School Board

Board Overview

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 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.

Board Meetings 2019-2020

July 18th
August 15th
September 19th
October 24th
November 21st
December 19th
January 16th
February 18th (Tuesday)
March 19th
April 16th
May 19th
June 18th

School Board Members

Wendy Terry, Board Chair
boardpresident@nullbeaconacademy.com

My family and I have been part of the Beacon community since the fall of 2006, when my eldest daughter started kindergarten here. My daughters have both graduated from Beacon, and we have two sons that we expect to have enrolled until they graduate 8^th grade as well. Over the years, I have volunteered in multiple capacities, including serving as moving day logistics point person for the move to Crystal and serving twice on the PTO Board. I have almost 20 years of experience serving on non-profit boards in 3 states and currently work part-time as a member of the fund development team at a local church. In my free time, I enjoy reading, working logic puzzles, and watching sci-fi and comic book movies with my family.

Our family came to Beacon because of the rigorous curriculum and daily Spanish. We stayed through 2 moves and 3 suburbs because of the amazing community we found here. My goal is to continue to see our founding principles of rigor, character, and community grow and thrive in our new home.

Parent seat, term expires June 2022

Kris Gapinski, Vice Chair
ebach@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am a 5^th grade teacher at Beacon Academy. I first came to Beacon Academy as a long term substitute in 6^th grade math and social studies, then in 5^th grade. I enjoyed my experience so much that I decided to join the great staff as a permanent member. My license is K-8, middle school language arts. I am currently perusing a reading licensure with a masters in literacy. I have been involved in committees, such as Facility Planning, Leadership, Transition, Friends of Beacon, and Curriculum.

When I am not at school I enjoy time with my husband, Steve and our 2 children Brittany and Ben. I enjoy Indy Car races, reading, sewing, scrapbooking, and cross-stitching.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2020

Aaron Price, Board Treasurer
mailto:aprice@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am the proud parent of three wonderful children. Two of my children currently attend Beacon Academy and one more will attend when old enough. I have been a licensed foster parent for Hennepin county and have participated on several for-profit and non-profit boards. I feel very privileged to serve the Beacon Academy community in this way. My wife, Johanna, and I are strong proponents of Beacon’s approach to education, character building, and community.

Parent seat, term expires June 2021

Paige Roth, Board Secretary
proth@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am the 7th and 8th grade mathematics teacher at Beacon Academy. I began teaching here in the 2014-2015 school year and have felt proud to be a part of this community since the beginning. During my time at Beacon, I have been a member of the Equity and Curriculum Committees. I have also served on the board, Friends of Beacon, which oversees the property ownership of our Crystal location. As a member of the board, I hope to maintain and expand on the foundations of our school. Character education, strong community values, a thorough curriculum, and daily Spanish are just a few of the reasons our school is so outstanding.

Before joining Beacon, I worked as a preschool teacher in Eden Prairie and before that, I was an assistant director at Huntington Learning Center. I believe that my experience working with students ages pre K-12 will give me a wide perspective when making decisions on the board. Outside of Beacon, I enjoy spending time with my dog, Bentley, reading, and visiting new places with my family around the Twin Cities.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2020

Heather Greibrok, Board Member
hgreibrok@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am a first grade teacher at Beacon. I started teaching here during the 2014-2015 school year as a Spanish teacher and am a strong supporter of everyday Spanish. I am excited and honored to be on the school board. I hope to help Beacon continue to grow and expand in our new location. I have been involved in many committees at Beacon, such as Leadership, Curriculum, Literacy, and Governance.

Outside of Beacon, I enjoy gardening, golfing, running, and spending time with family. My fiancé and I have a dog, Millie. We love taking her on walks and hikes!

Teacher seat, term expires June 2021

Cameron Ward, Board Member
cward@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am a first grade teacher. I have been with Beacon Academy since 17-18 school term. Prior I was a substitute for a few different school until being a long term substitute for Beacon. I am currently serving on the finance committee. I would like to continue to serve on the board in voting on decisions to help make Beacon grow and uphold their values.

When not at school, I enjoy working on remodeling my house, traveling when able, cooking and baking. As well as spending time with my family and friends.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2020

Elizabeth Brobeck, Board Member
ebrobeck@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am a 3^rd grade teacher at Beacon Academy. I began teaching here in the 2017-18 school year and am proud and passionate about our Beacon community. Along with teaching, I’ve been a co-chair of our Drama Club and Destination Imagination teams, as well as provided assistance for our middle school Volleyball Club. I am honored to now be a part of our school board. As a member, I plan to support our school’s values and missions, from Character Education to upholding our strong community of learners, staff, and families.

Outside of Beacon, I enjoy exploring the beautiful Twin Cities, reading, traveling, and spending time with my friends and family.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2022

Roxana Bruins, Board Member
rbruins@nullbeaconacademy.com

My true passion is engaging with youth and families any way I can whether professionally, volunteering within the community or simply helping others. Speaking of serving, I served in the U.S. Air Force as an Aeromedical Evacution Technician (flying medic) which included a deployment for Desert Storm back in 1991. Honestly, I am quite patriotic and have a soft spot for all veterans and C-130's when they fly over! My Master's Degrees are in Psychology and Marriage & Family Therapy which afforded me the opportunity to work with youth and families in mental health, education and treatment center settings over a 20 year span, while also raising 6 children. I have lived in several states but grew up right here in Golden Valley, MN. I love Minnesota for so many reasons including the quality of life and education, recreational opportunities all year long, music and the arts, all things nature and good old back yard BBQ's with friends and family. Ok, I gotta say our family does love the Minnesota Vikings (and all things sports here too). Enrolling our children at Beacon Academy and observing the multitude of positives that flow from this school has been amazing...staff are terrific and very passionate-truly a Beacon shining brightly for others to see...Character Education, Academic Rigor and Community. There's an incredible sense of warmth, welcoming and student centeredness at Beacon Academy and I encourage all families to engage and get involved in any way, small or big, because every bit helps-it all matters! It is definitely my honor to serve on this board.

Parent seat, term expires June 2021

Joe Sears, Board Member
jsears@nullbeaconacademy.com

Community seat, term expires June 2020

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.

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.

Fund Development Task Force
The Fund Development Task Force searches for alternative funding avenues for Beacon Academy.

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. the same day as the board meetings in conference room 1. If the board meeting date/time changes, so does the Finance Committee meeting. Refer to the school calendar for confirmation of meeting days and times.

Governance
The Governance Committee reviews and creates the policies for Beacon Academy. They meet monthly all year around except for July and December. This committee meets one Monday night a month. Refer to the school calendar for meeting days and times.