Midway down the fourth page of the thirteen page agenda was the ominous item. "REVOCATION OF CHARTER BETWEEN KEYSTONE ACADEMY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL AND CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. Discussion and possible action regarding the charter of Keystone Academy Charter High School, including, but not limited to, revocation or further consideration of the charter agreement, is recommended."

If the board of trustees was looking for a way to bring the community out in force to support our local school they succeeded. The board's public seating area was filled with Sandy Valley residents wanting to speak on behalf of Keystone Academy. When the agenda for the meeting was approved the item was removed from the agenda but the residents of Sandy Valley stayed in force and spoke their minds. Before the presentation of community speakers Superintendent of Schools Walt Rulffes addressed the reason the item had been pulled. Rulffes explained that the goal would be to create a county high school in Sandy Valley.

The fight for a local school in Sandy Valley goes back more than two decades. After years of frustration eight years ago key community members supported charter school legislation and Keystone Academy was the second charter school formed as soon as the legislation passed. When asked about the time line Rulffes said he anticipates the district will help Keystone complete the school year in compliance with the regulations and would be looking to have a K-12 program in Sandy Valley in time for the fall 2007 start of the school year.

In order to get a CCSD high school up and running in the next several months it will take dedicated work of school district personnel and the devotion of our community to ensure it happens. Judge Haviland stressed to the board of trustees the importance of community involvement in Sandy Valley's rural schools.