advertisement

Incumbents, newcomer Baty-Barr win in Batavia Unit District 101

Voters opted for stability in the Batavia Unit District 101 race, sending three incumbents back into office, according to preliminary results in Tuesday's election.

Incumbent Tina Bleakley had 2,545 votes with all precincts reporting.

Her fellow school board members Susan Locke and Jonathan Gaspar had 2,242 and 2,473 votes, respectively, and newcomer Bob Baty-Barr was also victorious with 2,473 votes. A fifth candidate, William McGrail, had 2,165 votes. Four 4-year terms were at stake.

Bleakley said she was elated but concerned about the state's budget problems. "There's no funding, no budget ... they're talking about tax freezes," she said. "We have a tough road ahead but I'm confident in the rest of the board members and administrators."

Baty-Barr, Bleakley, Gaspar and McGrail were endorsed by the Batavia Education Association, the union representing the district's teachers.

Bleakley is a social worker who has served on the board for five years. She said District 101 faces the challenge of balancing the budget with no money coming in.

Gaspar is a retired teacher who has served one term. He wants to ensure the district has a strong curriculum, quality staff and safe schools.

Locke is a small-business owner who joined the school board in 2013. Baty-Barr is a web team manager. Both say program cuts are unacceptable.

McGrail works at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

Tina Bleakley
Jonathan Gaspar
Susan Locke
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.