Booster club lays out final numbers

A small crowd for the Tiger Booster Club meeting couldn’t deter the attitude of the hosts Monday at the La Grande High School auditorium.

The objective was to release the new figure standing in the way of the middle school and high school continuing athletics and activities for the next school year.

Booster club president Mark Goss addressed the crowd, listing the final minimum goal of  $75,000.

“It’s a more realistic goal for the community,” Goss said. “Before, when we were going to raise $250,000, it overwhelmed people.”

The overall number dropped after the teachers voted 96-22 to take four work days off of the calendar year. That decision may save the school district $268,159. While the school board ratified the decision, it goes to a vote Saturday.

“The teachers really need to be thanked,” Goss said. “They all made a big sacrifice.”

Part of that money will be brought back into the athletic and activities budget. The $125,957 will be added back in to pay coaches’ salaries at the middle school and high school levels. The budget also calls for a 50 percent cut to the traveling costs.

“We’re going to need parents to step up and help out,” Goss said. “It’s going to take everyone to make this work.”

So far, the booster club has collected $27,200, with $20,000 coming from the booster club to kick off the fundraising effort.

The cost of participation fees will also rise this fall. Middle School students will pay $75 per sport or activity. The high school will charge $150. Families’ costs will be capped at $750.

The activities participation fees went from $40 to $60.

The main area of concern from the attendees was due to  the fact that the budget was based on participation numbers from last year, which may decline this year. And parents trying to help fund athletics and activities will be called on again to open their thinning pocketbooks to pay for the higher fees.

“We can’t focus on the what-ifs,” LHS superintendent Larry Glaze said. “We will waste too much energy on that.

“All we need to do is focus on what we can do. Optimism is what we need right now.”

The booster club is hoping to fund scholarships for students who can’t afford to pay the participation fees. 

The initial deadline for the fundraising effort is Sept. 1.

“We need to get it done quick if we can,” Goss said. “We don’t want to be fundraising all year long.”