Larson throws hat in school board ring

PALMER — The race for Mat-Su Borough School Board picked up another candidate this week when Palmer resident R. Ole Larson declared his intent to run.

Last spring, Larson applied for appointment to school board Seat G, left vacant when Talkeetna resident Sandra White resigned in April citing a family crisis. Big Lake resident Myrl Thompson was eventually appointed to the seat.

Now, Larson is seeking an elected position on a board he says would benefit from his experience and expertise gained during 29 years working in the criminal justice system.

“I’ve got the background,” Larson said.

Larson clarified his statement by detailing his years of managing employees, multi-million dollar budgets and dealing with unions. All of those experiences could be directly applied to issues the school board deals with every day, he said.

If elected, Larson said he will work to expand after-school programs to give the Valley’s youth options to keep them involved in something worthwhile and, hopefully, out of trouble.

Along with more after-school programs, Larson said he would work to create summer programs designed to prepare students for college by allowing them to take prerequisite college courses in an effort to get ahead.

By providing outlets for students to stay involved over the summer, Larson said the benefits could include a decrease in teen crime resulting from boredom.

“Get these kids into some sort of work-study program over the summer,” Larson said, speaking of another option the district could work on to provide for continuous involvement for students.

Calling on his experience working in correctional facilities before his retirement, Larson said he’s seen first-hand the effect on students who aren’t given a chance to stay engaged during their formative years.

“Start small and expand,” Larson said of extra school programs. “No throw-away kids.”

Throw-away kids are those who struggle in school and are often persuaded to try an alternative school or homeschooling, Larson said. That situation doesn’t work because if those kids begin to fail again, they often drop out and, statistically, run a higher risk of ending up in trouble with the law.

That’s something Larson wants to work to avoid, he said.

Retired for three years, Larson moved to Alaska 33 years ago after a visit during college convinced him this is the place to live.

As of Thursday, Larson said he hasn’t decided which seat on the school board he will run for, but he has filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission and has started raising money.

School board elections coincide with municipal elections in the Mat-Su Borough. The filing period for candidates is July 21 to 5 p.m. Aug. 1. Candidates must file within that time period to be considered a candidate.

Elections in the Mat-Su Borough take place Oct. 7.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiers- man.com or 352-2252.