Candidate profile: Brian Barton
Name: Brian Barton
Age: 56
Town: Swansea
Occupation: Administrative budget branch manager - accountant / budget analyst
Position seeking: Belleville Township High School District 201 Board of Education
Campaign website: Website under construction
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? I want to give back to the district that provided opportunities for my family and I. I’m a West graduate, my daughter (Madeline) is an East graduate and currently in the Bridges Program, and a son (Brock) who is a sophomore at Belleville East. I’m currently a board member, and also a member of the board Finance Committee. I’m a CPA and work for the federal government as a budget manager. I’m a lifelong resident of the Belleville area and feel my experience as a board member and knowledge of fund accounting can help provide some insight to school finances.
What are the most important issues the school district faces, and how would you approach them? A. Finances - Perform due diligence by ensuring all state funding is monitored and received, explore financing opportunities on bonds/investments, and continue to explore opportunities that may provide an income stream or reduce operating expenses. Safety - Continue to explore technology and/or develop new processes that will provide a safe learning environment.
Under what circumstances would you vote to raise property taxes? I would consider voting to raise taxes to provide the resources to ensure the safety of our students, teachers, administration and support staff.
What are your goals for the district/what do you want to accomplish? District Goal - Continue to provide a quality education and learning opportunities for all students while still maintaining a balanced budget. I would like to see higher standardized test scores, closer to 100 percent graduation rate in four years or less, higher attendance rates and lower discipline cases.
What is your position on the proposed increase in minimum wage for teachers in Illinois? While I would embrace a phased increase for minimum teachers’ salaries, it would have to come with a solid budget proposal delineating financial impact and potential funding sources. I’m not a huge fan of unfunded state mandates. The state has not been forthcoming with school funding over the last couple years so I would like to see its plan. The state can’t continue to burden the local taxpayer. To me, it’s not about whether the teachers deserve it, of course they do. Our teachers spend countless hours preparing, teaching and guiding sports and extracurricular activities. The average dollar per actual hour spent for our students would surprise many.