The West Seneca Board of Education unanimously voted to retain interim Superintendent Matthew Bystrak in February of 2018, and formally voted to offer a 3-year contract to Bystrak at its March 26, 2018 meeting. The superintendent’s renewed contract is effective until June 2024. Mr. Bystrak began serving as interim superintendent on July 10, 2017. 

Prior to his appointment as Superintendent, Mr. Bystrak was a District social worker from 2003 to 2009, an Assistant Principal from 2009 to 2013, and Principal of West Middle School from 2013 to June of 2016.  Mr. Bystrak was appointed as the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for the 2016-2017 school year, just prior to taking the interim Superintendent’s role.

As interim, Mr. Bystrak was able to reach new contract agreements with teachers and support staff in November of 2017, eight months before their old agreements were to expire. During Superintendent Bystrak’s tenure, he has initiated the $75.5M Capital Improvements Project at no additional cost to taxpayers, and settled multiple contracts with all District associations. 

Academically, Mr. Bystrak has worked collaboratively with our educators to enhance the District’s Literacy Programming.  During his tenure, the District has collaborated with the BOE and stakeholders to identify needs and strategically add support in key areas. This has resulted in reduced class sizes, additional mental health personnel, increased access to vocational programming.  As the District met the challenges of the pandemic, all students were connected to their schools through a strong remote learning program that also ensured all students had access to technology.  The District continues to ensure that students of all skills and abilities have access to academic and social/emotional supports. 

Mr. Bystrak, in addition to attending West Seneca Schools and graduating from West Senior, earned his B.A. degree in Health and Human Services from the University at Buffalo.  He has a variety of experience in the field of human services, ranging from director of a youth homeless shelter, family counseling, and work in the foster care system.  He completed his Master’s Degree in Social Work from UB, as well as a Masters in School Administration from Canisius College.

Mr. Bystrak and his wife, Elizabeth, also an educator, are raising two school-aged daughters.  He says his greatest interest is “in maintaining and growing a caring school community that looks at the needs of the whole child, with strong academics, and a richness of athletics and the arts.”