Athletics: Where Budget Balancers Fear to Tread?
With Texas public schools facing cuts of as much as $10 billion in state funding, predictions of the consequences have been dire: teacher layoffs in the six figures, bigger class sizes, fewer instructional days, slashed support for at-risk students. One topic conspicuously absent from the conversation: athletics. Are lawmakers and school boards fearful of treading on the hallowed turf of high school football?
Perhaps, but the unhappy answer, at least for gridiron lovers, is that nothing is safe — not even sports in the land of Taj Mahal stadiums. And despite the spendthrift reputation of Texas high school football programs, districts ...
Comments (6)
Tyler Webster
Let your voice be heard on education budget cuts. Go to www.backmic.com to vote or comment on current legislation such HB1 Article III.
Erika Holzinger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Really starting to sound like texas will be the new california and those taj mahal staduiums makes me wish i went to school in texas then in cali.There so nice.
Tim Holt
Hola from El Paso!
I had blogged about this about a week ago...looks like someone reads my blog...hahaha
Here is the original entry:
"Hit 'em where it hurts: Eliminate Football in Texas Schools."
http://snipurl.com/1yon2z
This was directed towards Superintendents, who need to send the legislature a strong message, and nothing is stronger than getting rid of football.
I love it when people use my ideas!
Thanks and I feel honored! (Even if you didn't use my blog as a starting point!)
Tim Holt
El Paso
Ben Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Erika, neither state would have helped to improve your spelling and sentence structure.
Van Henry
While much of the above is true, what is not said is that most coaches are dual certified in a classroom subject, ie math, science, etc. If the athletic periods are eliminated and coaches teach core subject classes during the school day, a school district will have to employ fewer teachers over all. For example, a school with 16 coaches, each having two athletic periods, means 32 class periods are being used. Divide that number by 5, or 6 (depending on the number of class periods a core subject teacher has per day) and you will come up with 5.3 or 6.4 teaching positions that can be saved. Multiply that number (lets use 5.3) times $40,000--or whatever the average teacher salary is and you get a $212,000 savings. Most schools have far more than 32 athletic periods--so you can see where this is going.
Making this change, at least on a temporary basis, does not negatively impact instruction. It also prevents athletics from being cut entirely from a school program.
Tonya Lacox
You have to understand that Athletics is what brings many children to school every day. They work hard to make sure that they are eligible to play and act correctly so as not to be booted off of the team. Yes, I know that what is most important is their education for their future, but at the age that these kids are, many do not see that picture. They just want to play football or basketball, or whatever sport it is that they enjoy. It is not until they are older and in the upper levels of high school (and sometimes college) that they realize just how important the classroom is. So, I say to leave it alone. If Athletics is what we need to do to get the students a good education then so be it.