BSD board member passes
Trustee for more than 25 years
John Burkey, who served on Burton School District’s board of trustees for over 25 years, passed away Friday after complications from a long battle with brain cancer. He was 73. Despite his health issues, Burkey remained active as a board member until very recently, participating in board meetings via teleconference and appearing in person at the groundbreaking ceremony of the district’s new school last fall.
A statement issued by the district via social media described Burkey as “a pillar board trustee for the Burton School Board [who] dedicated his time to support students and staff. Mr. Burkey’s contributions of leadership, knowledge and compassion will never be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers to his family during this difficult time. He will be dearly missed.”
BSD Superintendent Sharon Kamberg said Burkey was considered the board’s historian because of his extensive experience and involvement as a trustee.
“Fellow trustees looked to Mr. Burkey for the way governance policy was established in previous years as well as the reasons those decisions were made. He was highly interested in improving the quality of education for all students,” said Kamberg. “His presence, guidance and contributions to the community will be sorely missed.”
Kamberg also shared that Burkey was a committed trustee, attending as many district events as his schedule would allow and reading many books on leadership. His inquisitive nature often resulted in major philosophical debates over big issues in education, and he would investigate all perspectives on a problem before offering his own insight.
Current BSD board President Jay Rice said Burkey played a substantial role in the development of the district’s charter system, which has allowed it to grow considerably in recent years.
“He was an outstanding board member and a very smart man,” said Rice. “On a personal note, he was like a father figure to me. I’m a better board member because of him.”
Burkey had lived in
Porterville since 1979, and he worked as an upper level manager for Beckman Instruments and volunteered as a sound/lighting tech at the Barn Theater for over 20 years.
He was active in the Hillside Community Church and worked on the sound/lighting for the services there for many years.
The board has not yet had a chance to meet and discuss its next steps after Burkey’s passing, but Kamberg said they have a choice to interview candidates and appoint a board member from Burkey’s district or to wait until the election in November for a new board member to be elected.
In addition to filling Burkey’s vacancy, the seats of board members Rice, Eddie Hernandez and Dan Figueroa are also up for election in November. Bureky and board member Obdulia Alvarado were both elected in 2016 and their terms expire in 2020.