GREAT FALLS — Last week the Great Falls Public Schools made another huge stride toward integrating baseball in the 2026 school year.
Lance Boyd, Executive Director for the East Side Schools with Great Falls Public Schools said, “Monday night, the Great Falls Public School board, approved baseball and the fundraising for baseball for the 2026 school year.”
Boyd is excited that GFPS and the Baseball Committee have reached this next step.
Boyd said, “I think to be able to add an emerging sport like baseball is exciting. It comes with in trepidation [sic] as you look at school funding, where it's at, into the future. But it gives our kids another opportunity to participate in a sport that many of them love.”
Now it is up to the baseball committee to fundraise for start-up costs and the first three years of program costs, which is expensive.
Boyd said, “$101,000 for startup costs. And then $95,000 a year for three years, for annual program costs for baseball.”
It’s an ambitious project, as it will be covering everything from transportation to coaching fees to equipment.
Kali Jean Tuckerman, a member of the Baseball Committee said, “This is really going to take the whole community backing us to get to our goals, our financial goals for the whole three years.”
Tuckerman has been working since August to organize fundraising efforts.
Tuckerman said, “Everybody loves baseball. And this community in particular really likes baseball. So really excited to get out there. We already have a bunch of people who have talk[ed] to us, talk[ed] to the district, about wanting to support.”
Fundraising will be done through the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation website. If the fundraising goals are met, GFPS hopes to start baseball in March of 2026.
Boyd said, “I'm excited. Yeah. Very excited. I think it's good to be able to work with this set of community members that are excited about baseball, but also at the same time, got to know and understand what it's like in a public school and in our district here in Great Falls, to be able to raise funds for something that's never been, raised for before.”
The official fundraising calander is this:
July 31, 2025—Startup costs for both CM Russell High School and Great Falls High School - $101,000
December 31, 2025—First year program costs - $95,050
March 30, 2026—Half of second year program costs - $47,525
July 1, 2026—Half of second year program costs - $47,525
December 31, 2026—Half of third year program costs - $47,525
July 1, 2027—Half of third year program costs - $47,525
When fundraising begins, you can click here to donate.
