Keystone board approves $1,000 college scholarship for graduate

A $1,000 college scholarship will be awarded to one of the Belleville High School seniors who had attended Keystone Charter Academy in Sumpter Township.
This is the first year the scholarship will be awarded and at its regular meeting April 12 the Keystone board approved $500 from its funds to match the $500 raised by said the Parent-Teachers Organization.
PTO president Shaylette Stuckey was present to explain the project, along with incoming PTO president Dawn Bandy. They said several elementary and middle schools in the area offer scholarships.
There is a scholarship ceremony each year at BHS and Keystone has never been there.
Stuckey said they are starting it at BHS this year to keep it small the first year and they have had six applications. They gave a notice to all students. The applications have been brought back to review.
The reviewing committee is made up of a teacher from each wing, Bandy, board president Vesta Losen and board secretary Connie Shull.
Stuckey said they put a 2.8 grade point average for applicants and all six are over 3.5, with some over 4.0.
Each applicant was required to submit a two-page essay on “perseverance” and have a reference from a teacher or counselor.
Stuckey said maybe next year they could get a valedictorian/salutatorian award for any high school.
Losen said this has been fomenting in her mind for several years since the board was awarded some money from National Heritage Academies.
Bandy said the PTO has been doing so much fund raising this year that they were able to do it.
“We didn’t have the funds or we would have done it before,” Bandy said.
Stuckey suggested the scholarship winner be guest speaker at the Keystone National Junior Honor Society induction.
For the first time, Keystone will be represented at the BHS awards assembly at 6:30, May 16.
In other business at the April 12 meeting the board:
• Nominated Jackie Babik for a seat on the school board after interviewing her. She said when she started volunteering when the school opened in 2003-4 there was no PTO and she put together the bylaws, did the PTO carnivals and other events. “She definitely has the passion,” said Principal Keturah Godfrey. Babik said she and her girlfriend have run a house-painting business for almost 30 years. She makes her own schedule and takes time to help her daughter with her children. Her son Sam is now 24 and Michael is 22. NHA will do a reference check and other steps will be taken before she can be officially named to the board;
• Noted another new board member is needed and this one needs to be a parent of a student. They will post it in the school newsletter. Board members Susan Meland, vice president, has resigned because she is moving to Wisconsin and Carol Manley, treasurer, resigned because her son is active in his new school and she wants to support his activities;
• Heard Principal Godfrey report on the demographics change at Keystone that has brought the free and reduced lunch number to 37.5% which is almost enough for the whole school to be qualified. She said Keystone no longer serves the Canton area with families of higher income and now serves mostly middle/low income families;
• Learned 791 students are enrolled for the 2018-19 school year and 116 are on the waiting list. Godfrey said she expects a second grader, who has been having discipline problems, to withdraw;
• Heard the NHA representative commend Keystone for its low truancy rate compared to other schools. Truancy and discipline were discussed;
• Discussed with PTO representatives what they will do for Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11, and Administrative Professionals Week, April 23-27;
• Approved the Resolution to Relinquish Federal Funds for Title III Immigrant Student Allocations for 2017-18, as requested by NHA. NHA will continue to meet the needs of immigrant students through district and grant funds and will consider accepting Title III Immigrant grant funds in future school years;
• Approved the 2018-19 Parent and Student Handbook, the 2018-19 school calendar, and the 2017-18 revised school calendar; and
• Approved the 2017-18 audit letter of engagement with Plante Moran.