The LaFayette Central School District will soon have new leadership at the helm. The Board of Education has selected Kara Lux, currently the Director of Special Education and Grants for the Marcellus Central School District, as its next superintendent.
Lux is expected to begin her role in December or January, pending final contract negotiations. She will succeed interim superintendent Daniel Bowles, who stepped in after former superintendent Jeremy Belfield left in July to lead CiTi BOCES in Oswego County.
Lux brings more than two decades of experience in education, including the last eight years leading special education programming in Marcellus. In her application, she cited LaFayette’s “deep-rooted sense of community, commitment to educational excellence, and its unique and honored relationship with the Onondaga Nation” as key reasons she was drawn to the district.
“I am humbled and honored to serve the LaFayette community,” Lux said. “The dedication, care, and commitment to putting students first — demonstrated every day by the staff, families and community — is truly inspiring.”
Community voice and experience led the way
Board President Ronald Shawn Reyburn said Lux rose to the top of a field of more than two dozen candidates. Stakeholder groups — including representatives from the Onondaga Nation, staff, students, and families — participated in the interview process and helped shape the Board’s final decision.
“We believe that Kara Lux is the best person to lead LaFayette into a bright and healthy future,” Reyburn said. “Her effervescent personality and deep knowledge of education make her a great fit for our district.”
The search process was led by OCM BOCES District Superintendent Matthew L. Cook, Ed.D., who facilitated community engagement and recruitment.
A Central New York-rooted educator
A Syracuse native, Lux graduated from Bishop Ludden High School, earned her bachelor’s from SUNY Geneseo, and received both her master’s and administrative certification from Syracuse University. She began her career as a speech-language pathologist in Syracuse City Schools and later worked in West Genesee before joining Marcellus in 2017.
As superintendent, Lux will lead a district of about 800 students and 230 staff members across four buildings, including the Onondaga Nation School — a unique educational setting focused on preserving and teaching Onondaga language and culture.
Lux said she looks forward to “listening, learning, collaborating, and working with all stakeholders” as she begins her leadership journey.
She and her husband, Dan, live in Central New York with their two children, Madelyn and Andrew.
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