School districts should eliminate sports programs to free up $$$ (Alamo: how much, house)

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

edit: Eliminate free lunches - I like that one. If you have kids, feeding them is your responsibility.

On one hand, there are many overweight kids in our schools. On the other sad extreme is kids that rely on the school breakfast and lunch for their meals. Of course the kids won't say anything because they don't want to be seen as uncool, etc. We give out food packs provided by the food bank to the kids to tide them over for the weekend and these kids are suffering from malnutrition, can't concentrate on class/homework, etc. If the breakfasts and lunches are provided by the school, I'd really like to see a more enthusiastic effort to provide healthier options to students.

[RGJ]

Originally Posted by L210

I was involved in sports and I learned social things, but I didn't learn much in the way of academics or how to do a real world job. Sports programs outside of public schools can do the same thing. You don't need a degree to coach. I still don't see why it's not the parent's responsibility to make sure his or her child is getting all the benefits one would get in sports.

I'm presuming you're talking about ALL sports? cheer, dance, etc? And, why not add the band, ROTC, choir, 4H programs?

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by scuba steve

edit: Eliminate free lunches - I like that one. If you have kids, feeding them is your responsibility.

The government forces people to send kids to school (it's the law)
That's why they have some responsability to help feed kids whose parents are too poor.

Most kids in High School don't play in those expensive teams.
You want kids to do sports, let them play in those fancy football fields
and give them a tennis ball, a football and a soccer ball less than $100 to keep the whole school in shape for 1 year.

[L210]

When you send your child to private school, the tuition you pay is funding the sports programs.

[cinnamon_toast]

Seriously? Eliminate free lunches? Evidently you don't know families who need and rely on those meals. Not only for financial reasons, but it makes life easier for single parents who are exhausted and worked to the bone not to have to scrounge up a healthy lunch every morning for their kids. Or worse, just not do it at all. I guarantee MANY children would come to school without eating breakfast first and if you can't have sympathy for the kids and their rumbling tummies, think of how the teachers would struggle in dealing with kids suffering from low blood sugar. (I know how I get when I'm hungry!!)

OK, now I'm thinking maybe eliminating school lunches was offered in sarcasm? I can only hope.

[L210]

Originally Posted by RGJ

I'm presuming you're talking about ALL sports? cheer, dance, etc? And, why not add the band, ROTC, choir, 4H programs?

Kids are already participating in most of those outside of school. Many girls start cheerleading and dancing before they even reach high school where those programs are initially offered. Like I've said many times, I'm not for cutting those programs, but I don't see why they take priority over everything else. If the state can throw the elderly and mentally disabled out on the streets, then why can't it eliminate sports programs?

[Dopo]

I think it says a lot about people and education here the responses that I've seen so far.

Sports (less than 50% of students participate in it) is more important than not laying off teachers???
What schools did you all go to?

[cinnamon_toast]

Originally Posted by Dopo

I think it says a lot about people and education here the responses that I've seen so far.

Sports (less than 50% of students participate in it) is more important than not laying off teachers???
What schools did you all go to?

I think there's a way we can do this without cutting everything -- perhaps scaling back to some degree. Or perhaps schools are already doing this? I think sports are very important for a child's development and privatizing them will make the inaccessible to some of the kids that may need the opportunity to play the most.

My personal observations at our HS: Why are there 6 football coaches and 1 soccer coach? And our football team can't manage to win a single district game and our soccer team looks like they might be headed to state. Money well-spent? Hmmmmmmm...

[ashbeeigh]

I don't think there is an easy answer to funding schools.

Eliminate sports kids get lazy and don't get their exercise.
Eliminate arts programs kids aren't stimulated academically (actually I can't think of the word...but y'all know what I mean)
Eliminate school lunch programs and poor/at risk children who rely on that food become even more at risk.
Eliminate full time pre-k/kinder classes kids fall even farther behind academically.
Eliminate before/after school programs kids and parents are left scrambling to find appropriate care for their kids.
Eliminate mentoring programs kids are left without an understanding of what they are capable of achieving...going to college, getting scholarships, getting a certificate for a vocational program etc...
Cut teachers, close schools you increase increase class sizes.
Increase taxes people get angry because "they don't have kids."

It's called a crisis for a reason. There isn't an easy answer. As districts, as a city, as a state, as a country, we need to come together to answer these questions. It's tough. I wish there was a simple answer. It's horrible.

[L210]

Originally Posted by cinnamon_toast

I think there's a way we can do this without cutting everything -- perhaps scaling back to some degree. Or perhaps schools are already doing this? I think sports are very important for a child's development and privatizing them will make the inaccessible to some of the kids that may need the opportunity to play the most.

My personal observations at our HS: Why are there 6 football coaches and 1 soccer coach? And our football team can't manage to win a single district game and our soccer team looks like they might be headed to state. Money well-spent? Hmmmmmmm...

This is the answer MacArthur gave when questioned why we don't have pep rallies for any of the other sports even though our basketball team was doing great and the football team sucked:

Football games have higher attendance rates which brings in extra money that is spread around to other programs.

So basically because the community did not support our successful basketball team as much as our terrible football team, the football players deserved to be praised over everyone else just for bringing in more money.