Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Ozark High School, MO: Sports Before Academics--Recent Fundraisers Show Money is Mismanaged in Public Schools


I have become increasingly concerned how school children's homework no longer appears in the form of math, science, history, and English. Homework now appears as fundraising raising folders for out of control school boards. The Ozark school district in Ozark, Missouri, has become the perfect case study. Students sell various products to help raise funds because of the school board's twisted priorities that focus on athletics over academics.


Ozark's rapid growth forced the school district to build a campus the community should be proud of. A dark cloud hangs over the school though. Ozark residents should be ashamed that school officials sent fifth graders (and possibly other grades) home with a fund raiser to buy testing computers for the classrooms. Teachers need to send students home with homework that prepares them for the world, not fundraisers to make up for school board members who act like members of Congress. Unfortunately, the lack of homework won't be what wakes residents up to what's going on with the Ozark school board, but the increase in personal property taxes will.


While fifth graders sold coupon books to raise money for testing computers, the board approved building a new high school football stadium. The stadium includes stadium seating, scoreboard with video play back (like a small jumbotron), artificial turf, a field house (justified so the players wouldn't have to walk as far to get to the locker rooms), a luxury press box, and more amenities than fans and players need to enjoy a Friday night game against rival Nixa. There are many colleges (NAIA and non Division 1 schools) that play on lesser fields than the high school Ozark Tigers football team. Take a look.


Inside the school are multiple gyms, weight rooms that rival a college or NFL team's, and a sports medicine center with whirlpools and massage tables. It's a beautiful campus, but the cost to promote sports in exchange for testing computers seems irresponsible. Sending fifth graders home to raise money for computers is a slap in the face to the residents of Ozark.


Ozark parents have seen too many fund raising efforts since they built the school. Children constantly bombard their parents (the tax payers) for money through fundraising while seeing less homework brought home. It doesn't stop there. Fund raising has spread into other avenues. Teachers at Ozark have adopted families for Christmas and ask students to take part in and provide gifts for the families. While this goodwill represents the good of the Christmas season, it doesn't represent why these children are in school. Teacher's should not be asking students for Christmas gifts, but they should give homework during the Christmas break. In other words prepare them for the future through education so they have less of a chance of being needy themselves one day.


Data provided by City Data and Trulia shows the education quality at Ozark could improve. Although, Ozark scores slightly above state averages, it could excel far beyond those scores if they focus on academics over fundraising and athletics. Preparing children for the future is vital for the success of our country. Begging for money to fund school programs and infrastructure is not preparing children.
Posted by Bungalow Bill
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11 comments:

  1. I graduated from Ozark and have been very successful in my career and life since leaving OHS. I attended a private liberal arts college and was on the Dean's List throughout college. You clearly are against the community support that has made Ozark the strong school district it has become over the last several years. At the beginning of my education in Ozark, I saw new elementaries, new junior high buildings, and new high school buildings. My classmates and those older and younger than me have been extremely successful and don't seem to be jaded because of our "fundraising" exposure.

    Get a life and quit writing this trash about Ozark. As mentioned in another previous article of yours, you're from Chicago and recently moved to the Ozarks. Maybe you should head back to inner city schools that don't have support and are run down. It seems in your opinion that provides a much better "education".

    Go TIGERS!

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  2. What saddens me most about your statement is you seem to base your success from your origins as a member of the community instead of looking inside at your own desire. My high school had very little to with where I am at in my life today.

    First off, is get a life the best argument you have. There is clearly a problem with a school district spends over $10 million on a football stadium and then has the nerve enough to send children home with fundraising materials for computers in the classrooms.

    Get over your own success for a few minutes and let's look at the real problem there. I am sure you aren't the only successful person to graduate from Ozark High School.

    There are many flaws in your argument. First, you say your classmates both older and younger have been extremely successful. Success doesn't necessarily point to education as it does individual desire. There are a lot of high school drop outs who are millionaires.
    Your success argument really has little to do with the fact Ozark isn't spending money in a way that benefits students as a whole.

    Only a small percentage of students from Ozark will walk on that field and play football; however, every student who goes to Ozark needs computer experience. Why put football ahead of buying computers?

    As for the schools in Chicago, residents of Chicago face huge property taxes to pay for the schools and if Ozark keeps spending money on luxury amenities, Christian County residents will soon find themselves to with a hefty property tax bill.

    You claim that I said you get a better education in the inner city schools. Why do you accuse me of something you can't prove. I never said that, nor would I say that. I do expect a level of academics to be met, and since you obviously commented on the Natalie Houston post, I will repeat myself. You seem awfully immature since your argument is if you don't like the community why don't you leave. You may accept what it is, but I think it could be better. So these blogs that you so eloquently labeled as 'trash' are really my way of expressing my opinion that improvements in the quality of education need to be made at Ozark Schools. If working in hopes to improve something is what you consider trash, then I would like to see what you consider succesful? Because I have never met a successful person who settles for mediocrity and doesn't look for ways to improve.

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  3. My child has come home with a couple hundred dollars worth of class and lab fees at Ozark High School for the year. Why doesn't the school charge athletes to play rather than charge children to learn? They had no problem funding this stadium and now they have to nickel and dime parents. We pay enough in taxes and get so little from Ozark Schools.

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  4. Ozark puts athletics and band as well in front of education. My daughter decided she was going to quit band. Two other upperclass students moved or quit to. The band instructor Brian Perkins came to my daughter begging her to play in band this year and promised to make her a section leader if she came back. She went to all the camps this summer and during the first full week of school she discovers the Mr. Perkins never intended on her being the section leader. He lied to her to get her to march. It's all about the coaches and the other faculty members who lead Ozark teams through competition. It's all about winning. Unfortunately when it comes to grades, Ozark is violating the trust parents place in the school. It's been long rumored at the school that if a star athlete is not making the grades they are transfered to easier classes where the coaches teach. They have coaches teaching advance classes like chemistry and math. The students leave these classes behind.

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  5. Brian Perkins would send my kid home with work he was responsible for. Because he doesn't know how to use a computer, he asks the kids and their paretns to do his computer tasks. You would think with the three months of vacation they get in the summer, along with all the other days off, he would take the time to learn how to use a computer.

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  6. I have two boys that attend to OHS. We moved from Springfield MO six years ago. The schools in Ozark are far better then what are boys was attending to before. The fun raisers the kids bring home if you don't agree with it send them back or support the school your kid or kids are attending too.Here in Ozark we want the best for our Children. The new football field is use for soccer too. The old football field a lot of up keep and was getting to small for the high school games as a tax payer I'm not bother with it. It shows the pride we have for school and children.

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  7. I personally go to OHS and while I don't agree on how much was spent on the stadium. I have to admit its very nice and a lot better than the old field. I'm in band and in track and I know how horrible it was to march on the old field and how band on your legs the old track was. The new stadium is not only nicer looking its better for the athletes that use it. Plus do to the Astroturf band practice doesn't have to be canceled due to mud.

    You should really look at things in a different perspective. Don't just look at the cost of things but look at what it also does for the students/athletes, which saves money in the long run.

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  8. Now faced with State budget cuts. The money spent in the past is probably not what we should be looking at, but rather what the district is wanting to spend money on now in the face of cutting career ladder, not rehiring lost teacher positions and changing the high school schedule from block to a 7 or 8 period day. With all the budget cutting going on how can we justify adding the International Baccalaurate Program with a $9500 application fee for each portion of the application. Where will the money come from to pay for new positions required by IBO (don't forget we are not filling teacher positions because of budget cuts). Where will the money come from to pay for teacher training and travel expenses? IBO workshops are not conducted locally or for that matter in the State. What will be the cost per student? What about the IBO requirements for the resource center and experimental science laboratories? What about requiring students to perform 120 hours of community service on top of all this rigurous international academic study. If you are a junior or senior in this program you might as well forget about jobs, dating and such. Oh and by the way , those promises about advanced placement in college, you might better check what it takes at the college you plan on attending to receive credit for IB courses.

    This is a bad idea compounded by bad timing

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  9. Just wait til you get IB... they will be asking your kids to go to Cuba to cut sugar cane for CASTRO.

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  10. To begin with, I have taught with Brian Perkins for over 9 years. He knows very well how to use a computer and has helped me out in a very positive way anytime I needed him. He is an excellent teacher who works hard and well with his students. You might not like the fundraising but your kids sure like those trips they are able to take because of it. No student is "given" a position in anything. They have to "earn" it. Nor is any student forced to take band. There are other fine arts options.
    And, no student will be forced to be involved in the IB program. We spend close to $100 thousand a year for JROTC including salaries, trips they take etc. No one seems to have a problem with that. We have programs for students who want to do just about everything in life at OHS. Get a grip...our children are already global. IB will not teach them WHAT to think, but HOW to think.

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  11. My three kids go to Ozark. Two in high school and one in junior high. They aren't being taught HOW to critically think like you claim.

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Sorry about the captcha. I hate them just like you, but the spambots have gotten ridiculous.

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