Superintendent
Keene ISD is committed to transparency with our students, staff, and parents. We believe leadership begins at the very top and is passed through administrators and teachers as we work to instill valuable and lasting leadership principles in our students.
Dr. Ricky Stephens, Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Ricky Stephens has been Keene ISD Superintendent for the past 9 years. He started his career as a high school math teacher and coach at Diboll ISD and quickly became an assistant principal at Diboll Junior High at the age of 26 in 1995. A year later, he was promoted to the principal at Diboll Junior High. He left in 2000 to become the high school principal at Mineola High School, where his campus would be rated 'exemplary' for many of the 13 years he spent there, culminating in Dr. Stephens being named the 2013 Region 7 High School Principal of the Year. He arrived at Keene ISD in the summer of 2013 and has seen all 3 of his daughters graduate from Keene High School.
He states: “The Lord is good and knew exactly where I needed to be. The love that this community has shown to my family and me, and the support that this community has for its school makes it the only place I want to be."
Mrs. Sandra Denning, Associate Superintendent
Sandra Denning has been at Keene ISD for 32 years. She started her teaching career in the fall of 1990 as a 6-12 Social Studies teacher at Keene Junior High and High School. She loved her teaching career but leadership was calling her name. Sandra was named the principal of Keene High School in 2006 and stayed in that role until 2018 when she took on a challenge and became the district’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She loved the challenge of the job but transitioned to the Assistant Superintendent in charge of curriculum and federal programs. Sandra has found her passion in her current role and loves the opportunity to work with both teachers and students on a daily basis.
Her motto is “work hard and be nice to people.”
