I don't rant all that often anymore here on my blog, and since that is the case, and since I haven't had a good rant in a while, I thought I would go ahead and give another one ago, to get something that is annoying me off my chest. Recently, my former highschool has built a new building, which was needed (unfortunately, they also destroyed the best Cross Country course in the district, because Cross Country isn't a "popular" sport...grr), and have spent the taxpayer dry. They then proceeded to push another tax issue so that the school could buy unneeded sports equipment. By equipment, I really mean new multi-thousand dollar aluminum bleachers, new buildings, and other things the school didn't need. That funding needed to go into academia, and not sports. Schools aren't here to make athletes. They are here for education across the spectrum. While many students are lead into sports careers, it remains a fact that the majority does not.

Anyway, what really irks me is the fact that the band and choir budgets haven't been raised in 10+ years. The choir barely scrapes by, and the band ends up begging the parents for money halfway through the year, as the budget in their coffer is already exhausted. Taking those FACTS into consideration, why the heck does the school need new bleachers, and buildings? Maintenance of what the school previously had is understandable, as well as improvements. But I am going to guess that this project cost $75,000 if not $100,000+. The new bleachers have a "premium" section that the school is hawking season passes for for $50 so that they can buy yet even more sports crap. In this case, the "premium" seats (they have backs, versus regular bleachers) are going to fund a football tunnel for the team to run through. Hot diggity! That is really needed to further the educations of our world's young minds. Moreover, these new bleachers are all metal, and we are in tornado alley. Can anyone say "lightning rod?"

While new concessions/lavatory buildings are a welcome improvement, the bleachers and the future football tunnel are unneccessary. The old bleachers were metal framed with a wood surface. Simply replacing the wood planks would've been much cheaper, and just as effective.
Alongside these football projects, we have the new tennis court (we already have one that could just be resurfaced), and a new foot ball practice field. Besides destroying the beauty of the rural school look, money is being thrown around for the sports director like a drunken sailor with a 3 day pass.

One more: The school recently has tried to get funding from Oprah. Why? They wanted to buy a gigantic rock wall for the gym. Needed ? NO!

With all of my bellyaching about this, there is a point. The money needs to go to majorly academia related projects. New desks? Update the computers? New books? Actually fund the fine arts and give them a budget? Where do I select all of the above? The sad fact remains that the majority of today's people care more about sports for their children than they do about actually nurturing their child and giving them a worthwhile education. I can tell you now that my children will be homeschooled, at this rate.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."