Plans for high school baseball are progressing and the Great Falls Public Schools board heard an update from district officials on the process during their Jan. 13 meeting.

Lance Boyd, as assistant superintendent, focused on the main requirements the board wanted to address before fielding high school baseball teams, to include field availability, Title 9 equity concerns and fundraising.

In August, the school board voted to approve adding baseball in the spring of 2026, contingent on a committee being formed under the guidance of GFPS administration; consideration of four factors of betterment of students and baseball in Great Falls, interest and support, financial viability and sustainability, and feasibility; a report being submitted to the board for review by June 1, 2025; and that the startup and operating costs for the first three years would be privately funded. The plan must also outline how Title 9 requirements will be met.

GFPS appoints three to baseball advisory committee

The committee, which includes Kali Tuckerman, Zac Griffin and Jon Boutilier as community members, plus district staff, has been meeting since October and the board will use their June 2025 report to make a final decision by Sept. 1.

During their Jan. 13 meeting, Boyd said that they have agreements or are nearing agreements with several area little leagues to use their fields for practices.

But those fields meet the size requirements for high school games so they’re working out details, particularly rental costs, with Electric City Baseball for use of Don Olson and Cash Warren fields, Boyd said.

GFPS accepting applications for baseball implementation committee

The fields are similar to the Mutli Sports complex where high school softball is played, he said, addressing the Title 9 equity issue for facilities.

Boyd said that conversation came up quickly about using Centene Stadium, but that would not be a place the district would use for high school baseball games, other than possibly for a crosstown game in the future.

Boyd said that some of the other AA districts that are planning to field high school baseball teams this spring haven’t finalized field lease agreements.

GFPS board votes to add high school baseball, with contingencies

Boyd and Mike Henneberg, GFPS athletic director, detailed the projected startup and annual costs for the program.

They estimate $50,500 in start up costs for both schools, for a total of $101,000.

The estimated annual cost for baseball in 2026, 2027 and 2028 is $47,525 for a total of $142,575.

Startup costs include uniforms, batting helmets, equipment and basic field maintenance equipment.

The ongoing costs include coaching, Montana High School Association dues, umpire fees, field rentals and field maintenance.

Question of adding high school baseball on GFPS board’s Aug. 5 agenda

Beyond the Title 9 equity factors for fields and facilities, there’s also requirements regarding the number of students playing sports and participating in activities by gender.

Boyd said there’s currently a six percent difference between genders at both schools, which is below the 10.5 percent threshold that schools begin having Title 9 compliance issues.

Adding baseball will take the difference up to 7.5 percent, which is still within the acceptable levels, he said.

Boyd said that the other communities who had already agreed to add high school baseball have watched the GFPS process and looked to it as a model.

GFPS officials discuss finances, feasibility of baseball

Boyd thanked the board for allowing the district to roll out a collaborative effort, allowing the stakeholders to understand the complexities of fielding new sports.

Bill Bronson, school board member, asked if they had a sense of whether there would be enough umpires for high school baseball games.

Boyd said that as an MHSA official himself, he’s not sure they’ll ever have enough, but that they have an umpire pool to draw from now, but they’ll need to recruit more and umpire availability will be a factor in scheduling games.

Bronson said that if the other communities aren’t able to field teams, the pool of competitors will go down.

GFPS continuing discussion of adding high school baseball

Boyd said that he’s given a fundraising timeline to the committee and at their next meeting, he’ll ask the board to approve that timeline and let the committee begin their fundraising effort. The Great Falls Public Schools Foundation has also been involved and is willing to serve as a third party pathway for those fundraising funds,.

The fundraising timeline, meaning funds are in the bank, needed to start baseball in 2026 is:

• July 1: startup costs: $101,000
• Nov. 30: first year program costs: $95,050
• Jan. 20, 2026: half of second year program costs: $47,525
• July 1, 2026: half of second year program costs: $47,525
• Dec. 30, 2026: half of third year program costs: $47,525
• June 30, 2027: half third year program costs: $47,525

Boyd said the timeline requires that the startup funding in hand by July since the district will need to hire coaches and purchase equipment to be ready to start playing in the spring.

“Yes this is ambitious, but this is the only way we can have baseball start in 2026,” Boyd told the board. “We want baseball to happen,” but if those fundraising thresholds aren’t met, staff will recommend delaying baseball for another fiscal year.

GFPS discussing whether to add high school baseball, no vote scheduled yet

Boyd said the district does not want to be in a situation that full funding isn’t available to start the program and then be in a financial bind.

He said they’ll be in perpetual fundraising for those three fiscal years and once baseball is up and running, they’ll have a conversation about how to sustain baseball long-term.

There are other challenges facing the addition of baseball, Boyd said, particularly transportation.

Henneberg has been working with Big Sky Bus Lines to plan for the addition, “but it’s going to be a heavy lift,” Boyd said and they’ll need to recruit drivers since the company is already short staffed.

GFPS board approves addition of high school baseball program [2022]

He said they’ll continue watching their Title 9 proportionality and the AA schedule as it other districts plan for or commit to baseball in 2026.

“It’s been hard work, it’s been fun work, it’s been interesting work,” Boyd said of the committee.

GFPS considering adding baseball as sanctioned high school sport [2022]

Gordon Johnson, school board chair, told the board to give it some thought and share thoughts or concerns with Boyd and Henneberg in advance of their next meeting when they’re asked to make a decision.