LEWISTON — The School Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Todd Finn as superintendent.

They also voted to name popular Lewiston High School Principal Jake Langlais to serve in the role of interim superintendent until a permanent replacement is found.

Finn announced last week that he would resign after a series of clashes with the committee. His resignation will become effective Aug. 3. 

The committee has been in disarray since Finn’s announcement, a stunning move that was followed by the equally abrupt resignation of Committee Chairwoman Monique Roy, who made her announcement on Sunday. 

The nature of Finn’s departure has been cloaked in mystery. Last week, the Sun Journal requested a copy of the letter Finn wrote to the committee, advising them that he planned to resign.

The school department released a letter from Finn after the meeting, dated Wednesday, confirming his departure, but does not appear to be the same resignation letter Finn sent to the board last week. The committee earlier had said the Freedom of Access Act request was in the hands of the school district’s counsel.

Finn, 49, had been on bereavement leave since July 1 and began a medical leave last week after the death of his father.

“Losing my father has made me realize that I truly love and miss being a teacher,” Finn wrote in a statement. “I want to return to the day-to-day job and lifestyle that I had as a teacher, with more time engaging directly with students and with more time to spend with my family.”

Langlais spoke briefly at the meeting Wednesday night, and said someone needs to “take the wheel and navigate” while the search is on for a permanent superintendent. He said he’ll happily step down from the role once a qualified candidate is found.

“We are facing some challenging times,” Langlais said, “and becoming the interim superintendent just feels like the right thing to do.”

The committee then voted one-by-one on the proposal.

“It’s unanimous,” interim Committee Chairwoman Megan Parks said when all the votes were cast. “Welcome.”

Langlais has been the principal of the high school since 2017, before which he was principal at the the middle school.

The matter of police officers in Lewiston schools, a controversial issue expected to draw large crowds and plenty of input from the public, was not included on the committee agenda Wednesday night. That issue will be taken up at a later meeting. No date has been scheduled.

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