Malta School Board hears about FCCLA plans and coaching concerns at meeting

Malta High School FCCLA members Payton Clausen, Ben Costin, Taylor Eggebrecht and Wylee Young gave a presentation in front of a packed house during last week's Malta School Board meeting with most of the attendees on hand to talk about basketball.

FCCLA is an acronym for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America which is a nonprofit national career and technical student organization for young men and women. The four Malta members attended last Wednesday night's school board meeting were seeking permission to attend FCCLA National Leadership Conference held in Atlanta, Ga., in late June. This year at the high school, the FCCLA members managed a school garden and ran a program called "Harvest of the Month."

Clausen said new additions at the school garden include a new raised bed and two grow lights in the greenhouse where peas are currently growing.

"We would also like to ask Malta School for permission to use an extra lot for our cornfield," Clausen added. "We would fence it off."

He said during the Harvest of the Month program this year, FCCLA grew fruits, vegetables, and grains and then incorporated them into the meals served at the school cafeterias, each month with a different theme and recipe.

"We made beet brownies and those were a big hit in the cafeteria," Clausen said. "All the kids keep asking Anita (Johnson) to make them again."

Young spoke of the cost of attending the National Leadership Conference (approximately $8,000) and said the group would start holding fundraisers around town (including a Mother's Day Dinner on May 11 and selling traveling tacos and funnel cakes during the First State Bank Car Show on June 2.)

The Malta School Board approved out of state travel to the event, approved the lot for the corn garden, and donated $2,000 toward the FCCLA trip.

Of the approximately 40 people in attendance at the school board meeting, nearly half were at the meeting for athletics as most of the sports team's coaches were approved on the night. All but one of the coaching positions were filled on the night by a motion, but MHS M-ette head basketball Coach Nate Hammond's continued tenure was discussed as several parents (of both former and current players) talked against and in favor of bringing Hammond back for the 2018-19 season. The discussion lasted nearly 30 minutes as those speaking against Coach Hammond's return talked of a lack of leadership and teaching of basketball and life skills to be used in the future. Parents speaking in favor of Coach Hammond spoke of his great leadership and how their children grew as players and students last year and were looking forward to playing for him again next season.

Following the public comments on the matter, trustees addressed the crowd and the coach.

"Going forward, I hope the communication is much better," Trustee Greg Skiff said.

"I have heard many concerns and comments from students combined with a couple of things I witnessed personally," added Trustee Kevin Koss. "I believe there is maybe a below satisfactory level of coaching and not because of championships or lack of, or trophies, or lack of, but because of the negative experiences that have been brought forth by kids."

Koss said he supported Hammond and his assistant coach Shane Anderson returning for another year but cautioned that improvements needed to be made.

"There needs to be improvement made to improve the positive experience for all of the girls on the team and I expect to see those results next year if you are voted in."

The board of trustees unanimously voted, 5-0, in favor of hiring Coach Hammond for next year's basketball team.