Longtime members Dave Kemp, Ted Bunch bid school board adieu

The end of an era is about to descend on Burbank, when on April 16, Dave Kemp and Ted Bunch will end their 12-year runs on the school board.

In 2003, both men were elected to the school board, choosing to run only after they were asked — Kemp by the Burbank Teachers Assn., and Bunch by the classified staff employees union. Paul Krekorian, now an L.A. Councilman, also won a spot on the board for the first time.

At the time, they were three of 17 candidates vying for three open seats, and according to the Los Angeles Times, then-Supt. Greg Bowman believed voters wanted a change in leadership because they held the school board incumbents responsible for financial mismanagement.

Bunch and Kemp, both 76, were fathers who had raised their children in Burbank and were retired teachers who began their careers in Burbank Unified in the 1960s. Kemp, also a coach at Burbank High, was instrumental in establishing Burbank’s AYSO soccer program in the late 1970s.

Once on the board, their first order of business was to review an extensive list of possible budget cuts and identify which ones to make. At first, they decided to reduce maintenance and facilities staff in an attempt to keep budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.

They would initially slash the budget by $2 million, and Bunch recalled promising the classified employees, “As soon as I can, I’ll get the jobs back for you. Right now, we’re broke. “

Both members would go on to oversee millions more in cuts as they helped navigate education spending in one of the state’s worst financial downturns, always intent to make decisions that centered on what would be best for Burbank’s students.

“In this business, the first order of business is teaching kids in the classroom. You can do without almost everything else, but you can’t do without a teacher in the classroom,” Kemp said.

Bunch added that the district’s operations are not feasible without classified employees, such as instructional aides.

Beyond their financial leadership, their dedication to students is perhaps their greatest legacy.

“They are completely passionate about the community and their students and everything they do is for the good of our students and the good of our community,” said school board President Roberta Reynolds, who has served with them since 2007.

She said their last meeting on April 16 will likely be an emotional one.

“I’ve just been blessed to work with them,” she added.

The two are also proud of their effort to serve teachers. When they joined the board, teachers’ top salary peaked at about $65,000. Now, the top salary is around $87,000.

“Of course, we would like it to be even higher and more competitive so we continue to attract teachers,” Kemp said, adding that it’s long overdue for Burbank teachers to receive a top salary of $100,000.

“That helps people with their retirement,” Bunch said of the higher salaries. While on the board, Bunch also argued that the raises the district gave to the Burbank teachers should be the same percentage the classified staff receives.

Overall, their service on the board has been a full-time dedication they’ve never taken lightly.

“Nostalgia-wise, I’ve certainly got mixed feelings about leaving the board,” Kemp said. “I’ve always felt responsible about things. There’s things you’ll miss. The thing is, I really cared for kids. Even now, just being around the student board members means a lot just to see them grow.”

Bunch said he will miss his talks with the principals, and he plans to say goodbye to them all. For him, his time on the school board is one of the four important roles he’s had in his life, ranked at the top near his role as a husband, a father and a teacher.

“It’s been a great run,” Bunch said.