The Board of Education (BOE) consists of 9 members who reside in the Lakeland Central School District. Members serve staggered 3-year terms. Elections are held each May for board members and to vote on the School District Budget.
History
In 1951, the Shrub Oak, Toddville, and Van Cortlandtville school districts combined to become the Lakeland School District. Lakeland School District officially began operating in 1952. At its peak in 1973, the district served 8,594 students before dropping to its current levels of around 5,600 students.
Schools
The Lakeland Central Central School District operates five elementary schools, one Middle school, and two high schools across the district.
Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School has been selected as a National School to Watch, an initiative by the US Education Department to recognize high performance by schools.
For the 2016-2017 school year, 97% of graduates attended either 4-year colleges or 2-year colleges.[2]
Lakeland High School's Girls Field Hockey team has won the New York State Class B Championship for nine years in a row (2009-2018) and 12 total state titles.
Walter Panas High School Girls Volleyball is the two-time Class A New York State Champion (2016, 2017).
The PTAs at Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln-Titus, Thomas Jefferson, and Van Cortlandtville elementary schools have been named National PTA Schools of Excellence.
Notable Graduates:
T.C. Boyle, author, also taught at Lakeland High School from 1968 to 1972
Central and Union Free school districts are authorized to operate high schools, though not all do, while common school districts may not operate high schools.