Lakeland's Superintendent Is Gone By A 7-2 Vote

SHRUB OAK, NY — The Yorktown Board of Education held a special meeting Saturday and at the end of it, their new superintendent was gone.

The board had announced the meeting Thursday.

The trustees went into executive session at 9 a.m. to "discuss the employment history of a particular pedagogical employee and to receive advice from school attorney" and came out of it to vote 7-2 to accept Brendan Lyon's resignation to "pursue other opportunities."

Karen Gagliardi, Lakeland's assistant superintendent for instruction, assumed the role of acting superintendent of schools. The trustees said they anticipated an interim superintendent would be appointed Thursday at the Board of Education meeting.

It is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. at Van Cortlandtville Elementary School.

"We trust that our Lakeland community will work together to make this time of transition as seamless as possible for everyone. Our focus is, and will always be, the well-being of the children of this district. We will keep the school community informed about our decision-making as we move forward," Board President Adam Kaufman said in a statement on behalf of the trustees. "Thank you for your support and we hope you have a good weekend."

Lyons came to Lakeland 14 months ago from the Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County. Neither he nor the trustees said anything in their statements about the reason for his abrupt departure. Lyons' salary for 2021-22 as reported to the state Education Department is $264,940. Neither of their statements addressed issues of his contract or any settlement.

"Whatever the future may hold, please remain unified in service to the children of Lakeland," Lyons said in a letter to the district's families. "I wish you all the best."

See the trustees' statement and his letter on the district's homepage.