From the Lexington herald leader. Just a few reasons why coaching in Fayette county is hard. I wish someone could send this to all the Bryan Station coaching candidates.

 

For transportation to games outside Fayette County, many teams at all five public high schools depend on parents -- not the school district's yellow buses.

 

The district does not provide transportation for extracurricular activities. Booster clubs, which pay most sports expenses, and coaches say they don't have the money for school buses. Instead, team members routinely pile into parents' cars and vans.

 

To use buses, teams have to pay the district $1.15 a mile plus $20 for every hour. It adds up.

 

The Lafayette football team spent $5,600 on school buses last season. The band spent more on school buses and charter buses for overnight trips. Just to take the more than 200 band members downtown for the Christmas parade, a trip of less than three miles, the boosters paid $700.

 

Parents, fees and fund-raisers keep school activities alive

 

Last year, parents of Fayette County high school students raised more than $2.8 million so their kids could participate in activities such as baseball, cheerleading and band. At least $630,000 of that came directly from parents' pockets.

 

Parents and students work year-round at bingo parlors, concession stands, car washes and sales events to raise that money.

 

That support might illustrate parents' dedication to their children, but it creates a system in which playing on teams in public schools is essentially a private enterprise -- and not everyone gets to participate.

 

But Fayette County requires more than just supplemental help. The district is unusual in that it relies on parents and booster clubs to pay for everything except the utilities and the head coaches' salaries.

 

* Coaches say they spend too much time worrying about money and not enough time helping students improve their skills.

 

Fayette County Schools Superintendent Stu Silberman says the district doesn't expect the booster clubs to pay for anything. But coaches and parents say the county wouldn't have sports and band programs at all without booster clubs.

 

No students are prevented from participating in sports or other activities because they can't raise money, parents and school officials say. But every year, dozens of students at each high school say exactly the opposite on Kentucky High School Athletic Association surveys: They do not participate in sports because of the cost.

 

Today, if a new sport is added, the district pays start-up costs. After that, the program is on its own. The main source of income is ticket revenue.

 

William Henderson III, an assistant football coach and athletic director at Bryan Station, said that kids there have quit the football team because the school doesn't have good equipment.

 

Last year, with gate receipts, fund-raising and savings, Tates Creek football had $96,400 to spend. Bryan Station had $34,600.

 

Henderson doesn't blame parents, who he said support the team.

 

"They had equipment that would have gotten them killed, it was so old," Reeves said.

 

In Fayette County, activities like football depend on fund-raising and money from parents, creating vast differences in what's available for extracurricular activities at the five public high schools. Teams at Bryan Station usually have less to spend than teams at other schools

 

School

Activity

Students participating

Left over money from previous year

Ticket sales

Net money raised

Money spent on activity

Amount expected to pay or fund raise for the 2003-04 school year (per student)

 

Bryan Station

football

65

$4,310

$16,972

$13,294

$33,230

$150 in program ad sales, $200 in discount card sales

 

Henry Clay

football

100

$8,125

$15,890

$42,618

$59,491

$250 fee (no fee this season)

 

Lafayette

football

98

$40,365

$32,522

$17,994

$55,935

no requirement reported

 

Paul Dunbar

football

90

$20,968

$22,421

$53,015

$78,928

$70 fee, $300 in banner and program ad sales, $250 in gold card sales

 

Tates Creek

football

85

$16,928

$34,381

$35,393

$74,427

no requirement reported

It appears the Lex. public schools are on a level playing field with private schools in having to fund raise and having boosters/parents do a lot of work.

It appears the Lex. public schools are on a level playing field with private schools in having to fund raise and having boosters/parents do a lot of work.

Welcome to our world....

This is another example of school systems leaving extra-curricular activities out to dry. School administrators in alot of systems only worry about the bottom line, not education. What alot of administrators fail to see is how good extra-curricular programs supplement and enhance the basic educational plan. Having good programs encourages students to participate. In order to participate they must make the grades, plus they have additional staff monitoring their academic progress and mentoring them. That in itself will improve school academics.

 

Another positive impact of good extra-curricular programs is raised morale. The students who participate feel involved and important and therefore have school pride, which leads to better classroom performance. Even those who don't participate have something to brag about. I have worked in an alternative school setting and I can't count the times I heard some of my students put down their own school because the sports teams were horrible. Maybe a few of those kids could have avoided alternative school if they had a good program to be involved in.

 

It is no coincidence that schools with good extra-curricular programs have good academics. Look at schools like Ft. Thomas and others like them. They are competitive at almost everything and are one of the highest rated academic schools around. I live in East Tennessee and the same is true here. Maryville and Oak Ridge have super sports teams and other programs and are ranked nationally every year for academics.

 

Administrators need to open up their eyes and quit short changing their students. Until then, I'm afraid that many young people in public schools will only be getting half of an education.

 

"Texas. You want me to haul you back to Texas. We just got to Montana."

From the Lexington herald leader. Just a few reasons why coaching in Fayette county is hard. ...

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/high_school/13365523.htm

This might sound like stupid questions but it appears from the article that this situation is not the norm for public schools elsewhere in the state.

 

So my question is what is "normal" for other public schools?

 

Do they not fund raise?

Do they not transport students?

Do they not have fees?

How do they pay for equiptment?

Gosh I suppose the good folks at the elite schools can say what they want to but to say that is a level playing field? Well it is clear it is not!

Gosh I suppose the good folks at the elite schools can say what they want to but to say that is a level playing field? Well it is clear it is not!

 

Huh?

 

It sounds just like a private school.

If I'm not mistaken, Nelson County looks worse than that. I've heard coaches complain about an $8K budget for reconditioning-new equipment-footballs-etc, football gets 0% of it's gate (athletic account-which is where the $8K comes from), basketball gets the concessions and football program, athletics pays for the buses (that is $ out of the pocket of the team). Staff and players raise near 12K and boosters do 20K.

Ok, I'm sure this is a stupid question, but what is your net money raised from?

Is that income from fundraisers?

 

At Highlands the Ft. Thomas Lions Club runs the concession stand, some money comes back to the school and the rest goes to their charitable contributions. The Band sells the Football programs and that money all goes to band needs. So I would guess the football program gets some of the gate. :mad:

All the BOE's fault as well as Admins.

 

 

It would hurt peoples feelings if they knew what money was spent on football in EKY, I know the smallest in Pike Co was about $40,000 with the largest amount pushing $100,000

Here in the Madisonville area, there is a charter service in Mortons Gap that is cheaper than the public school bus services. Several teams have been using it, but I bet it upsets the ol' bus garage, but oh well.

All those numbers are nice BUT what is each football "program's" budget?

 

I know that Ashland football doesn't get 100% of its gate.

 

Plus a couple of those total ticket sales are really low....Maybe it says something about small town Friday nights but, Ashland could clear some of those totals in 3 Home games???

 

Football should be the bread winner at most schools???

Ok, I'm sure this is a stupid question, but what is your net money raised from?

Is that income from fundraisers?

 

At Highlands the Ft. Thomas Lions Club runs the concession stand, some money comes back to the school and the rest goes to their charitable contributions. The Band sells the Football programs and that money all goes to band needs. So I would guess the football program gets some of the gate. :mad:

 

Why does the Lions club get to run the concession stand?

All those numbers are nice BUT what is each football "program's" budget?

 

I know that Ashland football doesn't get 100% of its gate.

 

Plus a couple of those total ticket sales are really low....Maybe it says something about small town Friday nights but, Ashland could clear some of those totals in 3 Home games???

 

Football should be the bread winner at most schools???

 

You are right onetoya! I just don't understand those big schools?