Community Bids Farewell to Veteran Superintendent

Gary Burton smiled, chatted, joked and enjoyed the cake baked in his honor Tuesday afternoon as well wishers filled the Large Hearing Room at the Wayland Town Building to bid the longtime superintendent goodbye.

For the past 17 years, Burton has served as the superintendent of , and now, he said, it’s time to move on.

“I’m old enough, and I have grandchildren I haven’t spoiled yet,” Burton said when asked about the timing of his retirement. “You reach a point where it’s just the right time. The school district is in a good place.”

teacher Sue Olivier came to the reception to tell her superintendent farewell; Burton is, in fact, the only superintendent under which Olivier has ever taught. She came to Wayland schools the same year Burton assumed leadership.

“It feels funny,” she said, after writing a note to Burton in a soon-to-be-assembled memory book. “I’m happy for him to move on and do other things he wants to do, but it’s been great leadership all these years.”

Burton it seems is already planning some of his downtime and could be overheard discussing his reading list with Wayland Public Library Director Ann Knight during the reception. In addition to catching up on his reading, Burton said he and his wife plan to travel to Morocco in the fall to visit their son, a diplomat based in that country.

“I don’t want to go home and just sit in a rocking chair,” Burton said, adding that he will likely work again and is already considering consulting options, including overseas possibilities.

While he may miss the daily involvement in public education, Burton said the chief thing he won’t miss is the late-night School Committee meetings followed by early mornings back in the office the next day.

“It’s been a privilege and an honor to work here in Wayland,” Burton told the crowd at his reception. “This is the most talented group of educators I’ve ever worked with.”

Burton said his final day in the office will likely be June 30.

In January, the Wayland School Committee tapped Paul Stein, currently deputy superintendent of Newton Public Schools, to be Wayland's next superintendent.