Gary Mekeel will leave legacy at Burton

When Dr. Gary Mekeel steps down as superintendent of Burton School District he will leave behind a legacy to rival one of the most beloved administrators ever at that growing district, Bill Buckley.

Mr. Mekeel has announced this is his last year at helm of Burton. When he leaves, he will have served nearly 20 years as superintendent of that district.

During his tenure, the once one-school district — it was up to three campuses when he took over — has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, there are four elementary and middle schools, three — and soon to be four — charter schools and one day-school. The enrollment in Burton tops 3,790 students.

Mr. Buckley directed the district to new heights during his long tenure as superintendent. Several new campuses were developed, but the growth has been accelerated under Mr. Mekeel’s leadership.

The most ambitious undertaking in the district has been the development of the charter schools, especially Summit Charter that offers kindergarten through sixth-grade courses at its Mathew campus and seventh- through 12th-grade courses at its Redwood campus. It is the development of a high school that for many years Mr. Mekeel may most be remembered for.

The Redwood campus has grown into a full-fledged campus, and soon athletic teams from Summit will be showing up on the sports pages of The Recorder. The new campus offers state of the art education.

Mr. Mekeel has made his share of mistakes and we are certain he has his detractors, but he has been a good administrator for the Burton School District. While many other districts went through layoffs the past few years, Burton has managed to avoid that thanks to Mr. Mekeel and his staff’s hard work.

Filling the shoes Mr. Mekeel will leave behind will not be easy, but like his predecessor, Mr. Buckley, Mr. Mekeel is leaving behind a solid foundation upon which the next leader will be able to build.