The Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative school board selected Dennis Golding of Wilton to be their new member Tuesday, filling the vacancy left by Wilton representative Mark Legere’s resignation.
Golding, who was a school board budget committee member, stated that his reason behind wanting to join the board was based on his desire to represent students.
“I feel like I’d be a great fit for this particular school board spot because I feel like I would be for the students, and I feel like there’s a disconnect between this particular school board and the students and how they react to certain problems,” Golding said when introducing himself to the board.
“I want to be that voice that helps everybody reconnect and be cohesive,” he said.
Golding also said that he believed the board placed too much emphasis on taxpayers and put taxpayer needs before the needs of students.
“Everything needs to work around the student and the school district first,” Golding said. “Then, we present things to the taxpayer.”
The board selected Golding from a field of three candidates who volunteered their names for consideration. In a cooperative school district, members of the board from the town represented by the resignee vote on the replacement, as well as at-large members. For WLC, this was board Chair Alex LoVerme, Vice-Chair Brianne Lavallee, Tiffany Cloutier-Cabral, Paul White, Jim Kofalt, and Matt Mannarino.
Stephanie Kirsch, a Milford High School teacher with students in the WLC school system, and Dave Comley, a business-owner and school bus driver, were the other two candidates.
LoVerme thanked all of the candidates and encouraged those not selected to run for the seat when it opens for election, which will be March 2022. Golding will fill the vacancy until that time.
LoVerme said that Golding will be sworn in before the next board meeting.