School District 6 board race: Larry Wilson

Incumbent Larry Wilson has served on the school board for 33 years and has been with the Columbia Falls School District for nearly 50. Wilson spent 14 years teaching social studies at the Columbia Falls Junior High School and several as a high school American history teacher and wrestling coach. Wilson, who will be 82 next month, have lived in Columbia Falls since 1960 and graduated from Flathead High School in Kalispell. Wilson also served on the school’s discipline committee.

On the issue of the building a new elementary school in Columbia Falls, Wilson says he is a cautious supporter of new construction, but he still needs to be convinced.

“We have needs at both Ruder and Glacier Gateway and I want to see all of the possibilities for solving them before I make a final decision,” he said. “What might push me in favor of it is that interest rates are very low right now and that the junior high will be paid for next year. It does not hurt to plan for the long term. A lot of these things, if we don’t deal with them now, they will only cost more later.”

As for the Canyon School, Wilson says he would like to see the district sell the facility.

Wilson said he is also in favor of the school partnering with the Boys and Girls Club to build a new facility in Columbia Falls.

“I’ve had some concerns, but Cindy (Hooker) has alleviated almost all of them. I am very concerned that we need a place for junior high kids to hang out and that would certainly help with that. I am basically in favor of it,” he said.

As for arming teachers through the state’s proposed school marshal program, Wilson says he is adamantly against it.

“No. Just no. By and large, most teacher are not equipped training wise or emotionally to carry a firearm. Most teachers just aren’t built that way,” he said. “We have a school resource officer right now and he is armed. We could probably use another one of those, but armed marshals wandering around the schools, no, no, no.”

Wilson says that win, lose or draw, this will be his last election.