Byram Hills board elects Lara Stegall president, approves superintendent contract and audit corrective steps

The Byram Hills Central School District Board of Education on July 8, 2025 elected Lara Stegall as board president and Mia DiPietro as vice president, added and approved an action to authorize the superintendent—s employment terms, appointed Jen Lamia as district superintendent effective July 8, 2025, and adopted a series of plans and policy readoptions at its annual reorganization meeting.

The board voted to add action item 21 to the agenda for approval of "the superintendent's contract, terms, and employment beginning 07/08/2025 through June 2029," then moved and approved that item. The board also approved placing references in the annual appointments and personnel sections to the superintendent, added the appointment of Jen Lamia as district superintendent to the consent agenda, and formally swore in Lamia at the meeting. Lamia addressed the board, saying, "I don't have any staff reports right now, but I would like to thank our board of education, our district office staff for an incredible opening of our school year...That could not happen without the hard work of everybody sitting at this table." The meeting record also shows the oath language for board members and the superintendent.

Board members nominated and approved officers at the meeting. The board nominated Lara Stegall for president and Mia DiPietro for vice president; both nominations were seconded and approved by voice vote without recorded dissent.

The board approved a per-diem employment agreement to hire Chris Porrasari to serve as interim assistant principal at Byram Hills High School beginning July 21, 2025, and added a personnel consent item formally appointing Lamia as superintendent effective July 8, 2025. The transcript records motions, seconds and repeated "all in favor" confirmations; no recorded nay or abstention votes are in the minutes provided.

On routine business, the board adopted or readopted several policies and plans: second-reading approvals included policies for parent and family engagement, investments, purchasing and purchasing regulations, code of conduct, and a new students and personnel electronic devices policy; the board also approved the district safety and emergency management plan, the 2025-26 professional development recertification plan, and the school counseling plan.

The board received a staff presentation on corrective actions in response to an internal audit of extracurricular and club finances. Kelly (staff member) outlined steps the district will take, including producing formal written procedures based on state guidance; requiring bank reconciliations to be signed and dated monthly; separating listings for clubs and extracurricular activities; requiring clubs to take attendance, keep simple minutes and agendas, and maintain Google Sheet financial records for monthly review; creating a standardized fundraising form and profit-and-loss statement to be submitted before and after events; and producing a template to calculate sales tax for central treasurers. Kelly said the district will ensure student- and adviser-signatures on deposits and supporting documents going forward. Board members asked for a three- to four-month update on progress.

Kelly noted the audit finding included an instance in which a deposit did not have a student signature; in response, the district said it will ensure signatures are present on deposit records as they come to the district office. A board member estimated the district handles "close to 100" school deposits per year.

The board also confirmed annual organizational appointments, reappointed central treasurers Jim Gulick and Christina Base, approved minutes from June 10 and June 26, 2025, and adjourned. Several remarks at the meeting emphasized the time commitment of board officers and the district's plans for the coming school year, including administrator retreats and staff training.

The transcript does not record detailed roll-call vote tallies for the motions; motions in the record were moved, seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote with no recorded oppositions in the provided excerpts.