Mountain Lakes Board swears in three new members, elects Joanne Barkauskas president

The Mountain Lakes Board of Education convened on Jan. 25, 2026, at Mountain Lakes High School to conduct its annual reorganization, swear in newly elected trustees and elect officers.

The board read a certification of the Nov. 17, 2025 school election provided by the Morris County Board of Elections, recording vote totals for the three open three‑year seats: Joanne Barkauskas (1,480 votes), James Hirschfeld (1,422 votes), and Laura Silva McIntyre (1,466 votes), with 152 write‑ins noted in the certification read into the record.

Each newly elected member took the oath of office at the podium. Following the oaths, the board opened nominations for president. Joanne Barkauskas was nominated and, after roll call, declared the board president. The board then nominated Jen Parker as vice president; Parker announced she would abstain from the vice‑president roll call, and members completed the vote by roll call and congratulated the officers.

The meeting also included routine housekeeping: the board approved annual appointments and administrative items together, including designation of an acting board secretary, authorized signatures, the district attorney and architect engagements, and the district’s newspapers of record. Board members discussed and thanked district staff responsible for maintaining the public calendar.

The newly sworn members and elected officers will serve as the Board of Education leadership for the coming year. The board indicated photographs and brief remarks would follow at a break.

What’s next: the board will continue its regular business at future meetings and will receive committee assignments and administrative reports in upcoming sessions.