Texas High School To Build New $35 Million Football Stadium Despite Incredibly Small Enrollment (McKinney: school district, college)

[Cicnod]

Originally Posted by DFWGuy422

Carroll's success always surprises me a bit given its size, as does Plano West's lack of success. Allen does benefit a lot from athletic transfers, and I would expect that Southlake doesn't simply because the home values are so high that the vast majority of people can't just move there if they want to play for a more competitive program.

I do think you will find Southlake’s competitiveness come to an end in about 4-5 years. A huge influx of Indian population and simply put they don’t care about athletics for the most part. Academic scores will likely move higher but they could be in for a brutal athletic situation

[rabbit33]

Originally Posted by Cicnod

I do think you will find Southlake’s competitiveness come to an end in about 4-5 years. A huge influx of Indian population and simply put they don’t care about athletics for the most part. Academic scores will likely move higher but they could be in for a brutal athletic situation

So? Who cares? Football is an OPTIONAL EXTRA, not the purpose of high school. If all big time high school athletix were to disappear tomorrow it would not make an iota of difference in the real world.

[DFWGuy422]

Originally Posted by rabbit33

So? Who cares? Football is an OPTIONAL EXTRA, not the purpose of high school. If all big time high school athletix were to disappear tomorrow it would not make an iota of difference in the real world.

A substantial decline in athletics would absolutely have a negative impact. Sports teach a ton of useful life lessons, including hard work, responsibility, and teamwork. They're also a great way for kids in high school to make friends and socialize. I would argue that they also can benefit academics to a certain extent - most sports teams have fairly stringent grade requirements. A dramatic slash in athletic focus/participation, even at mini-college football programs like Allen, would have a negative effect

[Cicnod]

Originally Posted by DFWGuy422

A substantial decline in athletics would absolutely have a negative impact. Sports teach a ton of useful life lessons, including hard work, responsibility, and teamwork. They're also a great way for kids in high school to make friends and socialize. I would argue that they also can benefit academics to a certain extent - most sports teams have fairly stringent grade requirements. A dramatic slash in athletic focus/participation, even at mini-college football programs like Allen, would have a negative effect

Agree and I think this is why Melissa wants to create a high skilled athletic program. They know it drives people there.

[NP78]

Originally Posted by DFWGuy422

A substantial decline in athletics would absolutely have a negative impact. Sports teach a ton of useful life lessons, including hard work, responsibility, and teamwork. They're also a great way for kids in high school to make friends and socialize. I would argue that they also can benefit academics to a certain extent - most sports teams have fairly stringent grade requirements. A dramatic slash in athletic focus/participation, even at mini-college football programs like Allen, would have a negative effect

I agree with you regarding the argument in favor of having athletics programs. One thing I would say though, is that I don't really see why the competitive success (unless on the extreme low end, since that isn't fun for anyone) really matters to evaluating the school.

The kids at HP, just to use the example in this thread, that participate in athletics likely get the same benefits you describe above as the kids that participate in athletics at Allen.

One could argue that the benefits of having athletics programs is actually reduced in schools like Allen where a smaller percentage of students actually get to participate.

[Leonard123]

Originally Posted by Cicnod

Agree and I think this is why Melissa wants to create a high skilled athletic program. They know it drives people there.

Evidently, so does the smell of sludge.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

But that’s NOT how the state has school finance set up. To the state, an expenditure is NOT an expenditure. They live in completely separate buckets of money.

Without bond elections, districts could never build any new schools, acquire new land or make significant repairs to very old schools. Frisco would still have 1 high school or whatever they had in 1990-ish when Robin Hood went into effect. And forget skyrocketing populations, home values, and tax rolls because without desirable schools….no one would have been flocking to the flat prairies 25 miles north of downtown over the last 25 years.

The forum participant to whom you are responding has stated elsewhere that they believe that the public sector should be removed from everything but national defense and law enforcement - in other words, no public schools or infrastructure. So, your explanation of the nuances of Texas school financing are not likely to resonate to someone with such views, where all taxes except for the two purposes I stated are unjustified.

[Cicnod]

Originally Posted by NP78

I agree with you regarding the argument in favor of having athletics programs. One thing I would say though, is that I don't really see why the competitive success (unless on the extreme low end, since that isn't fun for anyone) really matters to evaluating the school.

The kids at HP, just to use the example in this thread, that participate in athletics likely get the same benefits you describe above as the kids that participate in athletics at Allen.

One could argue that the benefits of having athletics programs is actually reduced in schools like Allen where a smaller percentage of students actually get to participate.

I think you are 100% correct, but as you know little Johnny's parents think he is going to get a D1 scholarship and playing at mega powerhouses increases the odds of that due to other little Johnny's playing there. The reality is most won't play at all.

They also realize that someone with the means to afford Allen has other options to look at and the tipping point may be the superior athletics offered compared to Coppell or Frisco, or Plano, or HP, etc.

[rabbit33]

If I were a parent I'd be a lot more concerned that my kid have the opportunity actually to participate in athletics (and note that there ARE sports other than football!) even if it's a small program, than sit warming the bench.

[TheOverdog]

If I were a parent I'd be a lot more concerned that my kid have the opportunity actually to participate in athletics

I think most people move for jobs with sports a distant second consideration. If you really want your kid to be well-rounded, then move to a dinky 1A or 2A school where he (or she) will play football, march in the band at halftime, and do UIL events and possibly one-act play, and play every single other sport too (well, probably have to choose between baseball, tennis, and golf). And there is a small chance you will get to walk-on to a D1 or play for a D2 school.