School Board

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 Treasurer

 

I 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.

In my personal life, I enjoy holding down the grill and cooking great food, being outdoors, going for walks, working in the yard, and spending time with family and friends- oh and I can’t forget about our 3 dogs and a cat.

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

[email protected]

 

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

 

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 29th

August 26th
October 1st
October 29th
December 3rd
January 7th
February 4th
March 4th
April 8th
May 6th
June 3rd