Should schools equally fund arts and sports?

on December 20, 2008 at 7:01 AM, updated December 20, 2008 at 7:16 AM

Despite current economic hardships, it is imperative that school funds be divided equally between the arts and the athletic programs.

At my school, like many other schools, a large emphasis is placed on sports. These programs, regardless of how popular they may be, are not immune to the financial issues plaguing our country. For example, in recent years, some Mattawan sports teams have been forced to ask participants to pay larger sums of money in order to play on the team. These costs cover expenses the school cannot afford, such as uniforms and equipment.

The arts programs' financial suffering has been more publicized and is, therefore, more well-known. Several television commercials ask the public to help save art programs in public schools.

Because of the shortage of funds, schools have resorted to using alternate means of raising money. Various fund-raisers are becoming increasingly popular. For instance, at the popular clothing store, Hot Topic, they are selling little trinkets, such as key chains, and telling shoppers that by purchasing one of these items, they are helping to keep music programs in schools.

While both art and athletic programs must deal with these problems, during this time of economic hardship, the funding allotted to public schools must remain evenly divided out of fairness to the students.

As co-editor-in-chief of my school's newspaper, I understand the struggle of having to work with limited resources, because our newspaper is not funded. So our staff sponsors fund-raisers in order to raise money for our publication. Because of my personal experiences, I am extremely invested in the belief that funding should be equal for all student activities.

These programs are not merely extracurricular activities. They provide students with an escape from school and everyday stress.

The money schools receive must be evenly distributed among the various activities. If this practice is put into effect, all students can continue to express themselves through their interests.

Kayla Hampton is a senior at Mattawan High School and is a member of the 2008-09 Gazette Young Editorial Staff.

Allocating funds equally is difficult because there are so many factors to take into account. With all the factors involved, there is no easy way to divide funds evenly between the arts and sports.

One major factor is most arts programs are co-curricular while most sports are extracurricular. So, the arts program gets more money because it includes teacher salaries whereas the sports department is paying coaches "nickel-and-dime" wages in comparison because their positions are usually considered part time.

Another issue is the increase in graduation requirements. The more academic courses students are required to take to graduate leaves less room for other elective classes. This makes it appear the school is cutting courses because there is not enough interest when really there is just not enough time in the day for students to take all the classes they want.

This makes it seem that schools do not care about the arts, since those classes get cut most of the time. In reality, art classes often get cut because they are some of the few elective courses schools have any latitude to cut.

If the criteria used to determine funding are needs or equipment, some sports and arts programs would end up with more money than others, just because it costs less to run one program than another.

How is it possible to evenly distribute funds in local school district programs when school funding isn't equally divided among public schools? Some school districts receive thousands of dollars more per pupil than the Paw Paw Public Schools. Because of this disparity, some schools have more choices and funding for programs where schools with less funding have to choose which programs can be offered.

Thus, it is almost impossible to evenly divide funding.

With today's economy, competition for funds will continue to exist among various programs. Maybe we should fight for equal funding in all our school districts before we battle for equal funding between arts and sports.

Khrystyne Noeldner is a senior at Paw Paw High School and is a member of the 2008-09 Gazette Young Editorial Staff.

Students are separated by more than just cliques; they are also separated by their interests such as athletics and the arts. However, most people don't realize the funding that goes into these two areas.

As a student who has experienced the lack of funding in the arts programs compared to those of the athletics department, I believe it is only fair that all students have equal opportunities to participate in their interests without money being the issue dividing the two.

Sports are the favored activities among students. Therefore, it only seems appropriate that money be given where it is most needed. Between the gas money spent to transfer teams back and forth to games and the jerseys on the players' backs, the money needed to support sports is quite high.

But, spending for the arts programs is just as high because of the supplies and equipment needed. In theater, for example, the stage equipment, stage makeup, costumes and scripts cost a great deal of money to keep updated.

Even the band programs struggle when it comes to providing for their members, which includes the costs of books, instruments, uniforms and extra supplies. Students are asked to pay for a majority, if not all, of the money needed to cover such items now because of lack of school funding.

This makes matters even more stressful because many students find it impossible to participate in these activities when they and their families don't have the money to spare.

Even though sports are a huge part of youth activities today, there are still a lot of students who do not fall into the athletic category. Because of those students, funding should be equal between sports and arts.

Whether it's providing a printer for a newspaper staff or simply supplying the sports teams with new practice equipment, schools should give all students equal opportunities to pursue their passions. That can make all the difference in the life of a student.
