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Brandon Bartie is back in the saddle, having been reelected to his seat as a trustee with the Port Arthur Independent School District.

Bartie was reelected to his seat with 456 votes along with Dianne Brown, who had 527 votes, and Taylor Getwood with 524 votes. There were three other candidates vying for the three seats; Julio Delgado, Nina Stelly and Debra Abroise.

First elected to the board of trustees in 2015, Bartie decided to run for reelection to continue moving the district forward with technology education and leadership.

“We always talk about raising the ceiling and going to a higher level, but I want to raise the floor,” Bartie said. “If you raise the floor, then the starting point is higher than normal.”

Pushing the district to get ahead in different areas by holding everybody accountable from the students to the teachers and parents, is important and part of his plan.

Bartie is a member of the first graduating class of Memorial High School in 2003. After graduation Bartie attended Prairie View A&M and studied to be a vocal major. He came back to Port Arthur, changed his career path. Then, in 2015 he became the youngest school board member in the Texas at the age of 31. Interestingly, a fellow board trustee, Taylor Getwood, now holds that title having been elected the first time at the age of 18.

He was recently reelected as well and is now 21.