Scott Hammond hands out last dipoloma at FHS

Scott Hammond handed out his final diplomas last Thursday night as Principal of Flomaton High School ending a 27 year career at the helm of the Hurricanes having served the past 17 as the school's principal.

Hammond, 51, is retiring and the search is under way the hire the next principal for FHS.

A native of Flomaton, Hammond graduated from FHS in 1988 and was a member of Anthony Davidson's baseball team that won the state championship in 1988.

After spending two years at Jefferson Davis Jr. College in Brewton on a baseball scholarship for two years he continued his baseball career at Faulkner University in Alabama.

While at Faulkner, Hammond earned his bachelor's degree in secondary math and began his teaching career at Floyd Jr. High School in Montgomery, actually teaching science.

He came home to Flomaton in the fall of 1994 as a math teacher and has been here ever since.

In addition to his teaching duties, Hammond was also an assistant football and baseball coach.

But math was always his passion.

"I've been here 27 years and taught math for 26," Hammond said.

He said FHS Principal Ken Corbin was very instrumental in him becoming a principal.

"Mr. Corbin came to me and said it was in my best interest to get a master's degree in education leadership," Hammond said.

While still teaching at FHS, Hammond received his master's degree in education leadership from Alabama State in Montgomery.

"I drove back and forth to Montgomery a lot," he said. "Sometimes I'd leave baseball practice early, drive to Montgomery and then come back."

On July 1, 2005, Hammond followed Corbin as the principal of Flomaton High School.

Despite his principal duties, Hammond continued to teach math and said this past school year is the first year he has not taught a math class.

He was an assistant Flomaton girls' softball coach under his wife Jacqi, that won the state championship in 2005.

Hammond said he has fond memories of being principal at Flomaton, noting that Corbin gave him a school in good hands.

"I did the best of my ability to improve things," Hammond said. "Mr. Corbin did a great job, but there's always ways to improve. I hope the person who follows me works to improve things as well."

Hammond said.

He said he felt during his 17 years as principal at FHS the school was successful in academic and athletic achievements.

He added that the biggest changes he's seen have come in technology, some good and some not so good.

"There's still a lot of things built into the old brick and mortar schools that we can't forget," he said.

He said that begins with the personalities of students to the adult conversations by teachers.

Hammond and Jacqi have two sons, Jace, 10, and Kason, 5, and said his first responsibility is to them and the rest of his family.

He said he plans to take a few months off to do nothing but family things, but won't leave education all together.

"I don't know," he said of his retirement plans. "Maybe I can come back and help students with their ACT math scores. I'll find a way to teach math which is what I want to do."

In addition to his family he said there are too many people to thank that helped lead him to this point in his life, beginning with Corbin, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Jackson, John and Shelmerdene Folsom and Coach Davidson.