Economic cost of football at Midland High School
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Abstract
A consistent adage in West Texas, as In many other parts of the state, Is that a high school football program not only pays for Itself but generates enough revenue to support other athletic programs, for both males and females, of the school. It is this assertion that prompted interest In this study. As is the case with most public institutions, the methods of accounting for various costs within a school system are quite different than those used by a private, profit-motivated entity. In addition, as with all social goods, the benefits of the activities of public schools are quite difficult to monetize, thus creating problems in the application of any standard economic evaluation along the lines of a cost-benefit analysis; more regarding this concern will be provided toward the conclusion of this study. With that in mind, the focus of this study is to assess the total economic cost of the football program at a single public high school for a one-year period. The school In question is Midland High School (MHS) in Midland, Texas; the time period Is the 1995-1996 school year.