 NHA schools in Moral Focus instruction and guidance.
Other Eagle Awards were for parent satisfaction, student attendance, safety, employee engagement, and Taking Flight: Parent Satisfaction.
Every year, NHA conducts an Eagle Awards ceremony where they recognize and celebrate the achievements of their schools. Last year, Keystone earned five awards.
“We won the most Eagle Awards out of all the NHA schools,” Principal Drain told the board at its regular meeting, referring to this year’s awards.
As far as student attendance goes, Drain said there were 4,500 fewer absences last school year because of efforts made.
Drain said as of that meeting, they have 708 students registered and re-enrolled for the 2023-24 school year, with 30 more students having filled out the paperwork and being in an acceptance status.
At this time last year, there were 635 students registered. She said they have 49 more applications than last year, year-to-date.
She said for the first time in years, they have a wait list in grades K, 1, 3, 5, and 7.
Drain attributed this to the NHA advertisements on billboards, newspapers, and television, as well as word of mouth.
Board members were told the state aid for students this year would be $9,600 each.
Drain also announced that graduating eighth grader Benjamin Rodriguez learned during the graduation ceremony in June that he won a $5,000 NHA college scholarship that will be given to him after high school graduation and before entrance to higher learning. He is one of four NHA students who earned the scholarships out of the 600 who applied.
Drain said his essay was how he overcame a learning disability.
In other business at the Aug. 10 meeting, the board:
• Witnessed the swearing in by NHA representative Andrew Roth of board members Vesta Losen and Steven Harsant for another three years, with terms ending June 30, 2026;
• Learned that they have new employee hires for resource room teacher, first-grade teacher, second-grade teacher, and Teacher in Residence. Vacancies are in the social worker and speech pathologist positions;
• Approved setting aside $1,000 for attendance of four board members at the 2023 NHA Board Symposium on Oct. 23 and 24 in Grand Rapids;
• Agreed to wait until September’s meeting to consider the approval of the Teacher Evaluation and Employee Certification Warranty Resolution, in case there were any more new hires between now and then who should be considered. The resolution, which confirms all personnel working at the Academy are properly licensed, certified, and endorsed for the 2023-24 school year, is required by Sept. 30 to Bay Mills Charter School office, which granted the charter to Keystone ;
• Approved the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan. Drain said all of the school administration was trained in AED (automated external defibrillators) and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), techniques some others on the staff are also trained;
• Approved revising the 2023-24 school calendar to reflect that the Friday before Labor Day, which is Sept. 1, is a school holiday as required by state law for schools that open before Labor Day. Keystone will now have the first day of school on Aug. 28, as planned, and then take off Friday, Sept. 1, as required. Drain said she removed Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 9, from the list of days off. The last day of school still is slated to be June 7, 2024. There will be 180 school days as required. Drain said winter and spring breaks are determined by Wayne County;
• Approved the Children Internet Protection Plan for the 2023-24 school year. NHA representative Andrew Roth said when students are at school and on the school’s network they are safe on the internet, with new firewalls being installed as needed. If they take the computers home they can figure out how to get around the firewalls, he said;
• Reviewed a detailed list of items being covered by the federal Covid grants, including ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. Roth said an amended budget will go to the state in September. NHA representative Andrew Roth said it will include how the rest of the money will be spent. “There is no intention to give any of the money back,” Roth said. ESSER funds for 2019-20 were $99,389; ESSER II for 2020-21, $507,344; and ESSER III, 2021-22, $1,140,232 (with an end use date of Sept. 30, 2024);
• Heard Drain report that the right side of the renovated soccer field still floods and the company returned to fix it. The left side is fine, she said. The school wanted to get it all ready so they could get on the schedule to host games;
• Learned Keystone had no bullying, expulsions, or crimes to report for the 2023-24 school year. As a requirement of the Revised School Code MCL 380.131a (1) and (2), an annual report will be made to the board on: the number of pupils expelled with a brief description; crimes including physical violence, gang-related activity, illegal possession of a controlled substance or controlled substance analogue, or other intoxicant; trespassing and property crimes including, but not limited to, theft and vandalism; and
• Discussed and made tentative proposals for how to honor Deb McComb, who retired at the end of the school year after 18 years of custodial service to Keystone. While the staff honored her, the school board had yet to do so and wanted to do something.