Desperate in DeKalb: Should schools drop sports programs? How about band and drama?
A parent raised an issue at the DeKalb school board meeting that merits more discussion here: Rather than increase class sizes, the parent said the county should cut athletics. “There’s no point in training student athletes when they can’t read or write or get a job,” she said.
As a parent, I have to agree. But I also have two kids who chose sports — tennis and volleyball — that are largely played outside of school in tournaments and club leagues. So, I am already paying for their sports. My older two played only school-based sports, and it was a lot cheaper.
As we have discussed on this blog, Finland, the model du jour for U.S. schools, does not offer school-based sports teams, relying on community programs to provide them. (A reader from Finland wanted me to note, however, that the Finns are very health oriented and their schools offer vigorous PE classes that utilize public parks for running, public ice skating rings for skating and public ball fields for Finnish baseball. The schools do indoor sports — strength training, basketball, volleyball – during winter. “Also we have mandatory recess several times a day when kids go out, rain or shine, and no matter how cold it is,” said the reader.)
When the reform committee formed by Gov. Roy Barnes looked at the dismal middle school scores years ago, the committee suggested that students spend more time on core subjects at the expense of PE and music. There was a a vocal outcry. I can recall PE teacher pointing to the obesity epidemic and music teachers citing the correlation between music and math and the fact that kids in band have higher high school completion rates.
But DeKalb is between the proverbial rock and hard place — no money in reserves and a $70 million deficit. The county was badly hit by the collapse of the real estate market in Georgia, and wearied taxpayers, some of whom owe more on their houses than the homes are now worth, don’t want a tax increase.
So, should DeKalb jettison its sports programs? Should it follow Clayton’s example and at least consider dumping middle school sports? Should it impose fees on all extracurricular programs, including band, drama, debate, robotics and cheerleading?
I value all these programs and wish schools could offer all of them and more. But is that realistic when you witness the choices facing DeKalb?
I agree that many families can’t afford for the fees, which for club sports can be $2,000 to $4,000 a year for coaches, fees, uniforms and travel.
Why couldn’t Georgia create a tax credit program for public school extracurriculars as it did for private school tuition? People could donate so low-income students could play sports or participate in the band. (Of course, if the program followed the twisted path of the state’s private school tax credit the money would end up going to middle class kids.)
Here is the AJC.com news story on the bad news from the board meeting Tuesday:
DeKalb officials are wrestling with their most challenging budget in years. Unlike most school systems in Georgia, DeKalb has no money in the bank and is on a trajectory to finish the fiscal year in debt. The board took a step Tuesday toward closing what is potentially a more than $70 million deficit by ordering spending cuts and reluctantly setting the table for more taxpayer support.
“I cannot support a two mill increase,” said Paul Womack, who nonetheless voted with the majority in the 5-2 decision Tuesday afternoon. He wasn’t alone. The board had to adopt something prior to a public hearing Tuesday evening to comply with Georgia Department of Education rules. A final budget typically must be in place before the fiscal year starts July 1, and changes are likely.
Nancy Jester wouldn’t vote even for this early draft of the budget because of the tax increase. She said she wants to cut “everything, and more.”
Without that $30 million, the board will have to look far beyond a list of 15 reductions recommended by Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson.
The biggest, a two-student increase in the average classroom size that would save $14 million, may also be the most controversial. Layoffs of about 70 central office employees would reduce spending by $5 million and a pullback in overtime pay would save another $5 million. Assorted other cuts, including the elimination of the Montessori program, transportation to magnet schools and elimination of 25 librarians, would make up the rest.
Atkinson withdrew other options, but they’re still on the table if the tax rate doesn’t rise. Among those options, are eliminating the pre-kindergarten program and outsourcing custodians.
DeKalb increased average class sizes by two students a couple years ago, and teachers say another increase would push them to the breaking point.
Tracey Anderson, an English teacher at Lakeside High, said her student roster would rise from around 150 to about 190, “which is beyond impossible — it’s absurd. … I don’t even know how one would report the grades.”
Rather than increase class sizes, parent Molly Bardsley said officials should cut athletics. “There’s no point in training student athletes when they can’t read or write or get a job,” said Bardsley, whose children attend Kittredege Elementary and the DeKalb School of the Arts, both magnet schools
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
306 comments Add your comment
Coach
May 23rd, 2012
11:26 am
Sya It Ain’t So – you are sadly mistaken. Each county should have ONE major athletic compund for all events and a functional facility for practice at their own campus. They could still raise money and millions wouldn’t be wasted on each school competing for the most fabulous arena!
Ned
May 23rd, 2012
11:26 am
A plea for clarity:
PE, art, and music classes are one thing. Extracurricular sports, band, etc. are a separate thing.
High school sports may be revenue-neutral (maybe). Middle school sports are another matter.
I think the question is whether we cut back on *middle* school *extracurricular* activities, NOT whether we cut back PE, art or music *classes* or cut back *high* school sports. Let’s be clear what we’re all talking about.
BTW, how do you do italics again?
Truth 1979
May 23rd, 2012
11:27 am
For alot of young men, no sports = no disipline. No after school practice = more time to run the streets and get in trouble. No disipline = more hoodlums. No sports = more highschool dropouts = more poverts = More hoodlums = more crime, rapes, murders.
So do you wanna pay a few more dollars a month in taxes, or potentially have your wife or daughter raped or murdered. People never think about violent crime and its causes, until it affect them.
Teacher Lady
May 23rd, 2012
11:27 am
Where is the money that was in the reserves? At a BOE meeting last week, it was mentioned that former CFO of DCCS spent the $40 million in reserves. Just wondering when that tidbit of info is going to come out.
KeithB
May 23rd, 2012
11:27 am
Get the pro/college players/teams to fund athletics. They have plenty of money.
Truth 1979
May 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
more poverty*
The Deal
May 23rd, 2012
11:29 am
Maureen, you are painting with a very broad brush:
Maureen: @To all, To be fair, it has been pointed out to me that Dr. Atkinson came to the job in September and before the next school year changed the cabinet and leadership,
Yes, she ADDED to the cabinet. The only ones who are actually gone are those accused of criminal wrongdoing or unethical behavior. We are double-paying at the top.
Maureen: cut 73 Central Office positions and 133 school level positions (that were in excess based on school enrollment).
The audit recommended over 300 be cut. At an average of $60K per position, our savings would be over $20 million, not the paltry $5 million she is patting herself on the back for.
Maureen: So, while we can say DeKalb needs to cut more, I think it is fair to acknowledge that the school system has made cuts.
Technically, yes, but not nearly the hatchet job that has been recommended by two professional audits. She is placating people like you so that you will say cuts have been made when, in reality, nothing significant has been done, and then she heads right back to the classroom and taxpayers’ pockets for more money.
Clydell Johnson
May 23rd, 2012
11:29 am
I’m a native of Decatur, GA. I received a full athletic scholarship after graduating from High School. Sports in schools help bill good character and responsibility in young men and young lady’s. I pay to much property taxs as a home owner for Dekalb County, just to see our schools with out sports for our children! Keep the sports!
Mr .Concerned
May 23rd, 2012
11:29 am
lets look at a bigger picture. if you do remove sports, drama, band, or etc. many parents that have kids in those programs would move to another county or have there kids transferred to a school in another county. the county still lose money because now you are dealing with property tax money that would be lost at a greater amount.
Habersham Dawg
May 23rd, 2012
11:31 am
I’ve yet to see the figures for the “taxes” paid for high school kids to play sports. When my sons were in school, I paid a #*&^-pot load of money for them to play each year and helped fund their booster-clubs, which paid for their uniforms and other costs. This was from the parents (and my) pockets. The only thing the school provided was a field to practice on after school and a field to play on, after school. There was no ‘during’ school practicing, or classes just for sports.
Where are the numbers to substantiate your assertions of tax money going to pay for high school sports?
DebbieDoRight
May 23rd, 2012
11:31 am
No
say what?
May 23rd, 2012
11:35 am
OK many of you want to cut central office pay. Well in the budget presented last night, we have 6.25% across the board cuts for EVERY employee, 2 furlough days, removal of the health care and dental insurance subsidies for ALL employees. Termination of custodians, removal of ALL media center clerks, termination of an additional 25 media center specialist (i.e, librarians), and cutting of bus drivers.
With property values decreasing, they will continue to spiral out of control when all of these employees lose their homes and cannot pay taxes. Tax revenues will decrease when you have this many employees unemployed at the same time as they will not spend money in the local community. The state of GA should provide for funding and stop these tax incentives for businesses to relocate, then hire perhaps 25-100 employees. The habit of forcing larger school districts who have a higher millage rate to send part of tax money to “poorer” counties such as Gwinnett needs to end immediately.
Interesting also in the employment system, one of the area superintendent positions is now open up to an external applicant. What do any of you want to bet that the person hired will have some past connection to the new superintendent? Same stuff, different administration.
Dad
May 23rd, 2012
11:35 am
Hard times call for hard decisions, something politicians are loath to do. But when we as a society are facing huge cuts in teacher pay, huge cuts in support personnel, huge cuts in classroom spedning overall, the reasonable question to ask is, why is the sports program any different? Most of the medium to large metro high schools have, not only varsity sports teams, but also 9th grade and Junior-Varsity sports teams. Each has to be outfitted and coached. Each has its own equipment stash (you would be amazed at what a football/basketball costs) and each has to be transported by school buses (gasoline, driver pay, wear & tear). Here’s a thought: don’t eliminate varsity sports, but DO eliminate all sub-varsity sports teams. That would be a start.
Mike
May 23rd, 2012
11:37 am
Another stupid article from the AJC. Where do you get these idiot writers? This is why I dropped the paper. Sports do and always will have a place in schools. Do we want to raise a race of weenies?
Donaldo
May 23rd, 2012
11:37 am
Steve, you make a profound observation. My son is attending SCAD, and he is considering starting a small business teaching storytelling thru art to young children. Those parents who would like to have their children learn skills using this approach can pay a small fee. This is just one example of how being creative can help our children, create jobs, help our teachers focus on the very important academics that our children will need, eg. math, science to start. We need to prepare our children for an ever changing world, one way is a public-private partnership. Just one idea……
Add a Fee.....
May 23rd, 2012
11:40 am
Why can’t we add a school fee for every house/home purchased, or re-sold? That revenue would help fund DCSS. For every criminal case that goes to a Dekalb County Court, add another school fee. That revenue would help fund DCSS. For every flight into or out of any Dekalb County airport, add another fee, that revenue would help fund DCSS. These fees could be just a few dollars but would add plenty of revenue to help the local school system.
Have a central office of Development that would use philantrophy as a means to fund schools extra curricular actvities.
Make Grady Hospital a State Hospital and end the payments to Grady every year.
Shar
May 23rd, 2012
11:40 am
It is not the school’s job, nor the taxpayer’s responsibility to fund, a stage for athletes seeking scholarships, a fun place to spend time, a surrogate father figure or a diet program. Educating students in the key areas to an acceptable level of competency is the purpose of public schools, and the only justification for confiscating money to fund them.
If the English teacher quoted above is now “only there for crowd control”, the school is failing in its purpose and no longer warrants public funds. Period. The vast ocean of money being spent by DCSS is indeed failing to deliver acceptable education to, now, the majority of students. The current structure of the schools costs too much and accomplishes too little to earn its funding. Change – top, bottom and side to side – is needed, and the ONLY consideration in designing those changes should be K-12 education in English, math, science and social studies. Unless and until students in DCSS can leave school with acceptable proficiency in those areas, nothing else should be added.
@ Teacher/Coach, if the school is providing “lights, fields and stipends for the coaches”, they are also providing transportation to games, field maintenance, audience seating, security, locker rooms, utilities, insurance — and every bit of it is tax deductible. Those stadii are expensive – hundreds of science labs could have been outfitted for the cost of the stadium that was built with the last SPLOST. Every bit of the land, plus the parking, is off the tax rolls, so no property taxes are collected. The expenses you minimize are huge, and they benefit a tiny number of the total student body. You worry about the potential loss of scholarships for a couple thousand students over multiple years, and I worry about the loss of educational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students over the same time. There is no comparison, and no way to justify the sports costs when the budget mandates an either/or choice.
Rockerbabe
May 23rd, 2012
11:40 am
Sports, band, arts, music makes the kids happy and keeps them in school to learn other things. Nothing will be gained by doing away with these subjects and activities. And, not all parents can afford these type of extra curricular activities. If we can find money to give gillionaires a tax break, we can find money for the kids. . .look harder.
Mary
May 23rd, 2012
11:41 am
The first place the schools need to cut costs is in the salaries paid to these “educators”. From my experience in college, the College of Education does not get your best students. Nevertheless, we have principals and administrators making six-figure salaries – for a job that is essentially 9 months a year with all the holidays and breaks. Throw these folks into the private sector and watch them sink. I am tired of hearing that we need more money for education – that is just an excuse for continued poor performance. The key to a good education is parents who push their kids and work with them away from school to master their subject matter. You can’t just rely on teachers, no matter how much money is spent on education. As for removing sports from the schools, if the savings will be that dramatic, I have no problem with it as opposed to a tax increase. However, other options might prove more beneficial. Schools could try and use their sports programs as a revenue generator to at least cover the costs. Since the facilities already exist at the schools, the expense involved is maintaining the facilities and equipment. I also believe that the schools could partner their athletic programs with local community businesses to increase their revenue stream to finance the expense of athletics (e.g., allowing corporate logos on jerseys and sell naming rights to stadiums). Take the athletics programs out of the hands of the “educators” and let them be run for profit and see how it works for a couple of years. If the experiment is a failure, then consider cutting the programs. Just first allow someone other than the “educators” to find a solution. We have already seen how the “educators” do their jobs in the Atlanta school system.
Tabitha
May 23rd, 2012
11:41 am
The good news is that this blog is getting to the real decisons that people make about their schools. We are not victims; there are choices to be made. Some of those choices will be difficult, some might be damaging.
The reality is that rising property values that funded an ever growing county education budget have ended. In fact most homehowners have seen a signficant ( 25-30% decline) in the value of their principal asset. Looking to get more money by raising property tax rates from people who have lost the most in the past few years is an option. Like all options, it has consequences. There are other choices that can be made too. The reality is that $70 million cannnot be covered without real change. One way to look at this is as an opportunity to eliminate waste, duplication and overhead that destroys the confidence of taxpayers and dilutes the influence of parents in the school. Move the schools back to more local identity, more local influence and see both performance and commitment rise.
When you demand more financial commitment you will get a demand for a return. When you have more emotional commitment you get a demand to contribute.
Or you can stay on the path DCCS is on and see it continue to slide into expensive chaos.
SouthGADawg
May 23rd, 2012
11:42 am
Sports are for a “select few” of the students. Believe it or not the select few that are chosen by saying you have made the team, I have seen not show up for practice or not listen to a coach and still play in the games even start, whereas the fringe players that were at practice every time and even work to get better, they would ride the bench. So I say yes cut sports, there was schools before there were sports teams and the legal reason for schools is to school children in the necessary skills to function in the world. These skills are built from the academics and vocational classes that a child takes. So lets get back to the basic reason for schools and that is education. Yes there is tax dollars spent on sports, high coaches salaries including local tax dollars to possibly benefit a few but pulling those scarce tax dollars away from the majority of students. Let us realize what is important, academics and vocations – work skills.
Dunwoody Mom
May 23rd, 2012
11:44 am
Those stadii are expensive – hundreds of science labs could have been outfitted for the cost of the stadium that was built with the last SPLOST.
@Shar, I’m assuming you aren’t talking about DCSD. There have been no new stadiums built in many, many years. All of the DSD stadiums existed when I was a student – 30 years ago. In fact, PE, art, music, band were all part of the everyday life in the elementary school I attended – no middle schools at that time. For some to pretend as if these items are “new” to the school district is puzzling to me.
DeKalb Taxpayer
May 23rd, 2012
11:46 am
Cut administration, not sports… The kids get more work done on the practice field in one evening than most of these high dollar bureaucrats do in a year, and it’s a lot more fun to watch!
Dr. John Trotter
May 23rd, 2012
11:47 am
@ Coach: Just give us a holler, OK? We’ll be glad to meet with you. Headed to a school system now. I look forward to meeting you, Coach!
Shar
May 23rd, 2012
11:50 am
@Truth, lack of discipline is the parents’ and the student’s problem, not the taxpayers’. Where is the personal responsibility? The huge costs and the constriction of teaching time are symptomatic of too many people saddling the schools with objectives that are actually personal, not public.
Paying millions of dollars in construction, maintenance, coaching and all the rest just to structure some kid’s time so his/her parents don’t have to is astonishingly wasteful and not why taxpayers fund schools. Call DFACS instead – that’s their job, not DCSS’.
christie
May 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
I agree it should be considered; perhaps a trial year & see how it goes. I had problems in my youth & went from traditional high school to non-traditional in junior year with no sports, prom, etc… My grades & attendance improved, smaller classes, more attention to students & I improved to A & B’s, from failing. We still had PE where it included walking outiside in groups or inside walking; vollyball; sex ed; cpr; basic physical education; and the core classes. It is not for everyone but it beat dropping out. APS & Dekalb should consider it & focus more on the children instead of their bottom line.
Joe 12-Pack
May 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
This drives me crazy. Whenever there is a money crunch governments always look to cut police, firemen and education – the three most important services!
There are other solutions:
1. Sanitation – now that there is a separate day for recyclables and yard waste, is it really necessary for two trash days? Cut it back to one and maybe recycles can be every other week.
2. How many secretaries does are really necessary? Maybe Burrell Ellis and many other DeKalb officials can get there own coffee.
3. Out-of-towners: I had a problem with my water bill a while back and had to deal with this guy in the Finance Dept. I was shocked to hear he lived in Newnan. How many DeKalb emloyees do NOT even live in the county? Maybe they need to take a pay cut which can be restored if they move.
4. Speaking of pay cuts, have you ever been to water department? The biggest bunch of surly employees I have ever seen. These people need pay cuts.
5. Cut back on employee benefits and insurance.
6. The DeKalb TV channels are worthless and nobody watches them. Cut them and make streaming video available online.
7. Crack down on welfare abusers.
8. Cut back on school busing, especially for kids who go to a different school than the one closest to them. If they want to transfer, make them pay a fee.
9. Turn off the lights and air after hours and weekends. Fine offices that don’t comply.
10. No more retreats, parties and expense accounts.
11. Sell these empty schools and their land to the highest bidder. Medlock School could easily get 7 digits.
12. Make Walmart pay a big fat fee to build their stores in DeKalb. They sure can afford it.
13. Make Walmart pay for traffic improvements surrounding their new stores.
I could go on all day here.
William WOW
May 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
Student Athletics are required to maintain a passing GPA.
The Deal
May 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
There is no budget problem if the administration were cut back to what two professional audits recommended.
There is no budget problem if lawsuits are settled, and we stop paying over $30 million a year to law firms.
Property values around the country are starting to rise. Why aren’t they rising here in DeKalb? You got it, crappy schools. DeKalb is its own little island of crappy schools and low property values. In areas of the country where there are decent-to-good schools, property values have rebounded. Our BOE wants to tax us more because of a low property value problem that is perpetuated by THEM.
FalconsFan
May 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
As a former student athlete I don’t think it’s fair to punish the students/kids for the mistakes of the adults. There’s other areas to cut.
Pluto
May 23rd, 2012
11:52 am
If a sports program like say football could generate enough cash to sustain operations then that would be good. But when football is asked to fund the myriad other sports programs things get to the fairness argument. If a program is cash poor and cannot support itself drop it. At some point though someone will sue someone else and we will continue down this unsustainable road due to fear of litigation.
Teacher, H.S.Coach & a Parent
May 23rd, 2012
11:52 am
Of course they should be localized rather than school based but POLITICS simply will not allow it! How many educators at the High School and yes, even the Middle School level are hired based on their willingness/ability to coach a sport rather than teach the classroom courses they are also hired to do? It is a high percentage! This alone hurts the academic mission the schools are truly supposed to aim for but hey….just maybe my child can play in the SEC…get a huge NFL contract and then support me in my old age.
James
May 23rd, 2012
11:52 am
Does anyone know how much Dekalb is spending on sports? In Fulton, there are NO funds alloted for athletics. Your kids wants to play then they pay a fee which can’t exceed $250, sure not everyone pays but with fundraising one can contribute something. Since Fulton has stadiums at all the high schools. Each school makes money from ticket sales, sponsorships and boosters to offset whatever the sport may cost. Some schools have elaborate deals that allow for video boards and field houses. Sure football and basketball to an extent pays for Tennis and Golf but, the system works and others in the metro area should consider it. Fulton somehow remains the only system that has a deficit and is NOT firing or furloughing teachers or staff.
Justice
May 23rd, 2012
11:53 am
An Article in USA Today shows that going to total internet schooling would save “Untold number” of dollars for the taxpayer. Not only that it would save all the trouble of trying to give an education to those that don’t want one. Also, all the classroom disturbance for those that actually want an education would be eliminated. Discipline no longer would be a problem in the schools. Basically, you either log in or you log out and hang out and be nothing. Your choice. I think after 30 years of teaching this is the way to go. You either want an “Education” or you “Don’t”.
Fred
May 23rd, 2012
11:55 am
I don’t think you will like what you get if you cut arts and athletics. Everyone has their pet area they want to keep. I’m amazed at the salaries some of the administrators make.
Andrew
May 23rd, 2012
11:55 am
The main problem stems from the lack of importance parents are placing on education. Many parents would rather see their students’ school win a football championship instead of winning praise for academic excellence. At many area schools the fees for playing football and chearleading vary between 750 and 1300 dollars. Parents come up with the money for that, but they apparently don’t have the money to help their students succeed in academics. If anyone has been in a classroom of 35 students, they know there is very little learning and a whole lot of policing going on.
ROCK STEADY FREDDY
May 23rd, 2012
11:58 am
The Georgia Lotto hasn’t been any help with Education, just padding the pockets of politicians and people in charge of it. It’s a disgrace and it should be investigated!
Joe
May 23rd, 2012
11:58 am
Practical recomendations:
- Cut the bureaucracy in the central offices (School District)..and we will save millions.
- Reduce the sport programs and increase academic subjects (e.g. statistics, economics, languages)…..
…I am so sorry… but the odds of playing professional sports is 0.00000000001; so dont waste your time and $$$ on a sweet dream….and focus on academics.
Tdawg
May 23rd, 2012
12:00 pm
Don’t have dog in this fight, but by all means, cut band, athletics and any other program that the kids actually like. You are either brain dead or ignorant as he!! if you think for one second that dropping all these after school programs are going to raise the academics at your school. Wait a minute. You people may be on to something here. Drop all of these distractions and the kid’s will have to focus more on their school work, right. A big fat NOT. Yes it will help the school get higher grades. What does any of this have to do with the deficiete you ask? That’s because the kids that enjoy those extra activities will be out selling drugs, stealing and getting into trouble. The grades will go up because those kids on the edge of the cliff will be pushed on off the edge and will have to leave school because the thing’s that make them study as hard as they do. Well, they just had that snatched right from under them. No doubt the parents that actually care what their kids want and the one’s that can afford it, will simply remove their kids from DeKalb and transfer them into a school that will have non basic school activities.
Should have known that it would be a women who wrote this article. Lady I got a good idea. Why not write an article on how the hope program has been raided to the point, that it is literally a disgrace. The state is raiding the money made by the lottery blind. What the heck happened to the, if the lottery is passed ALL proceeds would go to the school lie? How about going back and make them stand by that promise. Do that and we won’t be having this discussion. While you’re at it Mrs Downey, while not ask the county to chop some of the fat off the top. You know the cushy jobs that are not needed. Crap you have more chief’s than brave’s these days.
Cut sports if you wish.You can always take some of that money that you are saving by cutting all school activities and build bigger jails with it, because with the size of DeKalb and all of those kids having nothing better to do after school, you’re gonna need em.
MissPeachy
May 23rd, 2012
12:00 pm
Yeah, I’d like to see how much the Dekalb school system officials make per year. Any school system I’ve ever heard of had officials making 6 figures and bonuses. Yet, they can’t figure out why they’re broke and need to cut sports and arts… riiiiight.
Buckeye
May 23rd, 2012
12:02 pm
Yes. That way, all y’all dogs could start tailgating on Friday night and trash your beloved camp before sun-up. You could then take a nap and start all over! Come Saturday night, it will look like an Occupy protest.
GAasu
May 23rd, 2012
12:03 pm
This is ridiculous. Parents would then just move their kids to school systems that did offer school athletics…and for the ignorant comment about athlete being less intelligent…actually, students that participate in high school athletics are more likely have better grades in high school, go to college and participate in other school activities. Are these the type of students you would want moved out of your school system? The kids with problems and who later develop problems are usually the ones who do not participate.
sheepdawg
May 23rd, 2012
12:05 pm
cut all extracurricular activities and teach basics. we’re last among 50 states that make up a nation that doesn’t even rank in the top 20 nations on earth for educating out children. Should we cut athletics? what a silly question
Bobo
May 23rd, 2012
12:06 pm
Miss Peachy…it is public domain information. You can google the information for state of Georgia employees and find the information pretty easily. I’ll warn you that you’re not going to be happy when you see the 6 figure salaries for admins.
Maureen Downey
May 23rd, 2012
12:08 pm
@Tdawg, Search this blog for HOPE. You will find it has been well covered and I have written about it dozens of times.
Maureen
Name One
May 23rd, 2012
12:09 pm
This would not be an issue if the Crawford Lewis/Ramona Tyson/Bob Moseley-led Central Office didn’t add hundreds of non-teaching positions at inflated salaries. The Friends and Family plan was allowed to fester for years, with Board of Education members not only enabling it, but getting their relatives and friends hired in positions for which they were underqualifield (along with the Callaway’s, the Edwards’ and Guillory’s, the Freeman’s, etc.).
There are millions to be cut from administration before school athletics is on the table.
Wrecker
May 23rd, 2012
12:09 pm
This will be my only comment, since this discussion is a moot point. Trotting the idea of cutting high school sports in front of this slavering mob is good for blog discussion, but such cuts will never happen. The School Board/Dr. Atkinson have raised this as a doomsday scenario to enact a raise in property taxes. This is similar to the Democrats’ tactics of scaring the old folks with cuts in Medicare and Social Security every four years.
Marcus
May 23rd, 2012
12:10 pm
NOTHING SHOULD BE DROP AT ALL…..ADD SALE TAXES AND MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS USE FOR SCHOOLS…..WE SHOULD BE ADDING SPORTS AND BAND AND DRAMA AND ART
THE JAILS WOULD BE FULL….DONT DO THIS TOO THE KIDS.
Serena Thornton
May 23rd, 2012
12:12 pm
Again, our kids must suffer from the negligence of the School Board and those who were appointed by vote to govern the budget. Our kids (Dekalb and any other school system) have suffered enough! My tax dollars have suffered enough! My neighborhood has suffered enough! Now you are using the media as an escape goat and a pity party for blame. Take ownership – how about cut your paycheck, cut your travel expenses, cut your automobile expenses, cut your lunch expenses, cut your overtime, furlough your raise, buy your own supplies, share your office space (put four to an office), etc…Who are you to always rob our children of an education and to develop skills? Never have any of you apologized for your colleague’s wrongness – you did not report the wrongdoing? Standup and speak out…….before you get put out! I will vote against each one of you come time for elections! I will not get up and move from my neighborhood as I demand not better but best! CEO, where are you? This is your county…. the hell with who job is who’s
Maureen Downey
May 23rd, 2012
12:16 pm
@Wrecker, Folks said the same thing about going to a four-day school week, which has many more hardships for many families than dropping middle school sports. People said it would never happen that systems would stop holding school on Fridays since the five-day school week was sacrosanct and parent work schedules were built around it.
But the “doomsday scenario” to reduce the school week to Mon-Thurs was not a bargaining chip; it happened across the country, including Georgia.
Maureen