In the past seven years, the Bethlehem Central School District has seen some big changes, and this year will be no different as board of education president James Lytle steps down this week.
Lytle, who originally came to Bethlehem in the 1983 to work with then-Gov. Mario Cuomo’s administration in Albany, has been the board of education president for the past two years, during which time the district got a new superintendent and a new elementary school.
Originally appointed to fill a spot on the board in 2002, Lytle’s interest in school board politics didn’t only stem from his work with the state’s Legislature it actually followed him from Rochester, where he grew up.
Frankly, the idea of being appointed to a board in the first instance seemed like an ideal way to get there,` Lytle said. `My father served on a school board when I was in junior high school and I was our school’s first student school board representative.`
After having two baby girls, Lytle said he and his wife decided to stay in town.
`Honestly, I suppose my wife has corrected me on this, I’m not sure it is fair to say that we picked our house because of the fact it was a good school district because at the time we weren’t sure how long we would stay,` said Lytle. `But we certainly stayed here in a large part because we knew it was a good community and the schools are a large part of that.`
Usually the Bethlehem BOE would vote in a new president each year, but Lytle remained at the helm as the school went through some transitions over the last two years.
`I think the feeling might have been there was a lot of discontinuity with a new superintendent and a new administrative team,` said Lytle. `It really was a great honor to serve a couple of years not only as a part of the selection of the new superintendent but to also be able to support him in his first year.`
Lytle was a part of the selection committee that conducted a nationwide search for a new superintendent before deciding on the district’s own Michael Tebbano. It was a decision, Lytle said, that has seemingly paid off.
`Michael Tebbano made it clear from the get go that it wasn’t going to be more of the same and he has been a great leader for the district,` said Lytle, adding that he very much respects former superintendent Les Loomis’ 21-year career at the district as well.
Lytle is a lawyer for a national firm with an Albany branch that is involved in representing entities heavily regulated by the state and that also does some lobbying work at the state Capitol. He said his legislative experience has helped him on the board, but that he wasn’t exactly prepared for everything that comes with a school board seat.
`It was harder than I thought it would be,` Lytle said. `There’s a lot of information you have to digest, and honestly it was a little harder to sit up there at the meeting and cast your vote for or against something when there were people in the audience and people in the community who felt strongly about an issue.`
Lytle said it is the parents whohold the Bethlehem school district to a high standard and make it so strong.
`The reality is one of the reasons we have a good school district is because we have parents that care so much about their kids,` he said. `That, ultimately, is something we don’t want to discourage.`
Looking back, Lytle said he was particularly proud of initiating the district `Character Achievement Awards,` which the BOE gives to students who exhibit strong character through their academic and athletic achievements.
`The awards are meant to go beyond the athletic and academic superstars,` he said. `Students who just actually do reasonably ordinary things in the course of the day, which when you look at them under the right light could be extraordinary.`
He also said he is proud being a part of making the school more open and the decision to move to full-day kindergarten.
`We’ve made the school district a lot more transparent than it used to be and much more engaging for the community’s residents,` Lytle said. `I was also a believer in full-day kindergarten. I thought it was time for the district to move in that direction and I’m proud that we were able to do.`
Lytle pointed to an open superintendent process and online budgets and teacher contracts as examples of a more open board.
At his last meeting, on June 17, vice president James Dering thanked him for his service.
`It has been a sincere pleasure serving on the board with Jim,` Dering said. `Few people realize the extent of the time and other commitments of being on the board, and Jim set the bar high in terms of his service to the district. Jim’s leadership has been outstanding and he will be missed.`
Lytle said the overall experience has been a positive one.
`I have no regrets. It was a great experience, and I believe in some ways it’s a much more rewarding experience than many people suspect,` said Lytle.
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