B-town belt-tightening

Monroe County Community School Corporation is in trouble. The district has had to make some cutbacks due to financial woes — hardly unique or surprising in this economy. However, MCCSC’s cutbacks are going to do more than save money — they’re going to hurt students.

The corporation decided to eliminate the already low stipends for coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities.

Many coaches have decided they can’t coach for free — even the little they were bringing in before was worth it, but they can’t justify spending all that time away from their families and homes if they’re not getting any sort of compensation.

However, the students are the ones who are really going to suffer.

Forget the fact that after-school activities give them something to focus their attention and passion on. Extracurricular activities are what give students the boost they need to make it to college.

These days, admissions directors and college advisers tell students that good grades aren’t enough. With an increased college applications rate, schools have to be more selective in their admissions. With so many students who have identical high GPAs, they turn to the extra things students do that make them unique. Do they play sports or instruments? Are they involved in theater or the arts?

Many Monroe County students won’t be anymore. Facing a lack of extracurricular programs could hurt them, especially the high school upperclassmen who are going to be applying for college and won’t be able to say they do after-school activities.

And just as money is a concern for MCCSC, it’s also a concern for students, whose activities can get them much-needed scholarships. This especially applies to sports. How many students will lose out on sports scholarships when they otherwise can’t afford to pay for school?

The county is looking at a referendum on whether taxes are going to be raised and what’s going to be cut. They need to find the money somewhere.

The MCCSC might be cutting costs, but in doing so, they’re stifling students’ potential.