The Barrow County School System is facing another budget crisis as officials look to determine how to makes ends meet for the upcoming fiscal year.
In the past, the type of penny pinching now needed would have been unheard of. However, it has literally become an “every penny counts scenario.”
When a budget crisis of this magnitude arrives, there are always difficult decisions that have to be made. It doesn’t make it easy to be a school board member, be it in Barrow County, or anywhere.
In an article we published last week, there was talk of eliminating some middle school sports programs and restricting the area in which the local middle school teams compete. To some, eliminating sports would not be that big of a deal. If your child does not participate in athletics, then the “who cares?” attitude could easily prevail.
However, let me try to explain why this would be a bad idea and it goes beyond middle school athletics.
In educating a student, a school system, in theory at least, is supposed to help develop the entire young person. Academics should always be first. That’s not a debatable issue. However, school is about more than just taking a test or spending weeks preparing for a series of tests.
The education process should be about learning to take part in a variety of activities, which go beyond sitting in a desk from early morning to mid-afternoon. For some students it’s about being in the band. For some it’s about drama. And, for some, it’s about athletics. There are so many extra-curricular activities that a student can be involved in today. There are more groups, more clubs, more teams than ever. To begin chipping away at them for the sake of saving a few dollars would be a mistake.
It would be wrong because it would rob the students of getting the complete educational experience. For years, we’ve heard how top colleges like well-rounded students, those who are involved in things outside of the classroom. From sports to the arts, students should be encouraged to participant and not have those options taken away.
Sure, middle school tennis does not involve hundreds of students. But to those who are involved, it is as important as any other activity their respective school offers.
So where do you cut? You begin with some of the highest salary earners in the system. Cut those making near or over six figures. Those in the education field have been shielded somewhat from the ongoing economic crisis when it comes to salary. While many working men and women have gone years without a raise (and that’s hoping they haven’t received a cut in pay or had their job eliminated altogether), those in the education field, from taxpayer dollars, continue to see salaries grow and benefits remain as lucrative as ever.
If I were on this or any school board, before I even thought of eliminating any student programs, I would begin with those highest salaries and work down. Those in education should not be excluded from what the rest of the working population is going through.
It will be some time before the final school system budget is finalized for Barrow County. However, eliminating programs — large or small — will only hurt the students now and down the road. Hopefully the number one goal of always putting students first will win out.
After all, that’s what the entire school system operation is for. It’s not about big salaries for those involved or cutting things that will only do harm.
Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. You can reach him at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
In the corporate world, they would fetch far more than they receive in the education industry (yes, its an industry of producing literate and competent students!).
The programs you wish not to cut are peripheral athletic programs at the middle school level. In my day, we had these programs in something called "parenting". The parents provided opportunities for us to exercise and engage in sports with neighborhood kids after school. In addition, we had an opportunity provided by our parents called "chores". Few today have the opportunity to experience these as I once did.
Math, Reading and Writing, the Sciences, and a full understanding of the Social Sciences far outweigh the touted benefits of the sports you wish to protect.
When students in Georgia start performing at a high level against their international competitors, then we can talk about preserving athletics. Until then, teach them to compete in the academic world.
Wrong Victor. 100 percent wrong. That does not prepare students for the real world.
Students should be encouraged to take part in numerous activities beyond desk sitting. Of course, I realize non-athletes like you would have a hard time understanding that.
I say one of programs that needs to be done away with is elementary gifted classes. It doesn't teach the kids what needs to be taught, it's more about creativity. It actually takes students away from the learning in regular classes that they need in order to pass and do well on tests such as the CRCT. Check out those salaries and think about how much you'd save.
Also, when the budget is in such a crisis, why are they building a new middle school to replace an exsisting one? Does it need to be done? Maybe, but does it need to be done now? Probably not.