You are thinking of major D1 football programs, which are supported by major donors and self-sustaining. Smaller state schools' programs and their stadiums are paid for with tax dollars, as are natatoriums, travel for sports programs, etc. These are a drain on education dollars, and let's face it, how many of those kids are going to play football professionally or swim in the Olympics? If you aren't D1, what's the point in the program? I suggest you look into this subject a little further.
It is a marketing thing. It irks me to no end, but that's the value in it... It looks good when the school is hosting open houses and attracts students that wouldn't be interested in a university without sports. And yeah, it sucks paying tuition that goes up every year while reading all about the expenses-paid spring break in FL (for a tournament, of course) the softball team went on and hearing about the basketball team traveling all over the country on the school's dime to be the whipping boys for schools with competitive programs.
We have a crazy huge football stadium (high school) down the street from us. It's a beautiful facility and seems like overkill, until Friday night when it's standing room only...not to mention the soccer games, lax games, band competitions, etc. I think it's about 10,000 capacity--not quite sure. Probably didn't cost 60,000,000 either, but it sure gets used.
That's how ours is too. The stadium and performing arts center were bond financed, and they are both top-notch. I doubt they'll ever pay for themselves but they do add a great deal to the district, not just the athletics at the stadium but also the band, choir, and theatre events in the performing arts center. And when neither school is using the PAC it is available for community groups, dance studios, etc. to lease out, which helps to offset the costs to the district.
No offence but where do you work that third graders are proficient at typing? Here they start "computer" class in kindergarten-first grade but typing is not even a class until fourth-fifth grade. That is pretty even across the board here where I live. (I have worked with seven local districts, a total of approximately thirty elementary schools)
Same here. My kids are very tech savvy for their ages but they weren't keyboarding very well at 8. It isn't taught until upper elem, so all they knew is what they picked up at home on their own.
WOW! That's rude, why should they not be able to be part of a college team just b/c they aren't in the best division.
Because it isn't a good use of tax or tuition dollars. As a college student borrowing thousands a year to finance an education I certainly resent the hell out of the fact that some of that money is paying for athletic facilities, trainers, equipment, and extensive travel for the teams. I don't think D1 teams deserve the funding either, though. Let the NFL and NBA fund their own minor league programs. At a time when college costs are spiraling out of reach of more and more people, there is absolutely no good reason for universities to be spending millions on students playing games.
That's the million dollar question isn't it. That is the biggest problem with education in our country, parents think the burden should fall on the schools alone. I mean look at all the people just on this thread complaining and spewing data, yet won't list one contribution they make to helping their district succeed. If parents and even other community members(because it does impact everyone...better schools, better property values) don't want to get involved there is sadly only so much that can be done. I wish I knew what the answer was, on paper a voucher system seems like a good idea. Only that system doesn't seem to work out so well when carried out. By allowing students to leave their area and go to an area with more support seems like a no brainer, yet it just doesn't seem to work. I don't have the answer to that. I think that school districts failing need to pair up with a successful district(but then who has the time to mentor another school...right?) to learn what they can do to improve. The answer is time and effort and lots of it by people outside of the schools, but sadly that won't happen and people who have money will move to the communities where taxes are higher and schools are better while others who don't have the money will struggle and slip through the cracks. All I know is that each person has to make a decision to help solve problems or do nothing. I choose to help solve the problems in my district. Maybe as the crisis grows others will decide to do more besides online petitions and opting out.
I wish I knew what the solution is too. I'm not sure there's an avenue for parents to make a real difference in the system as it exists now. Volunteers are largely directed into frivolous efforts like fundraising for a new playground or for field trips. Curriculum decisions aren't open to public input. Grants don't help with operating expenses, only one-time efforts. The whole thing is structured to top-down management, not grassroots efforts at change. Even the board's hands are often tied by state and federal mandates and funding changes.
