Candidate Questionnaire: Larry Walton for Centreville School Board

Watershed Voice sent out questionnaires to over 30 candidates running for elected school board positions in St. Joseph County and the surrounding area. Leading up to the General Election on November 3, Watershed will publish the questionnaires as it receives them back from the candidates. Larry Walton, an incumbent candidate for the School Board governing Centreville Public Schools, filled out our questionnaire. These are his answers.

Name: Larry Walton

Age: 59

Address: 25466 M-86, Sturgis, MI 49091

Family (optional): Married, wife, Angie.  Children: son Taylor of St.Louis, Mo.; daughters Morgan and Paige.  Morgan is a junior at Ferris State and Paige a senior in Centreville.

Background/Bio:

I’m an incumbent to the board, also a Centreville Alumni and have lived my whole life in the community as a farmer.

Does your background include training or work, paid or unpaid, in education? What was that experience? What are some of your successes, and what have been some learning moments?

I spent 6 years on the local mental health board which offers some unique perspective on dealing with those issues. Being a taxpayer that also gives me perspective on how those dollars can be used at the local level. My wife teaches in another system, but I think hearing issues that teachers deal with daily helps me better understand as well. I also serve on a county wide CTE committee.

Do you now or have you ever had children enrolled in the district where you are running?

Yes, my oldest daughter Morgan is a graduate and youngest Paige is currently a senior.

How else do you currently participate, or have you participated in the past, in school district activities?

Being the parents of student athletes we get our share of sporting events which we enjoy. I also help out as time permits with the local FFA program that we have helping students which I find very fulfilling.

How has your school district handled the pandemic in both the spring and fall of this year? If anything, what would you have done differently?

We’ve done a great job in my opinion, our administration has stayed on top of the issues, CDC and health department guidelines and kept the board informed. With all the moving parts there currently are I’m not sure what we might have done differently, but I do know it’s important we work together and keep the community informed the best we can.

Outside of the pandemic, what are currently the most important challenges your school district faces? How do you plan to address those challenges?

Finding and retaining good staff will always be challenging. We try to have the type of environment that both teachers and families want to be part of. We’re in the next round of a bond which has its own challenges, just trying to maximize what we get out of the taxpayer dollars. Student wise, we seem to maintain some annual growth which is a good problem to have and I look forward to the challenge that may bring.

Are there other key points of your platform as a candidate for school board? If so, what are they?

(Answer not provided)

How does running for the school board fit your broader views and ethics?

I believe a good education is the foundation for what’s in front of young people as they go through life. I think my role as a member of the community and board leads me to see the successes and figure out how to handle the shortcomings and address them.

Why is education important to you?

It has made me certainly a better, more well-rounded person. Some of those thing you take for granted as a student but realize as an adult. We certainly have seen it in our own children as they grow up and move on. It’s nice to get positive feedback on your kids. Makes you feel successful as a parent.

Is there anything else the community should know about you?

Like all things in life my personal goal will be committing to leaving the district better than I found it. That can be a tall order.