School Board
The Beacon Academy School Board is made up of 9 voting members, 5 teachers, 3 parents, and 1 community member. Original MN charter school law calls for a teacher majority on the board of directors and Beacon still follows this framework. Terms are three years with the exception of the community member which has a two-year term. Board members may run for one additional term. The board chair must be a parent member. The Executive Committee oversees the Principal position and is comprised of the Board Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.
The Governance Committee oversees the election process which runs from March to May of every year. Each parent or guardian of a student at the school and each employee has the right to cast one vote for the board candidates. Board member terms run from July 1 to June 30.
School board meetings are open to the public. Meetings are typically on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm at our school at 3415 Louisiana Ave N, Crystal MN. Check the school calendar for up-to-date school board meeting dates and times.
School Board Elections
School Board elections are conducted online using an online election tool. Physical copies of the election materials are available by contacting the main office at 763-546-9999. Elections are in May of each year. Results are announced at the June school board meeting of that election year.
Committee Meetings
Committee meetings of the school board are determined by the committee chair at the start of each school year. They can be found by looking at the calendar on the front page of the website or by contacting the committee chair.
Full Board Meeting
School Board meetings are held typically on the third Thursday of every month. The school community and members of the public are encouraged to attend school board meetings to be informed about school operations and budgets.
School Board Meeting Dates 2024 - 2025:August 22nd
September 19th
October 10th
November 14th
December 19th
January 16th
February 18th
March 20th
April 17th
May 15th
June 12th
Special Meeting
Special Meeting for Strategic Planning - Thursday, December 5th, 2024
School Board Retreat
Thursday, October 3rd at 5pm in the Cafeteria
School Board Members
Matheu Weidenbach, Board Chair
[email protected]
I am happy to have the opportunity to serve the Beacon Academy community as a member of the board. Representing the best interests of our students, families, and staff is an honor. My family has been a part of the Beacon community since 2019, and my wife Angela and I have a son in second grade. In my professional life, I have experience in various aspects of project/financial management and business operations, and I actively volunteer for several non-profit organizations. In my personal life, I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, traveling, and being outside.
We joined Beacon because we were drawn to Beacon's focus on community and a rigorous, character-based curriculum, and have been excited to see the growth our son has experienced within this caring and thoughtful educational framework. I firmly believe in taking a student-first approach that balances the needs of the broader community in order to drive the best outcomes for our kids. I look forward to contributing to both maintaining and building upon the foundational principles that make Beacon so great.
Parent seat, term expires June 2027
Melanie Spall, Vice Chair
[email protected]
I have been involved with Beacon Academy for over 15 years. This has been as a middle-school teacher, parent, and board member. As your Vice-Chairperson, my mission is to ensure we make smart financial decisions that benefit our students and teachers alike.
I am an advocate for equity. This encompasses various aspects, from closing the achievement gap to promoting cultural competence in our school. I believe that by celebrating our differences and cultivating an environment of understanding and respect, we will achieve this.
Outside of school, I spend the majority of my time reading with my three cats, cooking for my amazing family, and exploring our wonderful, local bike trails.
Teacher seat, term expires June 2026
Stacey Ray, Board TreasurerI happily and humbly serve as Treasurer of the Board of Beacon Academy. I strongly value and advocate for equity and inclusion in the education system, wanting every student to feel valued, included, and respected. I see the educational system as a crucial tool in aiding the empowerment of our young people in society to be their best selves, and as a steppingstone for a bright and successful future in which their dreams can be attained. As Treasurer of the Board, I will ensure that Beacon Academy has financial responsibility in its decisions, maintaining the integrity of our school values and keeping students and faculty at the forefront.
Our son is a 4th grader at Beacon. We value and appreciate the smaller community school setting of Beacon Academy, which has allowed us to build a sense of partnership with school faculty and teachers, in the pursuit of supporting a great educational experience for our son.
In my professional life I have spent over 20 years working in human services, all of which was aimed at supporting work with an equity lens. My career includes management and program oversight, that includes budgetary and fiduciary responsibilities, as well as project management and planning.
Parent seat, term expires June 2027
Elizabeth Brobeck, Board Secretary
[email protected]
I began working at Beacon in the fall of the 2017-18 school year and am proud and passionate about our wonderful, supportive community. I am currently our Q-Comp Coordinator and was previously a 3rd-grade teacher. In my role as Q-Comp Coordinator, I provide instructional coaching for our teaching staff. I also oversee our professional development opportunities and Professional Learning Communities (PLC). I am honored to be serving my second term on Beacon’s school board, currently as the Secretary. It is vital to me, as a member, to support our school’s values and missions, from Character Education to upholding our strong community of learners, staff, and families. Each decision made is focused on keeping Beacon a unique gem of a school in the Twin Cities.
Outside of my many roles at Beacon, I enjoy exploring my beautiful and always exciting South Minneapolis community, reading, traveling, and spending time with my friends and family.
Teacher seat, term expires June 2025
Norah Antil, Board Member
[email protected]
I have been with Beacon for 7 years now, teaching PE for grades k-8 and Health for grades 6-8. I came to Beacon after time spent in other schools and never fully felt the love and passion that you feel within these halls. Beacon staff is truly something special and I am humbled to serve as a representative for them and for our families to keep Beacon going in the right direction. I truly believe in the students-first approach, while still honoring the main concepts of Beacon that make this place truly one of a kind.
While not telling jokes with students, and playing games with them, I can be found coaching out in White Bear for JO volleyball, in the kitchen trying new recipes, and spending time with my husband Louis, and our two-year-old son Raiden by going to parks, hitting some trails, and occasionally with a book in my hand…occasionally.
Teacher seat, term expires June 2027
Matthew Goodman, Board Member
[email protected]
Teacher seat, term expires June 2027
Patricia Blake, Board Member
[email protected]
Teacher seat, term expires June 2027
Rasheda Jenkins, Board Member
As a parent I have always made it my mission to involve myself in my child's education.
Joining Beacon Academy's School Board is a continuation of that mission.
My goal here at Beacon Academy is to encourage an environment that not only fosters learning reading, writing and arithmetic; Also fosters learning social and emotional skills. Statistics show that children with a better grasp on their emotional health succeed at a higher rate than those with simply book smarts.
I am grateful to be apart of a community that is committed to a culture of positive character development and parental involvement.
In my spare time I enjoy bike riding, building community, reading, and spending time with my family.
Parent seat, term expires June 2027
Open, Community Member
Reach out to Board President if interested: [email protected]
Community seat, term expires June 2025
School Board Committees
Beacon Academy has four board-level committees. These committees meet monthly, receive direction from the board, and report back to the board as appropriate. The committees are made up of board members, staff members, and parents, and all meetings are open to the public.
Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Committee reviews the school's curriculum on a defined review cycle and makes recommendations to the school board based on their findings. They meet once a month while school is in session. Refer to the school calendar for meeting days and times. The committee chair is Kris Gapinski.
Employee Retention and Compensation
The Employee Retention and Compensation Committee explores avenues for retaining our quality employees through monetary and non-monetary compensation. Meetings take place when school is in session. Refer to the school calendar for meeting days and times. The committee chair is Elizabeth Brobeck.
Fund Development Task Force
The Fund Development Task Force searches for alternative funding avenues for Beacon Academy. The committee chair is Mat Weidenbach.
Finance
The Finance Committee works closely with the Business Manager, the Board Treasurer, and the Principal to ensure financial accountability and stability for Beacon Academy. The Finance Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the same day as the board meetings. If the board meeting date/time changes, so does the Finance Committee meeting. The committee chair is Stacey Ray.
Governance
The Governance Committee reviews and creates the policies for Beacon Academy. They meet monthly all year round except for July and December. This committee meets one Monday night a month. The chair of the Governance Committee is Em Spall.
Governance Committee Meeting Dates 2024 - 2025:
July 29thOctober 1st
October 29th
December 3rd
January 7th
February 4th
March 4th
April 8th
May 6th
June 3rd
Beacon Academy By-Laws
School Board Agendas 2022 - 2024
School Board Meeting Minutes 2022 - 2024
School Board Policies
State Reports
Friends of Beacon
Friends of Beacon (FOB) is a building corporation, formed as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization on behalf of Beacon Academy. FOB meets as needed.
Friends of Beacon
3415 Louisiana Ave N.
Crystal, MN 55427
Friends of Beacon Board Members
- Ann Marie Roder - President
- Chelsea Sobraske - Treasurer
- Eldred Bach- Secretary
Friends of Beacon Documents
Minutes