Bench athletic expenses

With all the talk of budget cuts in our public schools, I have yet to hear anyone talk about cutting high school sports.

The most important aspect of going to high school is to prepare you to become a good citizen, one who can contribute to society in a meaningful way. This means going to college or into the military or entering some vocational preparation program, for example.

Any budget cuts should be applied to sports, including football and basketball, because students can easily play these “games” outside of school, through intramurals or community leagues. Sure, some believe that you learn about “life” playing sports, but the best lessons are learned in the classroom.

Teachers are receiving pink slips left and right; librarians and counselors are being cut; some of our best teachers are leaving the profession because they can’t find work; new teacher education graduates have to leave the area because there are no openings here. Why not cut the football or basketball teams?

We go to school to learn don’t we? Academics should come first. Sports are a distant second. Let’s keep class sizes smaller, keep our teachers and counselors, and cut the “fluff.”

Dominic Martella

Spokane