Larry Hopkins selected to Charleroi Area school board

He served as a magisterial district judge in Charleroi until January 2020.

Larry Hopkins doesn’t like taking time off.

After retiring as magisterial district judge in Charleroi in January 2020 and working part-time for two years as a senior district judge, he is now the newest member of the Charleroi Area school board.

He was selected Tuesday to fill a seat left vacant by the death of Ken Wiltz.

Wiltz, 79, served 49 years on the school board, and he held the position of president for more than two decades until he passed away Aug. 14.

The board had 30 days to fill the vacancy, and it advertised for letters of interest until Aug. 30.

Adam Wilkinson, Patricia Baker, Jeremy Hepple, Anthony Hritz and Jim Short expressed interest in filling the role, in addition to Hopkins.

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, with two days remaining to make a selection, each candidate was given 10 minutes with the board in a series of public interviews.

They were asked to introduce themselves and then fielded four questions from the board about why they wanted to fill the seat, what motivates them and how they would handle spending when faced with difficult budgetary constraints.

They also were asked situational questions, including how they would respond if approached by a concerned community member who felt the regular student population “was being shortchanged academically because (we are) investing more time and money to the immigrant student population” and how they would handle a friend or relative asking them information about a difficult personnel decision made in an executive session.

In his interview, Hopkins started off by reassuring board members he is “100% retired.”

A 1968 Charleroi Area graduate, Vietnam veteran and longtime public servant, Hopkins was elected to the bench in 2002 following the retirement of Larry Celaschi Sr.

He brought 26 years of work as a police officer and 10 years as a constable.

He was set to retire in 2020, leaving current Magisterial District Judge Eric Porter to take over, but worked for another two years as a senior district judge in Washington County before finally taking some time to himself.

As many people know, Hopkins can often be spotted nearly any day of the week walking around town.

His days are often spent on his habitual strolls, casting a line in the Monongahela River, giving his best on the green or most importantly, with his family — especially his grandchildren, who keep him moving.

While he has more time on his hands than he’s used to, Hopkins told the board in his interview he feels compelled to give back to his community.

“I have followed the school board meetings and its members and I truly believe we have one of the best boards in the state,” he said. “I am really proud of all of you for what you do.”

Hopkins told the board he believes he could be a good member of “the team.”

“I think there is a good team effort here, and I believe I can be an asset to that,” he said. “I don’t have any sort of hidden agenda. I just think it’s time for me to give back to my community.”

When it comes to finances, he told the board it’s a delicate balance.

“It’s very important, for any group, board or organization,” Hopkins said, adding he knows there are sitting board members who have experience in finance who are able to lay out options as they come.

“I think it’s always important to weigh all of the options, and there are difficult decisions that will have to be made,” he added.

Hopkins said while no one wants to see taxes raised, keeping the district operating smoothly and putting students first are most important.

“From time to time, there might not be another choice,” he said, “but at the end of the day I believe we have to do what we have to do to keep the district running.”

When asked the first situational question about educating immigrant students, he referenced something he is well versed with: state law.

“It’s a state law that everyone must be educated,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they are Haitian, Chinese, American or any other ethnicity. We have to educate them.

“As long as we are treating all of our students fairly and giving them the education that they deserve, I think that is the most important thing.”

Hopkins said he’s aware of the rules surrounding executive sessions and would never compromise information discussed behind closed doors.

“It’s private,” he said. “I would never let any information discussed in an executive session get out. Of course there will be hard discussions, and during those times we will have to be good listeners, analyze the situation, gather opinions and make a decision as a board, but as far as I am concerned this is a common-sense position and that is what we have to use.”

The board held an executive session following the candidate interviews, and board members agreed the choice wouldn’t be easy.

Once the meeting began, Hopkins was nominated by Tom Nutting to fill the role. No other nominations were made.

The appointment passed with board President Barbara Pepper, Vice President Elaine Pappasergi, Joe Caruso, Nutting, Antonia Pellegrini and Charles Yakich voting yes. Adele Hopkins abstained from the motion because she is related to Larry Hopkins, making it a conflict of interest.

Larry Hopkins wasn’t present at the meeting, but was informed after it adjourned he had been selected.

“We had six phenomenal interviews,” Pappasergi said. “It was very close because of that. There were many comments made during our discussions that we could have gone with any one person and it would have been a great asset.”

“I agree, all of the candidates brought something special to the table and it was hard to choose,” Pepper said.

However, Hopkins’ history as a public servant set him apart.

“His experience and involvement within the community for so many years is probably one of the reasons he stood out,” she added. “We are looking forward to bringing him on as a teammate. He really brings a lot to the table.”

After being informed of his selection by Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich Tuesday night, Hopkins is ready to get to work.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the board, I appreciate the time they gave me and their support, I won’t let them down,” he said.

Having to fill the seat held by Wiltz was bittersweet.

“I think the entire board was sensitive to having to fill Ken’s position,” Pepper said. “He was here for such a long time and did so much for our district. I think on behalf of the board and our newest member, we just want to do as much as we can, like Ken did.”

Hopkins knew Wiltz and how much of an impact he had.

“Losing him was a terrible loss,” he said, adding that he had always considered running for school board but didn’t want to disrupt a good thing.

“There was such a good chemistry they had,” Hopkins said. “It’s something that had worked for quite a few years and you never want to break that up, but I always have said I would like the position if one ever became available. It’s unfortunate it happened this way, but I am going to do my best. I spent a lot of time with Ken. He was a genuine guy. I think we have a great board, a great administration and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

His current term will expire in December 2026, and he said he has plans to seek a full term in the future.