Collins-Maxwell keeps sharing agreement with Baxter

The Collins-Maxwell/Baxter athletic teams will remain intact for at least two more years.

The Collins-Maxwell Board of Education voted unanimously in favor of keeping its athletic sharing agreement with Baxter at its monthly board meeting Monday night.

CMB has been the athletic brand in the two communities for the past 27 years. There have been ups and downs, but Collins-Maxwell Board of Education member Lowell Crouse said breaking away from the current athletic model would not be smart.

“We have had a lot conversations as a group about this topic and all of us are in agreement that it would be stupid to split with Baxter,” Crouse said. “There are so many things that would be negative if we split. There are some negatives in sharing too and we are working on that.”

Some of the issues that still need to be worked out between the two school districts include where games are played and where practices take place. Other things that concern some members of the Collins-Maxwell community include the overall identity of Collins-Maxwell when it comes to the general public and the safety of the student-athletes who have to commute to Baxter for practices and games.

“We are trying to listen to both sides and make sure we have the best agreement that we can for our students and our communities,” Collins-Maxwell Superintendent Jason Ellingson said. “It’s changed over time and it may continue to change.

“It’s been an agreement that has worked for 27 years and the agreement has changed over those 27 years.”

Two hot-button topics of concern that were brought up to the board at Monday’s meeting involved Homecoming parades and the location of where high school basketball games are played.

The school is required by the Heart of Iowa Conference to hold “Mega Nights” and to do so, two gyms that fit the state’s code are required. Baxter has those gyms. Right now, Collins-Maxwell does not.

But one option the board is looking at is potentially playing the non-conference games in Maxwell in future years.

Students in both districts have been open about their wishes. And it’s important to Ellingson that the student’s voices are heard.

At last month’s board meeting, about 100 students showed the passion they have to remain one team. Some of those same students were present Monday to make sure the support didn’t go unseen.

“I think it’s great for the kids. They have consistently talked about what’s best for them and I have tried hard since I have been here to support what is best for the kids and listen to them,” Ellingson said. “Their voice was clearly heard in January and then again the past few months. They want to share with Baxter.”

CMB softball coach Troy Houge is a physical education teacher at Collins-Maxwell. He sees what kind of athletes roam the halls in Maxwell every day. And he believes each school district needs the other one to be successful.

“If we weren’t sharing, it would devastate our programs,” Houge said. “For us to have success and continue to have success, we need to keep the agreement with Baxter. I have good kids coming up from both places. I think we can have a strong softball program in a few years, but we won’t if I get just kids from Collins-Maxwell or just kids from Baxter.”

The agreement unanimously passed by the board Monday is good through the next two-year athletic cycle.

The challenge that both school districts have to keep CMB alive is difficult. And the vote Monday doesn’t fully guarantee that the Raiders as they are now will be around for the next 10 years.

But Crouse, Houge and Ellingson are all in agreement that the community is starting to come around.

“Some people in the community asked us last month if they could do a public vote on the issue, but that is not allowed. The decision has to be made by the board,” Crouse said. “In theory, if you wanted to split this up, you could just get on the board and vote yourself. But I no longer think that will happen. I think we have gained some support on this in the last month. We just need to figure out how to best make it work.”