Keystone Academy plans 20th-anniversary celebration Sept. 29

Keystone Academy charter school on Bemis Road in Sumpter Township began operation 20 years ago and a special celebration is planned during the school day Sept. 29 that will include students and special dignitaries.
Staff and school board members will be wearing special T-shirts to mark them as part of the school community for the outdoor event conducted from a decorated stage.
Special guest will be J.C. Huizenga who in 1995 started National Heritage Academies, which operates Keystone Academy, and present NHA official Jason Pator. There are now 100 NHA schools in several states.
Plaques of recognition will be presented to the three staff members who have been at Keystone for the entire 20 years.
Current school board president Vesta Losen has been on the board for the entire 20 years and she said she was among those working on the formation of the charter school for two years before that.
Tom Bowles was the first board president and Losen said she has lost contact with him when he moved to the upper peninsula, but she was hoping he could be present for the celebration, as well.
Both Losen and Bowles had been elected members of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education and tried to improve the teaching and business operation of the school, but were rebuffed. They decided to start their own school and they did. Now the majority of students at Keystone live in the Van Buren Schools district.
Keystone held its official ribbon cutting at its new building on Aug. 21, 2003 and started teaching 330 students in grades K-5. The school has 700 students this year back up after a drop in numbers due to COVID. Classes now are pre-K through 8th grade.
The upcoming anniversary celebration was discussed at the regular Keystone school board meeting on Sept. 14. In other business at the meeting, the board:
• Heard Principal Jorvonna Drain report that this school year started with 74 more students than last year, with a total of 700 students as of Sept. 14 and 15 students more on the waitlist. She also reported that 507 students attended Family Fun Night and 55 families attended the Barnyard Bash Kindergarten and pre-K event that spent an evening with families meeting their child’s teacher while enjoying a petting zoo and pony rides. Summer school attendance for at-home participants was 133 students and in-school participation was 57 students;
• Approved allocations totalling $17,000, which covers $13,000 stipends for coaches and athletics, $1,500 for the school store, and $2,500 to help with costs for the 20-year anniversary event. The board has $101,826.09 in its account to use during 2023-24;
• Approved the Teacher Evaluation and Employee Certification Warranty resolution as required by Bay Mills Community College, which authorizes Keystone’s charter. This affirms that Keystone’s staff is all properly certified under state law;
• Discussed state law on the third grade reading requirement and approved the Reading Assessment System Selection resolution naming the aimswebPlus system for the whole school this year;
• Heard NHA representative Andrew Roth report that Keystone’s proposed use of ESSER funds has been sent to the state for approval and after approval Keystone can start spending the federal funds;
• Discussed details of the Oct. 23-24 NHA Board Symposium at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids;
• Learned Mrs. Roberts, K-2 Dean, had her first child, a boy named Karson. She now is on maternity leave; and
• Went into closed-door session to review the School Emergency Operations Plan and then reconvened in public session to approve the plan.