Trinidad Middle School Sells Candy, Gummies and Jerky in Spring Fundraiser

Trinidad Middle School launched its spring fundraiser this week, putting candy bars, gummies and jerky sticks on sale at $2 each to raise money for the student activities a district of 744 kids can't fully fund on its own.

The sale, announced April 1 on Trinidad School District #1's official news page, benefits programs that state funding formulas leave partially covered: field trips, student clubs, athletic travel and classroom supplies. Without community support, those are the first line items cut when budgets tighten.

The context makes every $2 count. TSD1 serves 744 students across three schools spanning kindergarten through 12th grade in Las Animas County, and state standardized tests show only 7% of district students score at or above proficiency in math, with 27% meeting the bar in reading. Both figures fall well below Colorado and national averages, reflecting the economic pressures that define life in southern Colorado's coalfield communities. A narrow local tax base limits the district's options for large-scale fundraising, which is why a candy-and-snack sale run by middle-schoolers carries real weight in proportion to its modest scale.

At $2 per item, broad participation across TSD1's families and community members directly supplements per-student extracurricular budgets that would otherwise go unfunded. The district's 15:1 student-to-teacher ratio signals a commitment to individualized attention despite limited resources; the fundraiser reflects that same principle applied to programming.

TMS students are managing the sale themselves, gaining hands-on experience with order tracking, cash handling under staff supervision and the direct link between community participation and program delivery.

To buy items, get pickup details or find out how to volunteer, call the Trinidad School District #1 office at (719) 846-3324 or stop by 607 Miner Drive, Trinidad, CO 81082. Updated deadlines and distribution information are posted at tsd1.org.