John Barounis: Chester School Board Candidate

CHESTER, NJ — The Chester Board of Education has a contested election on Nov. 2, with eight candidates who filed to run for three available, three-year seats.

John Barounis is one of the candidates to put his hat in the ring.

The other candidates on the ballot include:

• Dana Levens
• Sarah Schultz
• Thomas G. Murphy
• Simone Campbell
• Sara Kalashian
• Carolina Rodriguez
• Matthew R. Downs

Of all of the candidates, Kalashian is the only incumbent among them.

Editor's Note: Are you a candidate on the ballot? Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the General Election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) may contact jennifer.miller@patch.com.

Here are Barounis' responses below:

Name: John Barounis

Town: Chester NJ

Position sought: Chester School Board

Family: Wife, Julie, Sons: George and David, both 16, Daughter: Courtney, 11.

Education: Bayside High School, Queens NY.
Bachelor of Business Administration, Baruch College CUNY.

Occupation: Self employed. Mulitple operator in Hospitality, Real Estate

Elected Offices: None. First time for everything!

Why are you seeking to run for the school board?
We moved to Chester 5 years ago for several reasons. None more important than the terrific school district it possessed. I believe with my life experiences that I can be an asset to the board. Working on a Board is a collaboration with several stakeholders, all with their own perspective. Besides being the obvious, a taxpayer and parent, I have also been a high school coach. I possessed a substitute teachers license until I relinquished it earlier this year to run for this position. A son of special education teacher, I understand the tribulations of a teacher’s life. When we are, “At the table,” I have the stakeholders perspective in mind. It’s the only way to negotiate and come to fair, equitable agreements.

What is your stance on masks in school - There is a statewide mandate by way of an executive order. As long as this order is in place there is no option. I would, however, whisper to our Governor that according to the CDC, of 114,000 Covid cases of 0-17 year olds in the State of New Jersey as of October 13, 2021, there has been zero recorded deaths in that age group.

Should schools offer a virtual option? Yes. Although NJ has recorded zero deaths in school age children, there have been deaths nationally. Of those school aged children that have succumbed to the virus, virtually all were immunocompromised. A majority of them had 3+ comorbidities. I think it would be prudent to offer virtual ONLY to those who are proven to be in a high risk category. Virtual learning would not be an option for any student that is not in a high risk category.

What issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district. The budget will be increasing difficult given the state of the economic conditions looming. With inflation at our doorstep, err, more like in our vestibule, balancing the budget will be the most important issue going forward. We need to make sure our children have everything they need for the best education possible, this is paramount. There are other stakeholders that are part and parcel of this equation. Most evident are the teachers that are teaching our children. When you add other stakeholders into the equation, it gets increasing difficult.

There is an assault on advanced placement/gifted child programs just next door in NYC. We must make sure this scourge doesn’t make it to our shores in Chester. The ability to achieve can never be encumbered.

Board members serve at the behest of the parents of any school district. We can never lose sight of this in our district, or any district. A Board needs to operate in the most transparent way possible. I say this as a national necessity. Our town borders Randolph NJ. Earlier this year, the school board in this neighboring town cancelled the naming of all holidays. Parents were not aware of this decision by the board as it was done in secrecy. It was a national embarrassment for our neighbor. We can never lose sight who we serve.

What sets you apart from other challenging candidates? Experience. I have more business experience than any present candidate or sitting board member. I have been a small business owner for 30 years. A multiple operator for a quarter of a century. I have owned (and operated in most cases) 18 different brick and mortar businesses in the Hospitality, Real Estate and Health Club industries in three different states. That’s three different sets of laws, policies, taxing authorities, building codes etc. I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on how municipalities of different sorts operate. I also act as the GC on all of my projects. From the conceptualization, budgeting and design, construction right through to hiring, staffing, operation, purchasing and inventory. …….and, of course, negotiating all the while along the way. I am familiar with all of the trades and can negotiate with all contractors on their level. Why is this important when running for the Chester Board of Education? Because it must be run like a business. It’s your tax dollars at work. I am NOT a “Serial Rubber Stamper.” I am a “Shopper,” and I believe in value, with the old adage, “Penny wise and pound foolish,” in my dictionary. Because of my experience on all these levels, I believe I could be a great asset on the Building and Grounds Committee among others.

What else would you like to share about yourself and your campaign?
For more information on me and my campaign I am on Facebook at John Barounis for Chester Board of Education. Thank you to Jennifer Miller and The Patch for this opportunity.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.