The Lakeland School Board of Education announced this week that Arlington Central School District Superintendent Brendan Lyons has been named to the same position in the district, effective as of Wednesday, July 1.
Lyons takes over for the retiring Superintendent George Stone, who has been in the role for a decade. Lyons was chosen following an eight-month search.
“I am honored and excited to join the Lakeland Central School District as its next superintendent,” Lyons said in a statement. "This is an outstanding community that places the best interests of students at the center of all its decisions.
“I look forward to fully immersing myself in learning about the district and the people in it. I also want to thank the Board of Education for their trust in me to lead after such a well-respected superintendent as Dr. Stone.”
Board of Education President Mike Daly praised Stone’s 10 years in charge of the district, saying: “We are grateful for Dr. Stone’s leadership and commitment to the Lakeland community over the years.
"He has been instrumental in strengthening the district’s mission of providing all students with the opportunity for success and has more recently helped navigate us through the pandemic crisis.”
Lyons began his 25-year career as a social studies teacher at Arlington High School, before moving on to serve as the assistant principal at the high school and middle school.
Lyons was named the executive principal at the high school and later chosen as the deputy superintendent in the district in 2012.
Lyons became superintendent in 2013, where he was responsible for a $215 million annual operating budget and supervising four assistant superintendents and 11 building principals.
According to the Board of Education, Lyons was chosen because he is “an established superintendent with extensive experience leading a diverse school district including strong financial management skills and a background in curriculum and instruction both as an administrator and classroom teacher.”
“Dr. Lyons is dedicated to building a superior learning environment and has the experience and enthusiasm to move Lakeland forward," Daily said. "Especially in a challenging new world where we face many uncertainties from COVID-19, including lost instructional time, emotional challenges and budget reductions."
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