History

Dr. Burton served in public education for 34 years, 16 of them in Rockwall ISD and nine of them as the Rockwall ISD Superintendent.

During his years as superintendent, Dr. Burton formed a Rockwall Business Education Council (RBEC) made up of teachers, administrators, community leaders, economic development experts, parents and business owners.

Although RBEC members had a variety of different areas of expertise, all of them had one unifying focus: a better future for Rockwall students. It was through this united effort that the committee began to spearhead the plans for classes structured around career education. Dr. Burton presented his initial thoughts for career specialized courses to the RBEC committee, and they researched some of the best education practices across the state of Texas in an effort to further improve Rockwall schools.

In addition to the specialized courses and classroom environments that would allow students to explore different career paths, Dr. Burton wanted to use the concept of a college and career academy to connect local businesses with local students.

Before he retired from education administration, Dr. Burton made sure he left the idea for a new career-oriented high school campus behind him.

The Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy opened its doors in the Fall of 2018.