No money available for high school sports in Duval county due to Rick Scott's education cutbacks.

[Dappleganger]

Things are really, really bad if there is no money left for sports. What business in their right mind would want to relocate to this area if the public schools have no sports program due to budget cuts?? This is how the quality of life is affected when the teabaggers go for broke in cutting taxes and giving corporate breaks.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-03-12/story/no-money-available-duval-high-school-sports-says-board-chairman#comment-377812

For athletics in Duval County’s public schools, the end isn’t near.
It’s here.
No more Friday night football. No more sports of any kind.
That’s the harsh reality, according to Duval County School Board Chairman W.C. Gentry. Budget cuts proposed by Gov. Rick Scott make it a virtual certainty that the upcoming school year will be one without sports at any level, he said.
The Duval County School Board faces a $97 million shortfall. Gentry says that even with a substantial reduction in that figure, the days of the 51-year-old Gateway Conference are over.
This latest cut comes on the heels of three years of budget reductions.
“It’s a horrible situation,” Gentry said. “There’s no question we’ll have to do away with sports. We’re fighting just to preserve the accreditation of our schools. There’s no good news right now. We’ve been cutting for the last three years, so this isn’t a one-time hit. There simply isn’t anything left to cut that isn’t part of the core curriculum. It’s an ugly picture.”

[joshcryer]

1. Someone said they should do this and that it would cause an uproar.

Not sure who it was who suggested it here on DU, but I thought it was amusing (didn't comment I don't think).

[aquart]

2. Think millionaires would pay a sports tax?

[rufus dog]

3. No football in the South

This is going to get ugly.

[misanthrope]

4. Something similar occurred in Mobile, Ala. a few years back...

...The town it ultra-conservative with high sales tax and very, very low property taxes. The public education system is underfunded and overstressed. A succession of referendums for increased taxes to aid the schools were turned down for decades. A few years back, the school system got smart and told the public that if the next increase wasn't approved, football would be cut from the high schools. Overwhelmingly, the locals passed the tax referendum.

You see, in the Deep South, graduation rates are one thing but gridiron exploits are quite another. I wouldn't be surprised if the residents in Duval County figured out some way to field athletic teams.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

5. here in nc. we had middle school kids going door to door

selling cookie mixes to raise money for choir scores. :cry:

[bluestateguy]

6. People will pay attention if their Friday night football is taken away

If they want it back, they can vote themselves a property tax levy to pay for it.

[OHdem10]

7. Surrounding Columbus but very close by, a small town has

been forced to lay off teacher cut sports and other
extra curricular activities. (OHIO)

[inna]

8. sick, sociopathic fucks. wtf is wrong with us, as a nation, that we even tolerate this bullshit.

[upi402]

9. cancelling FOOTBALL in my kid's school next year

Football is scared here too! And no texts to study, it's online and shared. and we voted 2 extra supplemental levy's.

Thanks for NAFTA and GATT Clinton! BushCo you are evil.

[madrchsod]

10. where i live they want to cut the sports that the school is good at...

and keep the losing basketball and football programs. more students received scholarships from the other programs than football or basketball combined.

[onethatcares]

11. the kids can be caddies at the state golf courses

think of all the money they'll be able to make instead of worrying about things like sports in school.:sarcasm:

[WinkyDink]

12. Maybe this will make the scales drop from the Republican soccer parents' eyes.

[retread]

13. Let's check the 2010 election results.

Duval County Voter Turnout: 50.36%

Senate
Marco Rubio (REP)
53.14% 140,447
Kendrick B. Meek (DEM)
27.31% 72,184

Governor
Rick Scott (REP)
51.46% 135,074
Alex Sink (DEM)
45.75% 120,097

[trumad]

14. Yep---

Dumb Ass Teabaggers...

[Dappleganger]

21. Yep, Duval county is solid dumbthuglican.

There's a pocket of democratic supporters on the northside but they aren't a strong voting demographic. Since they incorporated the downtown area dem voters really have little to zero influence on local or state elections. And First Baptist Church practically runs the mayoral office.

[Stuart G]

15. k & r

[hobbit709]

16. Classes should be more important than football.

I've seen districts spend $35 million for a new football stadium and then tell the employees there's no money for raises.

[tallahasseedem]

17. Duval County has a rich history...

in high school sports and is like a religion. I can guarantee that they wont take this lying down. It's sad to say, but whatever it takes to throw that lunatic out of office.

[Obamanaut]

18. Perhaps more 'students' can concentrate on actual learning now. nt

[Taitertots]

19. Bring back the money, but put it toward education and not sports

Lets not make the public coffers a slush fund for private recreation. I'd gladly pay more if it went to benefit all the children through educations and not recreation for a tiny minority.

[PassingFair]

22. +1

I have always felt this way.

:thumbsup:

[Angry Dragon]

20. Why do they hate the children so much

Taking away the future to pay for the greed of today