No Duval high school sports?

[Garden guy]

You are right but i just can't see them doing it...the school board is kind of rediculous really...as far as im concerned not one person should be sitting on a school board who has'nt spent a minimum of 10 years in a class room...period...no politicians..no nosey moms...teachers and principles should make up the board.

[tufsu1]

This isn't the first time that this has been brought up, so no need for any alarm.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/andy_staples/07/10/schools.economy/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/2009-09-02-budget_sports_cuts_N.htm

Those two articles are from '08 & '09.  This has been a real issue all over the country for a few years now, I guess it's just starting to hit home.  

sure, but stimulus money helped offset the loss in state revenues....now Mr. Scott wants to cut further

Clem...$100 million is 10% of the total budget....do you see any way to reduce budget by 10% without cutting lots of jobs and/or programs?

jandar....believe me, these kinds of cuts are coming to Clay & St. Johns counties too

[dougskiles]

And the message doesn't speak well to Jacksonville's quality of life, and isn't beneficial to attracting and retaining an educated workforce.

I think it accurately reflects our quality of life and if I were looking to locate a company that required an educated workforce, I most likely would not even have Jacksonville on the list.  We love to talk about creating jobs and competing with the rest of the nation, but when it comes to action we do nothing but complain about how we don't want any tax increases.  Our idea of jobs is swinging a hammer to build a house that nobody wants to buy.  We have one of the lowest tax rates around and have the poor quality of life to show for it.

What is also sad to me is that we weren't having an outrage when art, music, drama and other electives were slowly stripped away.  But now that Junior might not get his baseball scholarship - whoa - hold on Tex - that won't fly around here!  For every athletic kid that might not get a chance to shine, there have probably been 4 or 5 kids talented in other ways that have long ago been robbed of an opportunity to develop their natural skills.

[Steve_Lovett]

This isn't the first time that this has been brought up, so no need for any alarm.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/andy_staples/07/10/schools.economy/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/2009-09-02-budget_sports_cuts_N.htm

Those two articles are from '08 & '09.  This has been a real issue all over the country for a few years now, I guess it's just starting to hit home.  

sure, but stimulus money helped offset the loss in state revenues....now Mr. Scott wants to cut further

Clem...$100 million is 10% of the total budget....do you see any way to reduce budget by 10% without cutting lots of jobs and/or programs?

jandar....believe me, these kinds of cuts are coming to Clay & St. Johns counties too

If I'm not mistaken, the current $97-million shortfall comes on the heels of recent cuts of approximately $150-million over the past couple of years.  As it is, most high school sports are basically parent-funded through solicited donations, fundraisers, etc.  The high school academic day has lost a class period, and measurement testing to comply with state and federal mandates result in several teaching days lost to benchmark testing. It's mostly negative progress, at this time. 

There are a few bright lights in the Duval County District - but even those are compromised by these cuts.  At a time when it's crucial to attract and retain an educated workforce and grow our economy, I'm afraid our school system will a major contributor to the exodus of wealth and intellectual capital to the suburbs or other cities.

If I was a young, educated worker considering a move to Jacksonville for business and I read this story, I don't know that I would make the move.  I don't think the extent of this issue can be underestimated.  I also worry that the current crisis is still not enough of an alarm to cause a sufficient response.

[jandar]

jandar....believe me, these kinds of cuts are coming to Clay & St. Johns counties too

Yes I know. I want to get rid of the part time school board members here in Clay as well. No need for a full time pay with pension for part time hours. Most school board members work full time jobs already.

School boards should be staffed with those who have been in the schools, principals, etc. As well as one or two outsiders with business sense. Amazing to think of the background of some of these school board members. It should be a requirement for the job to have worked in the school systems.

[spuwho]

Sports will probably stay on, but a user fee will be added for those who wish to participate. This will include band and other extra-curricular activities.

School districts in the north implemented user fees widely in the mid-70's and they handled the funding deficits just fine. If a student couldn't pay the user fee , then some kind of on campus work effort was required to earn your fee.

Extra-curricular budgets typically fall in the same as the education budgets which cover compensation and benefits. Many districts keep their facilities and building budgets in a different area and the two don't cross.

[jandar]

Sports will probably stay on, but a user fee will be added for those who wish to participate. This will include band and other extra-curricular activities.

School districts in the north implemented user fees widely in the mid-70's and they handled the funding deficits just fine. If a student couldn't pay the user fee , then some kind of on campus work effort was required to earn your fee.

Extra-curricular budgets typically fall in the same as the education budgets which cover compensation and benefits. Many districts keep their facilities and building budgets in a different area and the two don't cross.

No different than playing football or baseball or soccer at the YMCA or the local athletic association.
The pay your way plan would work, businesses and people could help those who cant afford it by doing fundraisers. And this won't be on racial grounds before anyone gets that idea. Had I had to pay my own way in sports, I would have hard to beg and borrow myself, this white boy would not have gotten it from mom.

[mtraininjax]

Gentry is clearly losing control of the school system. He is a very ineffective leader. No one else is out waving the pom poms that the sky is falling the degree he is doing so. The article clearly stated also that NO OTHER COUNTY was preparing to cut sports from the budget. So perhaps Gentry is just grandstanding and going over the deep end.

The budget session just started and already the end of the world is coming to Duval Schools. Gentry should be replaced by someone who works to solve problems, rather than complain about them to every news organization. This is not how our leaders should act.

[tufsu1]

Gentry is clearly losing control of the school system. He is a very ineffective leader. No one else is out waving the pom poms that the sky is falling the degree he is doing so. The article clearly stated also that NO OTHER COUNTY was preparing to cut sports from the budget. So perhaps Gentry is just grandstanding and going over the deep end.

The budget session just started and already the end of the world is coming to Duval Schools. Gentry should be replaced by someone who works to solve problems, rather than complain about them to every news organization. This is not how our leaders should act.

I 110% disagree with you...Gentry is bringing to light a serious issue, without fear of repercussion from in those in power in Tallahassee...that is precisely what I call leadership!

[Dog Walker]

  Our idea of jobs is swinging a hammer to build a house that nobody wants to buy.  We have one of the lowest tax rates around and have the poor quality of life to show for it.

What is also sad to me is that we weren't having an outrage when art, music, drama and other electives were slowly stripped away.  But now that Junior might not get his baseball scholarship - whoa - hold on Tex - that won't fly around here!  For every athletic kid that might not get a chance to shine, there have probably been 4 or 5 kids talented in other ways that have long ago been robbed of an opportunity to develop their natural skills.

Very, very well said, Doug!  But if it takes eliminating sports to finally get parents to pay attention to the horror coming from Tallahassee then let's do it.  Gentry and Pratt-Dannels are doing a good job of showing the results of electing the governor and legislators that we did.  Good for them.

[JeffreyS]

Gentry is clearly losing control of the school system. He is a very ineffective leader. No one else is out waving the pom poms that the sky is falling the degree he is doing so. The article clearly stated also that NO OTHER COUNTY was preparing to cut sports from the budget. So perhaps Gentry is just grandstanding and going over the deep end.

The budget session just started and already the end of the world is coming to Duval Schools. Gentry should be replaced by someone who works to solve problems, rather than complain about them to every news organization. This is not how our leaders should act.

You just couldn't be more wrong.  Mr. Gentry is showing some backbone that other county's have yet to do.  He knows people do not want to hear about cutting sports but he is not going to prioritize them over academics.  He also knows by being transparent with the real problems of the Rick Scott cuts he will get help from the community to solve those problems. 

[dougskiles]

I echo the support for WC Gentry.  I've seen him in action several times.  Yes, he is very good at the political game and I am glad that we have someone with that skill fighting for our schools.  He doesn't have anything to gain by leading the School Board.  It is an act of community service.  And, he is being a realist.  Things are that bad.  Perhaps many haven't noticed because it has a been slow degradation over the years.  It is an absolute joke that our state has such low regard for it's future that we invest so little in our education system.

[JeffreyS]

I don't think people want to notice. Anything to keep those greedy teachers from driving in the Bentley down to the Marina for a cruise on the yacht.

[mtraininjax]

I 110% disagree with you...Gentry is bringing to light a serious issue, without fear of repercussion from in those in power in Tallahassee...that is precisely what I call leadership!

This is EXACTLY the type of leadership that you want to show the students, right? If you don't like something broadcast it to the media. Instead of looking for solutions, scare the hell out of everyone. Gentry is a tired gasbag and he and his administrators are looking to save their jobs.

The real solutions are found working with the community on a solution, not gasbagging to the local media. Things are tough all over Gentry. Get used to it!

[JeffreyS]

Is it your belief that W.C. Gentry needs his school board salary? How badly do you think he has handled his money?