2013 Conference

Other

The effect of the Great Recession and subsequent state cuts in funding to high schools on families.

Financial Services

High school funding by state governments stands below 2008 levels in 35 states due to a collapse in state revenue. In order to make up for lost revenues, many school sports programs have dramatically increased their reliance on parent booster clubs. Unfortunately, a booster club can exert tremendous pressure on parents to contribute their limited time and even more limited financial resources. As booster clubs become more important in providing equipment, uniforms, and transportation for student athletes, parents are stressed when previous voluntary contributions of time and money become mandatory, with the not just unstated, but often stated, threat that the child of a family who doesn't pay doesn't play. Unfortunately, little information exists about how the demands of booster clubs affect families and booster club financial information has been difficult to obtain. The potential effects of booster club demands on families are researched using two methods. First, the issue of the rising importance of booster clubs in high school sports is examined nation-wide using school district-level data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Second, a case-study methodology is conducted on one school district in which the researcher has access to all booster club demands placed on families. Policy recommendations and suggestions for further research are provided.