[OrangenowBlue]

Is it a matter of how much state funding these other schools get and they level of income of the student body? Can fundraising truly fund all schools activities. I've heard the magic word of fundraising your own sport, but it sure seems like fundraising would come up short if ALL schools had to fundraise. In CKY & NKY, there is probably less funding from the state than there is in the areas of the state with minimal family incomes.

tousaints, you are from NKY, are there public schools in our area that you know of that don't charge a sports fee?

I can only speak for Letcher County Central. The only thing involving athletics that tax dollars is spent on is building of facilities and coaching salaries. Each sports program is responsible for raising money to pay for uniforms, shoes,trips, food, or anything else they may need. At the end of the season, each sports program gets a bill from the school system for buses. You have to reimburse the school system by paying so much per mile as well as paying the bus driver for the trip. So state funding has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. Football does not pay for any other sports as some would want you to believe. Now some other sports and other school activities will have fundraisers at football games such as concessions, bake sales, souvenir items etc. They pay the baseball team to run the gates at the baseball game but it is paying for services rendered. Most of the money made for the athletic programs is through a local festival in which some of the programs will clear close to $10,000.00 for four days work. Almost every sport at LCC has a booth at the festival. Football makes a substantial amount of money from ads on the Jumbotron. The boys and girls basketball as well as volleyball will make money off the ads on the two revolving scorers tables in the gym. Ads sold for program booklets sold at games raises money. Other additional fundraisers are also done when there are extra expenses such as a long trip during the holiday's such as this year when both boys and girls teams are going to Orlando during the Christmas break so there will extra expenses involving motels, airfare etc. So contrary to popular belief, some of the schools in Eastern Kentucky are not receiving athletic welfare from the state to support their programs. I do believe that tousaints gave a good explanation as the close proximity of schools in Northern Kentucky makes fundraising more difficult so athletic fees may have to be pursued. At LCC fundraising is not a magic word but a way of life and has been in the Letcher County School System since way before consolidation. Believe it or not, a vast majority of the kids who play sports are not on welfare. They are the children of coal miners who make from $60,000 to $100,000.00 a year as well as school teachers, social workers, nurses, docters etc. Contrary to popular belief, not every child in Eastern Kentucky has a parent who is a drug addicted, check drawing welfare recipient.