I assumed that industrial arts was among the core subjects of any curriculum, a class necessary for the development of any student. I came to that knowing that a minority of students go to college and a much smaller minority ever leave with a degree.

Superintendent Loren Feldkamp assures me that the program will return to Valley Falls schools. Someday. Maybe in two years. His idea of the future program will be to build a cooperative program with neighboring school districts. Maybe one teacher will teach welding while another will come with small-engine knowledge and yet someone else will have the carpentry skills. I hope it works.

What I found most interesting recently was learning the cost of athletics. I was always told it was a figure too hard to nail down, but with the state failing to pay the bills and budgets being slashed, a clearer picture is coming into play.

Feldkamp put together a chart for the school board that comes close to telling us. Listing both middle and high school sports along with other activities including drama, forensics, Future Business Leaders of America, and so forth the tally reaches $110,000.

Since some activities have gate receipts that total $20,000, the final tab for the taxpayer is $90,000.

It costs $10,600 to field a football team and $13,200 to launch a volleyball team. Broken down by participant we learn that it costs $265 for each football player while the cost for a volleyball player is $473.

Why does a volleyball player cost twice as much as a football player? The gate receipts for football was $7,400 as opposed to $1,300 for volleyball. Ballgame workers cost three times as much for volleyball because the Rotary Club provided volunteer ticket takers at football games. Transportation for volleyball is also greater. Since that is an average cost per player, there are probably more football players to absorb the cost (lower the average) as well.

A cross country participant costs $512. High school girls’ and boys’ basketball teams cost in the $8,000 to $9,000 range.

Added into those costs are the salary for coaches or sponsors, supplies, transportation, officials, entry fees, added workers, and substitute teacher pay for coaches who miss class time.

Is that everything? Well, no. The depreciation on facilities and cost of utilities are missing, but it’s closer to being determined than anything I’ve ever seen.

As the board goes about looking for another $95,000 to cut from next year’s budget, some of these activities might go by the wayside. Most sports, however, are safe unless neighboring schools can all agree to reduce or eliminate some of them.

Competition between school districts is now greater than ever and if you take away a particular sport, a number of students will simply pack up and go to another school further complicating the financial picture. With a hefty price tag on their heads, students are welcome anywhere.