Malta School's general fund passes, building reserve fails

A special meeting was called in place of the regular May Malta Public School Board meeting to swear in Trustee Greg Skiff, reappoint Jane Knudsen as Board Clerk, as well as canvas for the school election which was conducted by mail-in ballot and concluded last Tuesday.

Skiff, who enters his third term as a Malta School Board Trustee, and Knudsen, entering her 10th term as Board Clerk, were both sworn into their positions by Phillips County Superintendent of Schools Darlene Kolczak. As for the election, this year voters passed the General Fund Levy 521-to-404 while the Building Reserve Levy failed, 502-to-417. Malta Public Schools Superintendent Kris Kuehn confirmed that voter turnout was 51-percent. The Malta School Board also re-elected Mark Knudsen as Board Chair and Carter Clausen was re-elected as Vice Chair.

After a 20-minute intermission, the regularly scheduled, and last of the 2018-19 school year was held in which all three school's principals gave updates about their campuses and Superintendent Kuehn gave his monthly report.

Principal Cadance Wipplinger informed the school board that Malta Elementary School held their kindergarten round-up on May 1 saw 45 youngsters in attendance and added enrollment could be as high as 48 next year for the first-year students.

Malta Middle School Principal Shawn Bleth reported that MES fifth grade students visited the middle school for a tour in which the younger student was partnered with an older student and they spent the afternoon attending sixth-grade classes to prepare for next year. Principal Bleth added that May 23 will see the MMS awards ceremony starting at 1:30 p.m.

Malta High School Principal Scott King reported that students were busy last week finalizing their schedules for the 2019-2020 school year and said that the Class of 2019's graduation ceremony will get underway on Sunday, May 19 starting at 2 p.m. in the school gym ahead of the final day of school which is on May 24.

In his activities report, Principal King reported that two students - Grayson Waters and Kloie Marks - both qualified for the State Class B Golf meet (which will have come and gone by the time this story is printed, see the story next week in the PCN).

Superintendent Kuehn reported that even though the Building Reserve Fund did not pass in the latest election, that many things still need to be repaired and replaced in the school. Superintendent Kuehn also informed the Malta School Board that one of the school's vehicles was involved in a fender-bender during a blizzard in Great Falls in which, thankfully, no one was hurt. The accident caused an estimated $5,500 dollars in damage.

The next Malta School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 5, a week ahead of when the meeting was scheduled. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the high school workroom.