School 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 2018-2019

July 19th
August 16th
September 20th
October 16th (Tuesday)
November 15th
December 20th
January 17th
February 19th (Tuesday)
March 21st
April 18th
May 16th
June 20th

School Board Members

David Goeske, Board Chair
boardpresident@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am a parent of two wonderful kids, Simon and Lauren, who attended Beacon Academy starting in Kindergarten. Having been involved in various non-profits, including sitting on our school board in Wisconsin, I felt that I could contribute to the continued growth and development of Beacon Academy.

My wife and I were drawn to Beacon because it feels like a private school, yet it is tuition free. We value the sense of community that is evident in every aspect of Beacon Academy. When I'm not spending time with my family, I work on my photography skills and snowboard in the winter with my son.

Parent seat, term expires June 2019

Eldred Bach, Vice Chair
ebach@nullbeaconacademy.com

Thank you to everyone that voted me into this important leadership role at Beacon Academy. I have served as a kindergarten teacher for three years at Beacon and one of the best parts of my job is introducing new students and families to our school! Throughout my time at Beacon Academy, I have served in a variety of roles which include a paraprofessional, a member of the finance committee, a member of the facility planning committee, and a leader of our student council. I really enjoy attending school events to further develop that strong community connection Beacon Academy is known for. I love to see the excitement of our students as well as engage with our parents. I hope to provide a meaningful voice for our elementary team on the school board. I look forward to exploring the endless opportunities we will have at our new home in Crystal! As for my background, I grew up in a small farm town in Southern Minnesota. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education as well as a Master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. In my free time, I enjoy going back to the farm, playing sports, and going to the local gym.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2019

Nicholas Meyer, Board Treasurer
nmeyer@nullbeaconacademy.com

I have been a Beacon Academy parent since 2012 and am thrilled to serve this wonderful community of teachers, students, and parents. Our family was first drawn to the school because of its character development and rigorous curriculum. But it is really this community of families and educators that has kept us here. Beacon Academy is more than just a school, it is the sum of what each one of us has put into it. That is what makes it so great. I live in Crystal with my wife Michelle, son Liam, and daughters Alysandra and Eloise. All three children attend Beacon and love their school. As a family, we enjoy playing games, watching movies, dancing to music, and going to the park.

Parent seat, term expires June 2019

Heidi Sheard, Board Secretary
hsheard@nullbeaconacademy.com

I appreciate the many people who make Beacon Academy Charter School run smoothly! From our exceptional front office team to our fantastic teachers and paras, I am beyond grateful for our school. We sent our daughter to Beacon Academy for her middle school years and her twin brothers are following in her footsteps. My husband and I are impressed with the way the teachers genuinely care about our kids. I work as a freelance book editor, primarily in the leadership and business genres, and hold a bachelor’s degree in English, secondary education, and a master’s degree in Special Education. I enjoy being involved in my kids’ unique and special interests. For fun, I play tennis and decorate cakes.

Parent seat, term expires June 2018

Kris Gapinski, Board Member
kgapinski@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

Brandon Huberty, Board Member
bhuberty@nullbeaconacademy.com

I am the 7th and 8th grade English teacher at Beacon Academy. My first day working at Beacon Academy happened to be my first day of substitute teaching. It took me mere hours to realize that the program that Beacon Academy had was something special. That was back in October of 2009. My roles have included K-8 substitute teacher, paraprofessional, technology teacher, and my current position of English teacher. Beacon Academy’s unique nature comes down to the sense of community one feels when being a Beacon staff member, parent, or student. A large amount of this comes from our incorporation of Responsive Classroom (Developmental Designs for middle school) which very purposefully sets out to create this sense of community. Another aspect of Beacon that is important to maintain is our level of rigor. To me, this means pushing our students to reach the highest levels of what they are capable of academically. Being involved in helping to shape this school’s future, while maintaining our most important core values, is important to me, especially as we make our move to a new building. My hobbies include reading, biking, running, and gaming.

Teacher seat, term expires June 2021

Paige Roth, Board Member
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

Teacher Seat Currently Open - process underway

Teacher seat, term expires June 2018

Community Seat Currently Open - process underway

Community seat, term expires June 2019

School Board Committees

Beacon Academy has six 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.

Facility Planning- currently inactive
The Facility Planning Committee plays an active role in the expansion efforts 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.

Technology
The Technology Committee reviews the technology needs for Beacon Academy and creates a cycle for maintenance and implementation. They meet monthly all year round except for July. Refer to the school calendar for meeting days and times.