Wright
After 12 years on the Gorham School Committee, Darryl Wright is stepping down because he is moving to Scarborough.
Wright, chairperson of the committee, said last week that he would attend his final meeting on Wednesday, June 14.
He’s leaving at a critical time for the School Committee, which must get back to work on a school budget for the new year after voters on Tuesday defeated its $51.1 million proposal.
Board Vice Chairperson Sarah Perkins will step up as chairperson until June 28, when the board will reorganize. Wright’s seat on the board will be filled in the municipal election in November, Superintendent Heather Perry said Tuesday. Wright said he will help Perkins with her transition to chairperson.
Wright got married last year and stayed in town until his daughter could graduate from Gorham High School on June 11, he said. He closes on the sale of his Gorham home Friday, June 16.
He most recently was reelected to the board in November 2021 for a three-year term.
Jim Hager, a former School Committee chairperson and former town councilor, said this week he was “shocked” that Wright was leaving before his term expired. Wright said Hager was his mentor when he was first elected to the board.
“That is disappointing to those he serves with, and a loss to the Gorham school community,” Hager said.
Hager said they both served on the schools’ Finance Committee.
“Darryl was a quick study and worked hard to contribute in a meaningful and productive way,” he said.
As chairperson of the School Committee, Wright continued the policy Hager instituted of briefing the Town Council monthly. He said he hoped the two boards would continue to have civil discussions.
Wright said the biggest challenge he faced during his time on the board was the pandemic and its after-effects. He said the board worked to safely return students to classrooms after a period of remote instruction.
“We did what we thought was in the best interests of our students,” he said.
“You did a very good job during COVID,” Town Councilor and former School Committee member Phil Gagnon told Wright at the Town Council meeting last week.
Councilors stood and applauded Wright. “That was surprising,” he said.
Wright is the only board member remaining from when it hired Perry in 2015 to succeed Superintendent Ted Sharp, who retired. Gorham has been lucky to have good superintendents, he said.
People move to Gorham because of the quality of its schools, he said, and the district has “amazing students.”
“I’m proud to have been a small part of their journey,” he said.
Besides his service on the School Committee, Wright has served as president of the Westbrook-Gorham Chamber of Commerce, and he ran Westbrook’s Together Days and used that experience to help organize the Gorham Founders Festival. He also was a member of Westbrook’s Economic Development Committee.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure and an honor,” Wright said about his tenure on the Gorham School Committee. “Proud of the work I’ve done on the School Committee.”
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