Larry Ransom is running for re-election on the School District 70 (Alberni) board of trustees.
Born in Port Alberni and an ADSS graduate, Larry has lived in the Alberni Valley all his life and raised his family here. Married to Maria, Larry enjoys life in the Alberni Valley with all the natural and scenic surroundings and many opportunities the Valley has to offer.
After retiring from a career at Safeway and Save-on-Foods Larry joined the Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department where he actively supports the community as a volunteer firefighter.
Larry is co-founder and past president of Alberni Valley Minor Lacrosse and has returned to work with the association to grow the sport and encourage more physical activity for kids.
As an incumbent school trustee Larry is proud of the legacy of the new ADSS which was approved, planned, built and opened during his time as chair of the SD 70 Board of Education. He is also proud of the decisions the board made in the reconfiguration of schools that included keeping Wood School open and moving the VAST Alternate program from expensive leased space to a district-owned location, now known as the Eighth Avenue Learning Centre.
Larry is seeking re-election as a trustee for School District 70 because he wants to continue working on behalf of students. Larry sees many opportunities where students just need a little more encouragement and support for them to achieve.
In addition to encouraging affordable student opportunities for extracurricular activities including music, drama and sports, Larry is a proponent of lifelong learning for students. Removing barriers to post secondary education for students by developing dual credit courses between North Island College and ADSS has been a great addition to the many options students have and Larry will work to see more opportunities provided.
Focused on the board goal of improving the district graduation rate, Larry believes students will be encouraged to do well in school by developing more courses that have relevance to the working world. He believes the key is maintaining and expanding educational courses and programs related to career development, preparing students for opportunities after graduation with emphasis on the trades, forestry, natural resources, the sciences and technical training.
Larry hopes to be part of the continuing development of the positive atmosphere in our schools where all students can learn and grow within a fully safe, inclusive and evolving school system that prepares them for success in life after graduation.