After Texas high school builds $60-million stadium, rival district plans one for nearly $70 million

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by stan4

I assume everyone on this thread lives a totally frill-free life then.

I think there's quite a bit of middle-ground between "living a totally frill-free life" and building a $70 million sports stadium for a high school varsity sports team; an expense that would embarrass most universities, to say nothing of high schools.

[Sarahsez]

Originally Posted by stan4

They usually vote on these things, btw.
You know...democracy and stuff.

I was going to say the same thing. We voted against getting a new stadium, but the other taxpayers didn't so we're getting a new stadium. Without doing the research, I'd guess that these stadiums are in higher income areas with above average schools and a larger percentage of top performing students.

[Mr_Geek]

If this is how Texans want to spend their money, then this is how they should spend their money.

[katharsis]

I think that their priorities are definitely out of whack.

To give just one example, just think how many scholarships even half of $70,000,000 would buy.

[southwest88]

Originally Posted by WeHa

It's decisions like these that make me wonder if it would be best to have sports not be tied to school district funding. This is out of control.

Ah, but it gets better. See Report: Benchmark led to special education services denials | abc13.com

"Report: Benchmark led to special education services denials

"Monday, September 12, 2016

"HOUSTON --
More than a dozen teachers and administrators from across Texas say they delayed or denied special education to disabled students in order to stay below the benchmark state officials set for the number of students who should get such services.

"A Houston Chronicle investigation found the Texas Education Agency's enrollment benchmark for special education services of 8.5 percent has led to the systematic denial of services by school districts. In the years since Texas' 2004 implementation of the benchmark, the rate of students getting special education dropped from near the national average of 13 percent to the lowest in the country. It fell to 8.5 percent in 2015.

"If Texas provided services at the same rate as the rest of the U.S., 250,000 more kids would be getting services such as therapy, counseling and one-on-one tutoring. The newspaper said records show Texas is the only state to set such a benchmark, which was never publicly announced or explained.

"The newspaper found that the effort saved TEA billions of dollars but denied support to children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, epilepsy, mental illnesses, speech impediments, traumatic brain injuries and even blindness and deafness.

"The teachers and administrators said that in order to stay below the benchmark they've done everything from putting kids into a cheaper alternative program to persuading parents to pull their children out of public school altogether."

(My emphasis - more @ the URL)

So, TEA saved billions, @ the cost of blighting lives that they were charged to protect & improve. It's not like those kids are going to vote, or earn big bucks to lobby for their favorite pols, or anything otherwise politically useful. Fortunate that those children have a sheltered workshop where they can perform to the peak of their systematically tortured souls - the TX Lege, bestest in the World, for sale or rent, easy terms, inquire within.

[Freak80]

Yeah that's Texas in a nutshell.

No money for education, science or social programs, but plenty of money for football.

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by dude1984

After Texas high school builds $60-million stadium, rival district plans one for nearly $70 million - LA Times

I'm not surprised because football, especially high school football, is d*** near a religion in Texas.


The book and movie, "Friday Night Lights" perfectly illustrated the mentality.

[46H]

The Allen Stadium was built incorrectly and was not used for 15 months. It was repaired at no cost to the district. The estimated cost of the repair was over $10 million.
Allen's Eagle Stadium to reopen for graduation after $10 million-plus in fixes | Dallas Morning News


The stadium opened in 2012.

[fluffythewondercat]

I don't like the way our local schools spend bond money.

I don't like the way the bond approval was reduced from 2/3 of the vote to 55% of the vote.

But I realize that I can't change any of that and my only recourse is to move.

For this reason and a host of others, I'm planning to move.

[ms12345]

Originally Posted by Mr_Geek

If this is how Texans want to spend their money, then this is how they should spend their money.

It's money taken from tax payers, and should be refunded.