It took some time, but the Keystone School Board finally got its superintendent.
The board, during a special meeting on Dec. 20, approved the hire of Michael J. Hall by a 7-0 margin (board members Stacy Thompson and Dwayne VanTassel were absent from the meeting). The term of Hall’s contract is three years for $118,000 per year.
Hall will not take over as superintendent immediately as he has to give his current employer, the Bucktail Area School District, 60 days until he can assume the Keystone position. Michael McCormick will continue his role as acting superintendent until Hall is installed.
The board had been scheduled to announce the hire of a new superintendent at the board’s reorganization meeting Dec. 5. At that time, McCormick said the personnel committee had decided on a candidate, but entered into contract negotiations and could not announce the hire.
Hall believes the makeup of the Keystone student body will give him an opportunity to thrive.
“One of my big passions is to work with students in rural communities,” Hall told the Clarion News. “I grew up on a small farm myself and attended a small, rural school district (Bald Eagle Area).
He said there should be equal opportunity between students who attend rural and urban school districts. “I want to show rural kids we have the same opportunities as everybody else.”
Hall said his “ultimate goal” is for Keystone graduates to be regarded as “the premier graduates in whatever field they want to go into — whether it is beginning a career, going to a technical school or college — I want everybody to look at Keystone and say, ‘You’re graduates are great.’ And I want our graduates to have fond memories of Keystone. I want them to look back and say, ‘This was a great place to go to school.’”
Hall is currently serving as Bucktail Area High School principal and athletic director. Prior to his time at Bucktail, Hall served as principal at Dickey, Mill Hall, Liberty-Curtin and Renovo elementary schools in the Keystone Central School District.
He also served as an elementary school principal at both Mountain Top and Howard in the Bald Eagle Area School District. Prior to becoming a principal, Hall was a teacher in the Keystone Central School District.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University, his master’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania and his superintendent letter from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Hall is married with four children, ranging in ages 18 to 28. He and his wife are currently looking to purchase a home in the area.