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.
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 budget.
Special Meeting
Any special meeting information will be posted here.
School Board Retreat
Any board retreat information will be posted here.
Board Meetings 2022-2023
August 18th
September 15th
October 13th
November 17th
December 15th
January 19th
February 16th
March 16th
April 25th
May 18th
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 8th 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 2025
Kris Gapinski, Vice Chair
kgapinski@nullbeaconacademy.com
I am a 5th grade teacher at Beacon Academy. I first came to Beacon Academy as a long term substitute in 6th grade math and social studies, then in 5th 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 2023
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 2024
Matheu Weidenbach, Board Secretary
mweidenbach@nullbeaconacademy.com
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 2024
Elizabeth Warpinski, Board Member
ewarpinski@nullbeaconacademy.com
I have taught 7th grade, 8th grade, and Honors English at Beacon Academy since 2019. I have also served on the Technology Committee and facilitated the Middle School Book Club, as well as helped to establish a student-centered racial justice group. Beacon Academy has welcomed, accepted, and valued me every day since I arrived, and as a board member, it is my duty to pay that forward. This school is truly unique in how it promotes the involvement of students, staff, faculty, and families in crafting a learning environment that sets students up to be successful in all areas of their life, both while they are a student and long after they have left. I am committed to maintaining and bolstering Beacon Academy's tradition of equity, advocacy, and collaboration while also adapting to the ever-changing needs of our students and families.
Beyond Beacon Academy, I am passionate about creative writing, critical media analysis, and playing rugby, although I have been known to bring my hobbies into the classroom.
Teacher seat, term expires June 2024
Joanna Pederson, Board Member
jpederson@nullbeaconacademy.com
I have been a member of the Beacon community since 2013. Over that period, I have been a middle school Spanish teacher, a K-2 Spanish teacher, and a 2-3 Spanish teacher, and now I am an EL teacher. I have been involved in many committees at Beacon, including the Leadership, Literacy, EL, Character Education, and Curriculum Committees. I am passionate about linguistics and language acquisition and have written Spanish curriculum as well as helped to start heritage Spanish classes at Beacon.
As a member of the school board, I am interested in continuing our tradition of a focus on Spanish and Character Education, and to help with the school’s goals of equity and building strong relationships within the community.
Outside of Beacon, my interests include my dogs, Saebra and Nova, true crime podcasts and documentaries, reading everything from research papers to middle grade fantasy books, traveling, dancing, and musical theater
Teacher seat, term expires June 2024
Elizabeth Brobeck, Board Member
ebrobeck@nullbeaconacademy.com
I am a 3rd 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
Melanie Spall, Board Member
mspall@nullbeaconacademy.com
Teacher seat, term expires June 2023
Jamarcus Walker, Community Member
Community seat, term expires June 2024
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.. If the board meeting date/time changes, so does the Finance Committee meeting. The chair of the Finance Committee is Aaron Price. To attend a Finance Committee meeting via Zoom please contact Aaron at aprice@nullbeaconacademy.com.
Finance Committee Meeting Dates:
September 17th
October 22nd
November 19th
December 17th
January 21st
February 16th
March 18th
April 22nd
May 20th
June 17th
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. The chair of the Governance Committee is Ann Marie Roder. To attend a Governance Committee meeting via Zoom please contact Ann Marie at amroder@nullbeaconacademy.com
Governance Committee Meeting Dates:
August 31st
September 28th
October 26th
November 30th
January 25th
February 22nd
March 22nd
April 26th
May 24th
June 14th
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=school-board-by-laws]
Meeting Agendas 2023
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-agendas-2023]
Meeting Agendas 2022
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-agendas-2022]
Meeting Agendas 2021
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-agendas-2021]
Meeting Agendas 2020
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-agendas-2020]
Meeting Agendas 2019
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-agendas-2019]
Meeting Minutes 2023
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-minutes-2023]
Meeting Minutes 2022
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-minutes-2022]
Meeting Minutes 2021
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-minutes-2021]
Meeting Minutes 2020
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-minutes-2020]
Meeting Minutes 2019
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=meeting-minutes-2019]
[mla_gallery post_parent=all post_mime_type=application/pdf size=icon link=file attachment_category=state-reports]
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 Board Members
- Ann Marie Roder - President
- Matt Goodman - Treasurer
- Melanie Spall - Secretary