GORHAM – A longtime fixture on the Gorham School Committee has resigned.

Marie South’s resignation was announced Tuesday at the Gorham Town Council meeting. Contacted Wednesday, South cited business commitments as leading to her decision.

“It’s absolutely just business reasons,” South said from Portland, Ore., about her resignation.

A former chairwoman of the School Committee, South, 51, said she is a client manager for Wright Express and she was traveling on business this week. She felt it unfair to citizens who elected her not to be available for School Committee meetings.

“I’ve been juggling my schedule,” South said. “It’s difficult to ping-pong across the country.”

Dennis Libby, chairman of the School Committee, announced the resignation.

“Marie has served our community for over 10 years and has served at nearly all levels of the committee,” Libby said. “Her experience and perspective will definitely be missed.”

Matt Robinson, chairman of the Town Council, thanked South for her service. “I’m sorry to see her go,” Robinson said.

“Actually, Marie’s resignation was not a surprise as the demands of her job during the past six months or so (she travels extensively across the United States in her work for Wright Express) was making it very difficult for her to attend school committee meetings,” Superintendent Ted Sharp said in an e-mail response Wednesday.

South’s three-year term expires in 2012. She had been elected to four terms and in recent campaigns had run unopposed.

South had worried about overcrowding in Gorham schools and was a proponent of Gorham upgrading its elementary system to have three schools housing kindergarten through Grade 5.

That plan becomes a reality in September. The aging White Rock School, which houses kindergarten through Grade 2, will be replaced with a new elementary school now under construction off Sebago Lake Road. The Town Council Tuesday officially approved naming it Great Falls School.

Under the revamped elementary system that South had envisioned, both the Village and Narragansett schools will have also be kindergarten through Grade 5. She said the kindergarten through Grade 5 plan was one of the School Committee’s biggest initiatives.

During her tenure on the School Committee, Gorham also opened its new Gorham Middle School. She said Wednesday she chaired the School Committee when it hired Superintendent Ted Sharp.

Libby told the Town Council that the School Committee would meet Thursday, Feb. 3, to discuss “moving forward.” Before Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Libby said the School Committee would vote to accept her resignation at its regular meeting Wednesday, Feb. 9.

The resignation leaves the School Committee with six members. Jim Hager, School Committee member and also a former chairman, believed the School Committee could fill the vacancy with an appointment until the next municipal election in November.

South, who has two adult daughters, encouraged others to get involved and said she might consider serving the community again sometime in the future.

“It’s been an incredible experience,” she said about serving on the School Committee.

GORHAM – A longtime fixture on the Gorham School Committee has resigned.

Marie South’s resignation was announced Tuesday at the Gorham Town Council meeting. Contacted Wednesday, South cited business commitments as leading to her decision.

“It’s absolutely just business reasons,” South said from Portland, Ore., about her resignation.

A former chairwoman of the School Committee, South, 51, said she is a client manager for Wright Express and she was traveling on business this week. She felt it unfair to citizens who elected her not to be available for School Committee meetings.

“I’ve been juggling my schedule,” South said. “It’s difficult to ping-pong across the country.”

Dennis Libby, chairman of the School Committee, announced the resignation.

“Marie has served our community for over 10 years and has served at nearly all levels of the committee,” Libby said. “Her experience and perspective will definitely be missed.”

Matt Robinson, chairman of the Town Council, thanked South for her service. “I’m sorry to see her go,” Robinson said.

“Actually, Marie’s resignation was not a surprise as the demands of her job during the past six months or so (she travels extensively across the United States in her work for Wright Express) was making it very difficult for her to attend school committee meetings,” Superintendent Ted Sharp said in an e-mail response Wednesday.

South’s three-year term expires in 2012. She had been elected to four terms and in recent campaigns had run unopposed.

South had worried about overcrowding in Gorham schools and was a proponent of Gorham upgrading its elementary system to have three schools housing kindergarten through Grade 5.

That plan becomes a reality in September. The aging White Rock School, which houses kindergarten through Grade 2, will be replaced with a new elementary school now under construction off Sebago Lake Road. The Town Council Tuesday officially approved naming it Great Falls School.

Under the revamped elementary system that South had envisioned, both the Village and Narragansett schools will have also be kindergarten through Grade 5. She said the kindergarten through Grade 5 plan was one of the School Committee’s biggest initiatives.

During her tenure on the School Committee, Gorham also opened its new Gorham Middle School. She said Wednesday she chaired the School Committee when it hired Superintendent Ted Sharp.

Libby told the Town Council that the School Committee would meet Thursday, Feb. 3, to discuss “moving forward.” Before Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Libby said the School Committee would vote to accept her resignation at its regular meeting Wednesday, Feb. 9.

The resignation leaves the School Committee with six members. Jim Hager, School Committee member and also a former chairman, believed the School Committee could fill the vacancy with an appointment until the next municipal election in November.

South, who has two adult daughters, encouraged others to get involved and said she might consider serving the community again sometime in the future.

“It’s been an incredible experience,” she said about serving on the School Committee.