Crossroads Charter Academy
Encyclopedia
Crossroads Charter Academy is a K-12 charter school
located in Big Rapids, Michigan
in Mecosta County
.
In 1999, the school added a ninth grade level and continued adding one grade level per year. In August 2002, Crossroads became a K-12 school. In that same year, the school began construction of its new high school building across West Spruce Street. Construction was completed in February 2003, and high school classes moved to that building afterward.
The school held commencement ceremonies for the class of 2003, the school's inaugural class, on May 30, 2003. The first senior class consisted of 23 students.
examination and have a satisfactory grade point average may dual enroll at Ferris State University
for credit in place of usual high school courses. Students may also attend the career center or the Math and Science Center, both administered by the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District.
, men's basketball, women's volleyball
, women's soccer, co-ed track, and men's baseball
. In 2007, the school added football.
Crossroads Charter Academy was distinguished as the first charter school in Michigan to win a state sports championship when the girls' cross country team won the state finals in 2004. The team won the championship again in 2005.
Since then, there have been calls for the board to be elected by the parents of Crossroads students. As it currently stands, new board members are elected by the existing board, which has led to some members' terms lasting upward of nine years.
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
located in Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids, Michigan
Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,849. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...
in Mecosta County
Mecosta County, Michigan
Mecosta County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tribe that once traveled the local waterways in search of fish and game. Chief Mecosta was one of the signers the Treaty of Washington in 1836. The easily...
.
History
Originally founded as a K-8 school in 1998, classes met in the former Big Rapids High School building on North State Street.In 1999, the school added a ninth grade level and continued adding one grade level per year. In August 2002, Crossroads became a K-12 school. In that same year, the school began construction of its new high school building across West Spruce Street. Construction was completed in February 2003, and high school classes moved to that building afterward.
The school held commencement ceremonies for the class of 2003, the school's inaugural class, on May 30, 2003. The first senior class consisted of 23 students.
Academics
Students who earn satisfactory scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment ProgramMichigan Educational Assessment Program
The Michigan Educational Assessment Program, commonly known as MEAP, is a standardized test. The test is taken by all public school students in the U.S. state of Michigan from elementary school to middle/junior high school...
examination and have a satisfactory grade point average may dual enroll at Ferris State University
Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, an educator from New England who later served as governor of the State of Michigan and finally in the US Senate where...
for credit in place of usual high school courses. Students may also attend the career center or the Math and Science Center, both administered by the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District.
Athletics
The school participates in several sports, including men's soccer, co-ed cross-country track, women's basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, men's basketball, women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, women's soccer, co-ed track, and men's baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In 2007, the school added football.
Crossroads Charter Academy was distinguished as the first charter school in Michigan to win a state sports championship when the girls' cross country team won the state finals in 2004. The team won the championship again in 2005.
Controversy
In 2007, Crossroads faced a crisis of leadership when the school board forced superintendent Dave Vander Goot to resign. His resignation was accepted at a June 21 board meeting. In response to demands by parents to explain the firing, board president Dave Engels said the board is not allowed to discuss personnel issues publicly. At the same meeting, the board accepted the resignations of board members Jeff Thorne and Tina Wood, both of whom had served since 1998 and were instrumental in the school's founding.Since then, there have been calls for the board to be elected by the parents of Crossroads students. As it currently stands, new board members are elected by the existing board, which has led to some members' terms lasting upward of nine years.