BURTON SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES SPEAK AT PACKED FORUM

Josh Blaschke April 9, 2019

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A sizable crowd filled the Burton Community Center Monday night to hear from each of the candidates in this year’s Burton School Board election.

Well over 100 people attended the candidates forum, put on by “Friends of Burton”, a group of concerned Burton citizens.

This year’s election has four candidates running for two positions on the board, along with a special election for a third spot. All six candidates attended the forum.

Candidates answered written questions from the audience such as:

What are the board’s procedures in place for monitoring superintendent activities, and making sure they’re what the citizens want?
Do you have any children eligible to attend Burton ISD that do not attend? If so, why not?
Describe your ideas for improvements and changes in the school district over one, three, and ten years.
What is your plan to make each teacher feel important in the district?
How do you feel about vocational education courses, and how would you work to get more of them for the district?

When asked about superintendent activities, incumbent Demetrius Colvin said it’s not the board’s job to micromanage the school or intervene directly, but it will point people in the right direction.

Challenger Jon L. Johnson rebuked Colvin’s statement, saying the superintendent is employed by the school board, and a board member’s job is not a hands-off position. He also criticized the board for letting attorneys “run the show”.

Special election challenger John Parffrey echoed Johnson’s statements, saying he and the public demands transparency. He also said he tried to present his issues without the need for attorneys, but the process didn’t get anywhere.

Challenger Linda Sue Pinkerton said the board’s line of dialogue and information runs through the superintendent. She added she has not personally had issues with getting information from school officials.

Incumbent Jeff Harmel spoke on his desire to work on issues locally and man-to-man, without the need for attorneys.

Special election incumbent Ande Bostain said, above all, he maintains extreme pride for this community, and wants to be a part of the school’s efforts moving forward.