School board celebrates Martin’s last meeting, transition into retirement

By Christopher Miller

MILL HALL- With less than 20 days left before retiring, after a nearly 50 year career which started as a kindergarten student at Sugar Valley Elementary School and ends as Superintendent of the district, Keystone Central School District Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin concluded the final school board meeting Thursday night on a high note.

“I will be entering retirement with great pride and gratitude,” Martin said in her farewell address to the school board. “I have been working with the new Superintendent, Dr. Redmon, a couple of days this week on his transition to the district and this position checking off lists of information, documents needed to go through, so he is ready to start on February 1, when he will be at the helm of his first school board meeting here on that same day.”

Dr. Martin’s farewell address is below in its entirety:

A Farewell Message from Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin

As I head into retirement at the end of January, I do so with great pride and much
gratitude. This career opportunity allowed me to finish my educational journey in the
same district in which it began as a kindergarten student at Sugar Valley Elementary
School almost 50 years ago.

When I was chosen to be the Superintendent of the Keystone Central Schools five years
ago, I knew that there was a lot of work to be done and that the road would not be easy.
While no one could have anticipated a pandemic and the number of tragedies that have
occurred during my tenure as a superintendent, I am confident that I gave my best effort
to leave a positive legacy as a leader and that I have grown personally and professionally
during my time here.

I wish to thank our board members, teachers, staff, students and their families for being
a part of this journey because together, we have been able to achieve incredible things.
In addition to our normal business, I would like to share some notable district
accomplishments from the past five years.

We developed a future focused Comprehensive Plan in which we committed to
developing lifelong learners who are adaptable, resilient, productive and of high moral
character. We developed a profile of a learner that identifies the skills and attributes
needed for students to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Our boardroom to classroom efforts to support our students can be evidenced from
board policy, to staff expectations, to student outcomes.

For several years we navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, making shifts
from remote to hybrid to full in-person learning while implementing creative strategies
to meet the needs of our students and their families. We provided meals, technology
tools and social services in addition to keeping classes on track.

We have added new programs and revised curriculum in a process that includes all
content areas. We developed common assessment guidelines that focus on a rigor and
writing. WE have implemented new curriculum for elementary STEM and elementary
literacy aligned to the Science of Reading and a new math program in our elementary
schools which has contributed to significant student growth outcomes.

Our Career and Technology Center (CTC) has expanded from 10 programs to 13.
Enrollment in our CTC has increased from 230 to 580 students. We have increased our
local business and industry partnerships from 3 to 101, which has created endless
opportunities for our students to work and gain employment. We have the first
registered apprenticeship program in Machine Trades and are implementing two
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs.

A multi-tiered system of support and positive behavior program in all schools has
provided much needed support and services for all students. We have added behavior
specialists, counselors and social workers to meet the needs of our students.

We commissioned a facility study to prioritize aging facility projects. We crafted a 10
year plan and embarked on several energy saving projects that would produce long-term
savings and efficiencies. We renovated Bucktail High School and replaced windows,
doors, roofs, and HVAC across the other school buildings. Our athletic facilities have
been greatly improved with new artificial turf and natural field upgrades for soccer,
football, baseball and softball, while we resurfaced the track. We improved playground
safety, parking lots, security cameras and technology. And yesterday we celebrated the
groundbreaking for a new Liberty-Curtin Elementary School which will benefit students
in our community for many years to come. Through a lot of hard work, our facilities are
now great places to learn and work.

We have created balanced budgets annually with minimal impact on taxpayers by
increasing revenue sources. These budgets permit us to adequately fund our programs
with services and equipment. We have built financial stability through healthy reserve
accounts and investment choices, while increasing our credit rating to the highest level.

Our administrators and professional staff have engaged in professional learning with
instructional technology, literacy, math, trauma, restorative practices, behavior and so
many other topics. Our support staff has worked tirelessly to keep our schools open and
improving. From maintenance to custodial to food service to bus drivers and secretaries
– these folks have provided the much needed support for learning to occur.

I can honestly say that these, and many other projects, would never have been
completed without the collaborative work of so many people in our organization. I am
especially proud of our administrative team and how much they have grown over the
past five years.

Students are my “why” for being a public school leader. You are the future and I will
forever be proud of your passion, resilience and fortitude.

Thank you to everyone in our community for your support and inspiration,

Respectfully,

Dr. Jacquelyn Martin

In appreciation of Dr. Martin and her time with the school district, school board members presented her with a large bouquet of white roses and a card.

School board member Jeff Johnston was one of the first to speak of Martin and her achievements with the district.

“I have worked with you for almost your entire term here, and I have told you before many times that I think you are one of the best, if not the best Superintendent I have had a chance to be associated with,” Johnston said. “You made us all proud with your tremendous leadership for the district, and it was my pleasure and honor to work with you, and I appreciate all that you have done and all of the ups and downs along the way…you left this place in really good shape in your legacy here.”

Board member Roger Elling began by saying that he was going to be a tough person for Martin to get to know and like, “but over your time here and the things you have done, the way you ran this district and the things you have done for us, everything you said you would do, you did, plus the advocacy you have shown for the district, I feel like I am losing a sister.”

Board President Butch Knauff added that “not many folks know what it takes to be a superintendent, but you are part of those that do, and you may not have had much of a home life because this place ends up being it, but I thank you so much for your time and your hard work.”

Board member Polly Donahay went on to say that “I have a great amount of respect for you; in my first meeting with you at Liberty-Curtin I was in tears because I thought it would be closed, and here we are building a new school and I have such a great amount of gratitude for that, you have done such a great job here and you will certainly be missed.”

An appreciative Martin thanked the school board, “for everything and for all of your support,” and went on to also call out past board members Bo Miller, Eric Probert, Wayne Koch and Debbie Smith for their time and their talents on the board.