In order for Fountain Hills Unified School District’s athletics programs to remain self-sustaining, Athletic Director Mike Briguglio is proposing an increase to sports fees starting with the 2017-18 school year.

The potential of raising fees was discussed during the Nov. 9 School Board meeting, with Briguglio giving attendees a look at his discoveries so far. The plan is to provide a final proposal sometime during the spring semester.

Briguglio said the goal of fees for athletics is to pay current coaching stipends and their 20 percent of benefits. The local athletics programs have managed to make ends meet over the past several years but, according to Briguglio, the figures are no longer adding up.

“Coaching stipends have not been raised in over 12 years,” Briguglio explained. “And we still have need for monies to purchase equipment and supplies.”

Athletics are no longer included under the umbrella of M&O, leaving these funds to be raised through fees, ticket sales, tax credit donations and fundraising.

Briguglio explained that the goal has always been to keep athletics alive and well in Fountain Hills, while giving every student an opportunity to play and properly reimbursing the coaches who run the programs.

At the high school, 346 students participate in athletics while, at the middle school, 216 take advantage of these opportunities.

“Those numbers are great, in terms of student participation,” Briguglio continued.

Crunching the numbers, $112,116 is needed annually to fund athletics at both the high school and middle school on what Briguglio called a “shoestring budget.” The projected fee collection for 2016-17 is just $75,345, which leaves a deficit of $36,771.

Over the past several months, Briguglio said he has met with many stakeholders and local groups to discuss the situation, all of which agreed there is a need to raise athletics fees.

At minimum, Briguglio said fees need to shift from $150 to $225 at the high school and to $175 at the middle school. With current participation, that would result in $115,650 with an athletic program surplus of about $3,500, which could then be used on equipment, uniforms, trainer reimbursement and the like.

A final proposal is expected sometime in the spring semester.