Cutting sports programs

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Postby rep » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:44 pm

[font=times new roman][color=gray]here is some food for thought. the jamestown public school board is looking to reduce a deficit, and one way they might do it is by chopping a sport or two. from what i got out of the article, they would cut the sports with the lowest participation. [/color][/font]

[font=Times New Roman]here is my potential problem with it. for example, if the school board cuts a sport (i'll use the swimming program, though i have no clue if they are actually looking at one or both of those programs) jamestown just sunk a ton of money into their new high school that has a 'state of the art' pool. if they cut one or both high school swimming programs, then basically a bunch of money that went into this pool and the school overall was wasted. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]if i had to guess, it will probably just turn into a situation where parents that have kids in a lot of athletic programs will either have to help with the bill for the sports or not have the program and basically just have the equivalent to a traveling team. or it will turn into a situation where there will be kids walking the town and going door to door for money.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]not sure if this kind of thing has been talked about in other towns or not, but i find it sad that athletics/extra-curriculars have spiraled to the point where schools can't keep up with the costs (be it equipment, or gas to get the kids from town to town). all in all, it will be a big loss to youth as a whole if any programs are cut, especially at a point where other states are looking at adding programs such as softball or dance. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]sports were a big part of my high school experience and a lot of the life lessons i learned there still shape who i am today. it bothers me that a kid in high school today would be robbed of those opportunities, but at the same time, bills have to be paid and i would also hate to see something like school lunches or books or computers taken out of schools instead. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]anyway, i've included the article that ran in monday's jamestown sun. [/font]

[font=Tahoma]District working on reducing deficit
[/font]
[font=TIMES NEW ROMAN, TIMES, SERIF]Monday, April 17, 2006[/font]
[font=Tahoma]By Toni Pirkl The Jamestown Sun

[/font]
[font=TIMES NEW ROMAN, TIMES, SERIF][color=red][size=25]Working through its committees, the Jamestown Public School Board continues to look for ways to reduce a $600,000 deficit projected for the 2006-2007 school year.


The budget is designed to allow a $200,000 deficit as the district continues to spend down its reserves toward a balanced budget. However, that leaves $400,000 to cut out from the budget or find additional revenue sources to cover.

Adding to the district’s budget woes is the reduction of federal funding in some mandated programs. The district recently received an allocation for federal programs that is $50,000 less than last year. The Buffalo Valley Special Education Unit is also experiencing budget difficulties that Jamestown as the largest school district in the unit will have to cover at a cost of $80,000.

“Finances will be a very serious concern going forward,â€Â
Last edited by rep on Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
rep
 

Postby ndfan » Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:14 am

I totally agree that sports are a big part of kids lives in high school, but money is a huge problem when it comes to schools. I know all schools would love to be able to offer as many activities as they could but its just not possible. If schools are gonna start reducing things, athletics are gonna most likely be first in line at smaller schools its just the way it goes. The state even has a college that is having problems with money right now at Mayville what was one of the first things gone??? The mens and womens Soccer teams which only existed 2 or 3 years i think they have new soccer field there that was never played on. Also had to get rid of a Assistant baseball coach. So until more money is put into schools, athletic programs will be first in line to be cut.
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Postby 1337 » Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:03 am

I agree for the need to have athletics for kids in high school. I also agree it is getting harder for schools these days. My point would be to know that extracuricular does not equal sports alone. There is band, choir, Decca, FBLA, Speech, Debate, Student Congress, Close Up, Language clubs and various others. Either way though, it is all too bad to see for it is only students that get hurt.

I do find it interesting however that they spent so much money on a state of the art pool and now find themselves in this situation. Maybe that should have been more of a consideration before it happened.

Hopefully the students aren't impacted to bad when all the dust settles.
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Postby Tigger » Mon May 29, 2006 8:39 pm

Cutting sports programs isn't just limited to the high school ranks.  Mayville State flushed their soccer program this past spring after throwing a ton of money down the toilet including around 80 large on a soccer field that was never played on.  The word is that MSU's athletic dept. is over a quarter million in the hole.  I think that if they wanted to balance that budget they should go one step further and tank the football program too.  Way too much money goes to that program which neither wins anything or really brings in any revenue.  The men's basketball program is in good hands with Craig Smith and seems to be the only sport that can bring in the dollar bills on a regular basis.  The baseball team has had a lot of success over the years and would be impossible to cut, but my guess would be that the revenue they bring in is somewhere between nil and zero.  Just my thoughts.
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