LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Dr. Francis Redmon is pictured with the KCSD Profile of Learner chart in the Administration Building of the Keystone Central School District.

MILL HALL — 2024 brought with it some big changes at Keystone Central School District.

Following the retirement of then-Superintendent Dr. Jacquelyn Martin earlier in the year, the district has a new leader at its help — Dr. Francis Redmon.

Redmon has served as superintendent at other schools in the United States including the Quilcene School District in Washington and the Ashgabat International School in Turkmenistan.

For Redmon, who has traveled across the globe in his career, learning all he can about the community he now calls home is very key.

“I’m really eager to learn from as many people as I can. My wife and I are really interested in becoming part of the community. We don’t see this — either her work in special education or my work as superintendent — as temporary or a pass through,” he said.

Redmon noted the couple are currently searching for a home within the district and intend to immerse themselves in the community.

Currently, Sharon is completing her Phd in special education at Penn State University, specifically in assistive technology.

“That’s finding ways to help support students who need special education… specially designed instruction with devices and things to help them access curriculum like their typically developing peers,” he explained.

Redmon said both of them are interested in becoming a part of the community, something he said they often did no matter where their careers took them. This ties into the goals he set forth to the public and the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors when he first took on the role.

Acclimating with the community and becoming involved is the second big goal he has.

“Everywhere I’ve been as a leader I’ve seen myself not only as a leader in the school, but also a member of the community,” he said. “Typically the way that comes out is me spending a lot of time in the community.”

Redmon said in previous roles he and Sharon have become members of various clubs such as the Lions, VFW — having served in the Navy — and Rotary.

“That’s one way that I can keep myself connected,” he said.

For Redmon, though, his biggest goal is to learn every aspect of the district he now calls home.

“I have some broad goals that will carry me through this school year that are about me integrating myself into the school community as well as the larger community,” he said.

Currently, Redmon has made it his mission to learn all he can about each part of the district.

“(I want) to get to know the school leaders and teachers, the custodians and cafeteria works, transportation… as many people as I can so that I can understand how the district functions, not from a sitting in the office perspective,” he said. “But by getting to know the folks who are doing the work.”

Just as important for Redmon is getting to know the students.

“I’ve already met with a couple of leadership groups and I have more scheduled, because I want to learn the experiences of the students,” he said.

“My role is a supportive one in that I make sure the directors have the supports that they need so they can support all the other aspects of the district,” he said. “Whether that be facilities, transportation, food service, learning and teaching, student support — all those areas need to have the resources to be able to do their job.”

Being an integral part of the school community and the local community at large are the most important parts of this role for Redmon.

“I think it’s important for me as the district leader to be a part of the community I’m serving,” he said. “I would much rather be here living the lives alongside the folks in the community… paying the same taxes, going to the same grocery store and experiencing all of the positives and challenges living in the community as our students are.”

Redmon invites community residents to reach out to him if they have questions, or simply want to share their experiences with him as he begins to settle into his role.

“In my official capacity I would love it if, when folks have questions about any aspect of the district, they ask them,” he said. “That’s one of the big reasons that the office of the superintendent exists. It’s to help make the connection between what we’re doing in the school district and the community.”