Keystone Academy swears in Dare as new school board member

Christina Dare of Sumpter Township was sworn in for a three-year term on the Keystone Academy Board of Directors at its regular meeting on Nov. 14. The term expires in June of 2027.
Dare brings board membership back to a full five. It went down to four when longtime board member Vesta Losen resigned in May.
Bay Mills Community College Board of Regents is the Public School Academy Authorizing Body and chairperson Whitney Gravelle of the Bay Mills Indian Community sent a July 7 letter of approval of Dare’s appointment.
Bay Mills is located in the Upper Peninsula in Brimley, MI.
Dare was sworn in by National Heritage Academies representative Andrew Roth at the beginning of the Nov. 14 meeting and she was seated for the meeting.
Dare is a parent who was active in Keystone’s parent-teacher association and technically fills the board’s parent position. Board treasurer Charlene Derrick had held a parent position, but her son graduated from eighth grade in the spring and so she was no longer eligible for that slot and now is filling the seat Losen left vacant. Losen had served as an educator position, but Derrick does not have that designation.
In other business at the hour-long meeting on Nov. 14, the board:
• Heard good news from board president Steven Harsant that his daughter is now shown to be cancer-free;
• Heard Alan C. Young auditor Jay Wilde report on the 2023-2024 audit. He said the auditors have issued an unmodified opinion on the financial statements, which is the highest opinion. The finances are handled by National Heritage Academy, which manages the school, but Keystone hires an auditor to check on its portion of the finances. Keystone’s total expenditures exceeded the final budgeted level by $75,064, a violation of State law and was reported in the Single Audit as noncompliance with laws and regulations, Wilde said. He added that this is about 1% of the funds and it didn’t go over the funds available, but it it still was a violation. The board voted to accept the audit;
• Approved the amended 2024-25 budget;
• Approved a Reauthorization Resolution to ask Bay Mills to reauthorize Keystone as a charter school two years from now when the current charter expires. Roth said board members could go to Brimley in the Upper Peninsula to meet with Bay Mills officials before then to support their request. The reauthorization is a lengthy process and if Bay Mills no longer authorizes Keystone, it ceases to be a school;
• Approved the required 2025-26 Prior Approval Checklist that tells Bay Mills whether of not major changes are planned for the curriculum of Keystone. No changes are planned;
• Approved the Revised Board Policies as presented by board attorney at the Oct. 17 meeting and discussed at length at that time. Board members were told there no longer are conflicts between the student handbook and the policies;
• Heard Roth say he is still working on a project to honor Vesta Losen who retired in May. He said NHA approves a bench in the school garden. Principal Jorvonna Drain said there is no school garden, though there have been plans for one. Roth said he is trying to set up a time when NHA officials can come to honor her. He asked Principal Drain to set a time and she said, as she’s told him before, that any Monday or Wednesday morning is fine. Board president Harsant said it is too close to the holidays now, so maybe they should wait until spring and Roth agreed;
• Was asked about a quorum for the Dec. 12 meeting. Newly sworn in member Dare said she can’t come to that meeting, but the three other members present said they plan to attend. Board secretary Kimberly Kowalski was absent from the Nov. 14 meeting. A recent meeting had been canceled due to lack of a quorum. Principal Drain said she gets high marks from Bay Mills for academics and other things, but her lowest score is for board quorum;
• Heard Principal Drain describe the annual Veterans Day assembly that recognized 30 veterans from the Keystone community. She said Mr. Cheng organized the assembly, did all the video, audio, speeches, and communication that made the event so special. Ms. Patton created the veterans’ wall that displayed veterans from the community, including some that couldn’t make it to the assembly. She also thanked the students who volunteered to help and all the families who donated items to the reception, which was organized by the PTO;
• Heard Drain explain the schoolwide game of CLUE she had put together. Over a week, students tried to solve the clues to find our who took their Friday Fun Wheel. She said it went exactly as she planned and strengthened the school’s culture through teamwork, integrity, perseverance, problem-solving, and fun. She said six homerooms won the game by guessing all three elements of the mystery correctly and the Fun Wheel is now back in place; and
• Heard Drain announce the music teacher is engaged and will be married over spring break, the school finally has a social worker, and there are no vacancies or leaves on the staff. She said Keystone made its enrollment goal with 722 enrolled year-to-date. Last year it was short by three. Reports on demographics and early literacy were discussed.