As an educator in the public school sector, I can tell you that in many cases, sports are what keeps our children in school. Many do not have a supportive home life and coaches and teams acts as their motivators for coming to and succeeding in school. Sports not only teach valuable life lessons they encourage students to succeed. Many sports teams earn their own money through ticket sales and fund raising. YES, general education is VERY important, but if we cannot motivate students to attend and excel in school then will smaller class sizes make a difference?

I am sure that teamwork, respect and responsibility can and should be learned in many places at home for one.And from what I can see from many students it is sadly lacking.As for the athletes having to keep a higher grade point average as an incentive to play. We all know that does not happen. Sports have some how become all important. It is not. Sports should be secondary. But somehow society has made it seem like the end all. How sad that sports has come to take presidents over education.

Sports are extremely important.  They help teach teamwork, respect and responsiblity - not to mention the athletes have to keep a higher grade point average as an incentive to play.  Sports also generate a good deal of revenue.  Have you not been to a home football game?

What about having bus stops in neighborhoods instead of picking up and dropping off each child at thier house?  This is bound to save the school money and likely cut the length of bus rides down for some of the kids too. I agree with you completely that sports should be cut before academics, but that is an unpopular, and therefore unlikely, decision for the school board.

How about cutting the transportation budget?  I understand that about 1/3 of the cost of educating a child goes into the transportation (maintenance, salary of drivers equipment etc..)  Why not offer parents a choice.. either drive your kid to school.. OR.. pay for the transportation service.  Only the very poorest families would be provided subsidised transportation.  Let’s spend money enriching the educational experience (that means education AND sports and other activities like chorus, art etc).. not driving the kids around!  I imagine that there would be a need for fewer vehicles.. and probably longer routes, but at least we would be liable to get better education for the kids.

I don’t disagree with you, but sports are one of the great sacred cows of high school, and there’s no way the school system will cut back on them.  The schools would not have the courage to withstand the backlash from parents.