Slater supporting high school bond

The Daily Inter Lake

Allen Slater, a Flathead High School department chairman, director of bands and member of the District 5 Long Range Facilities Planning Committee, said he does support the high school bond that will be on the Nov. 2 ballot.

He was mistakenly characterized as opposing the issue in a story appearing in Thursday's Inter Lake.

"I do support this plan," Slater said Thursday. "It has some issues, but I still support it. There's pluses and minuses, but I still support it."

As a member of the facilities planning committee, he estimates he spent 400 to 500 hours researching and contributing information toward the plan.

Ultimately, the committee voted unanimously in favor of the proposal for a second high school, renovations at Flathead High and expansion and renovation at Kalispell Junior High.

"I wouldn't have invested the hours if I didn't believe in the process," Slater said. "I think (the plan) meets what the community wants," which, he added, is including ninth-graders in the high school setting.

"I can respect people having issues and concerns," he said of opponents to the two-high-school proposal. He added that there will be problems, as he discussed in Thursday's story, and the community will face a future vote on increased operation and maintenance levies.

"It will be painful, there have been some issues. But that pain will be there with one school or two schools," he said.

"I think the plan that's there now is right, based on what we have and what's available and what's out there," he said.

"I believe this is the best plan right now."