Butler Walko Joins School Committee, Ryan to Serve Fourth Term

The Dedham School Committee will get a new face this week as Susan Butler Walko secured 28.3 percent of the vote to win one of the two open seats. Current committee chairman Tom Ryan received the most votes with 29.7 percent.

Upon hearing of her election Saturday night, Susan Butler Walko said, "I’m so excited and I can’t wait to get started." 

As precincts began reporting numbers, she looked more and more victorious as she led even Ryan up until the final couple precincts. Butler Walko garnered 1,849 votes with Ryan edging her out with 1,935 votes.

"I couldn’t be more proud. She is so qualified," said Lynda McKinney, Butler Walko's friend and business partner.

Butler Walko, whose brother Michael Butler serves on the Board of Selectmen, said she first became involved with the schools more than 10 years ago when she joined a group of parents that helped raise funds for new programs and organize community-wide events.

"I felt like I’ve been running for 12 years," she said.

While Butler Walko will be the new face on the School Committee as she replaces Tracy Driscoll, who didn't seek re-election, Tom Ryan will remain for his fourth term on the committee.

Ryan, who has four kids in the school system, said he looks forward to completing projects like the new and continuing the upward trend of success at .

"As I said in the campaign, we are a good school district on our way to becoming a great school district. We have all the right things in place," Ryan said by phone Saturday evening.

Despite three people vying for two seats, his nine years of experience on the board and a School Committee campaign without a divisive issue, Ryan said he didn't take the election for granted.

"I think my two opponents were very formidable," Ryan said. "Susan Butler Walko is a longtime advocate in the schools (...) and John (Maida) was a town-wide elected official. It was a competitive and tough race."

Maida, a current Parks and Recreation commissioner, thanked supporters at .

Ryan was the top vote-getter in five of the seven precincts.

"I"m very grateful to the town and to the voters for supporting me," Ryan said.

Clarification: Susan Butler Walko took out nomination papers in 2006 for School Committee, but didn't return them. A previous version of this story mistakenly reported that she appeared on the ballot.