Erik D. Wright named Wyandanch's new schools superintendent

A new Wyandanch schools superintendent has been named to lead the district, which has been overseen by interim chiefs since 2023.

Erik D. Wright was appointed by the school board Tuesday and will take over the role June 1, according to a news release announcing his hire. The terms of his contract, including its length and his salary, were not available Thursday. 

“We are happy to welcome Dr. Wright to the Wyandanch family,” school board president James Crawford said in the release. “His experience in educational leadership and his student-centered approach makes him the ideal choice to lead our district forward.”

Wright has more than 28 years of experience working in public education, most recently as associate superintendent for Yonkers Public Schools. In that role, he oversaw 16 principals and districtwide programs in areas such as English Language Arts, athletics, prekindergarten and student discipline, according to the release.

The longtime educator has also held leadership positions in the upstate Beacon City School District, as assistant superintendent of curriculum and student support, executive director of curriculum and instruction and principal of J.V. Forrestal Elementary School, the release said.

Early in his career, Wright was a Head Start educator and founding principal of The Academy of the Arts in the Bronx, the release said.

He earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Binghamton University, a masters in educational administration and supervision from Baruch College in Manhattan and a doctorate in educational leadership and administration from Russell Sage College, according to his LinkedIn page. 

Wright will replace Larry Aronstein, who was hired on an interim basis last summer to replace another temporary superintendent who came on board after former Superintendent Gina Talbert left to lead the Amityville district.

Aronstein previously said he would work to stabilize the district as it looked for a permanent superintendent to take over after his one-year term.

The district has faced challenges in recent years, including grade-fixing allegations that resulted in three administrators being reassigned during the fall of 2023. The district has also had a state fiscal monitor since April 2020.