Columbia Falls High School principal will retire at end of school year

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls High School principal Scott Gaiser announced his retirement. He will continue to lead the school through the end of the school year.

Gaiser spent 38 years in education, 33 at Columbia Falls and 10 years as principal.

He came here in 1989 and in the fall of 1990 he was part of a team that started the Eagle School — an alternative high school at the time.

For years he was the assistant principal at the high school as well. He said he’ll miss the place.

“I’ll miss the kids and the relationships,” he said. “Great people. We have amazing, caring hard working and talented educators.”

Outside of school, Gaiser is an avid runner and Ironman athlete. He’s done several 100 mile and 100 kilometer races, as well as nine Ironman triathlons, four in Hawaii.

Over the years it was not uncommon for the Hungry Horse News to run into Gaiser running the trails in Glacier National Park — just for fun.

He said part of retiring at 60 was so that he could still compete in ultramarathons and triathlons. He said he’s also been enjoying dog training as of late.

Gaiser is the voice of the Wildcats at Columbia Falls home football and basketball events as well.

The past couple of years he’s steered the school through trying times, as it has dealt with the pandemic.

He credited the students and the staff for the school’s success and patience in making decisions. To date, it has not had a shutdown due to Covid-19.

“We persevered through it. That was most impressive,” he said.

Over his tenure the school has seen plenty of success, from several team championships in sports, to numerous state championships in speech and debate and other academic endeavors.

The school has also seen numerous graduates, particularly in the past few years, get accepted to Ivy League and other notable colleges and universities.

He said he was “truly grateful” to all the people who have supported him over his career.