Did you know the United States routinely spends more tax dollars per high school athlete than per high school math student?

If one would start to look at the prices for paying officials, policemen, stadium lights, and other costs that go beyond sporting equipment it would make sense why high school sports can be so pricey.  If a school does not have their own pool or even if they have to maintain the upkeep for their own pool, the costs add up pretty quickly.

The Board of Education for Prince George’s County public schools give each school an allotment (budget) each year for their entire athletic program. Bowie, Surrattsville, Suitland, Forestville, Eleanor Roosevelt, Wise, and Potomac High School all received $15,000 for the 2011-2012 school year that increased $1,000 the next school year 2012-2013 and stayed $16,000 for the following school year 2013-2014 as well. For the 2014-2015 the budget went up to $17,000 and  jumped up $2,000 for the following 2015-2016 school year reaching $19,000.

Some of the most popular sports offered at Prince George’s County public schools, are also the most expensive sports to play. In an infographic created by TurboTax, it was said parents will on average spend $671 per sport on non-related school equipment such as traveling, sport camps, sports registrations and so forth.

Ice Hockey, football, boys lacrosse, baseball, and field hockey are five of the most expensive sports a student can play mainly because of the cost for protective gear. In May of 2014, the Prince George’s County public schools spent $60,000 in total to restore and service 6,000 football helmets.

Although each school gets a total athletic allowment, it is up to them how much they will choose to spend on each sport the school offers.

What was discovered in the information received from the Prince George’s County public school board of education, is that football alone is spending upwards up $10,000 each year on repairing sporting equipment, maintaining the field, new jerseys and so forth. If upwards of $10,000 is being spent on just football that does not leave much in the budget.

So if there is $5,000-$9,000 left afterwards for the rest of the athletic program, how are the other sports being maintained?

There was no information given from the Prince George’s County public school board on how much funding goes to the educational department or if money can be taken from the educational side and given to athletics.

However the information given does show there is a lot of spending being down by each sport that goes well over the total athletic allowment.