Athletics, Booster & fees

TMHS Community

We want to provide a joint communication from Sara Kimble, Principal of Telluride Middle/High School; Chris Murray, TMHS Athletic Director and Assistant Principal; and JJ Ossola, President of the THS Booster Club. Our goal is to provide clarity and transparency regarding athletics, fees, and the resources available to support families.

Why Fees Increased

As we shared earlier, TMHS athletic fees were raised this year. The primary reason for this increase is a declining budget. Even with the higher fees, the revenue generated does not fully cover the costs associated with athletics. We recognize this can be challenging for families and want to ensure that everyone understands the “why” behind this decision as well as the supports that are available.

Rising Costs of Athletics

Over the past five years, the cost of offering athletics has risen due to inflation and higher expenses for supplies, uniforms, referees, and transportation. To manage these increases, two sports—golf and hockey—are now structured as “pay-to-play,” meaning program costs are divided among the players.

Fees for the remaining programs were set at $250 for middle school athletes and $500 for high school athletes. This adjustment helps offset rising costs and reduced school funding. Last year $525,000 was transferred from the school’s general fund to support athletics. With the new fee structure, that contribution is expected to be reduced to $445,000 from the general fund which is expected to cover 51% of the cost of these activities.

What Is the Booster Club?

The THS Booster Club is a volunteer, parent-run organization that raises money through concessions, gate fees, sponsorships, and donations. The more the Booster Club raises, the more support is available for teams and scholarships to help with athletic fees. In addition, we plan to introduce a new opportunity to “Sponsor an Athlete” through the Booster Club (details to come). If you would like to sponsor an athlete, please let me know and we will make that happen. 

We do not take fee increases lightly. They are necessary to sustain the robust athletic program our students value. Over the last several years, we have also prioritized training our coaches in Transformational Coaching to strengthen the student-athlete experience.

Currently the TSD families who qualify for free & reduced lunch receive a discount towards their children’s athletic fees. For more information on Free and Reduced lunch please refer to the please refer to the Application Information.  If your family does not qualify for free or reduced lunch but your student is unable to participate due to costs, please reach out to us. We want to understand the impact and work together to find solutions. Our hope is that Booster Club fundraising will continue to provide scholarships for athletic fees to ensure that all students can participate.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback. Please note you cannot directly respond to a Parent Square message but can contact us via email below. 

Sara Kimble, skimble@telluride.k12.co.us

Chris Murray, cmurray@telluride.k12.co.us