How would Allen High's Stadium Rank in the Sunbelt?

[Travis]

High school is about development and growth. Not about winning at sports. As much as I am a fan of sports, I think it wrong to invest in large amounts of money to see schools win... Even if it were voted by on by those of the city. It is a shame and shame on them. Sends the wrong message about what is important.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

The big negative to breaking a large school into smaller schools is you are then dividing your resources.

--- No doubt.... more schools is more expensive than than one mega sized one. They should also be able win more in athletics**.... but that is not what education is all about and I love football. Schools need to be large enough to offer a lots of programs and a good curriculum but not so large that kids just get lost and don't really feel part of the school and should be able to find some activities to do. I have a son that lives in Allen and claims that he would never live there if he had a kid about to enter high school.. Apparently the band is so large they do about nothing but shuffle around a bit.

--Repeating .. Check out very successful people, most had the opportunity to be leaders in HS and often attended smaller schools and many are from smaller towns.... far beyond what you would expect,... especially considering the population of the two groups.

** I am sure a lot of the kids that earned athletic schloarships from my old high school [brownwood} would have never even played in Allen or some other of the mega sized ones, they just were not large enough at sophomore level and would have never continued. During the time I was school, we regularly defeated schools 2-3 times larger. Size doesn't automaticly mean wins. Southlake is rather small for AAAAA, they seem to win a lot.

[kalebschumann]

--- No doubt.... more schools is more expensive than than one mega sized one. They should also be able win more in athletics**.... but that is not what education is all about and I love football. Schools need to be large enough to offer a lots of programs and a good curriculum but not so large that kids just get lost and don't really feel part of the school and should be able to find some activities to do. I have a son that lives in Allen and claims that he would never live there if he had a kid about to enter high school.. Apparently the band is so large they do about nothing but shuffle around a bit.

--Repeating .. Check out very successful people, most had the opportunity to be leaders in HS and often attended smaller schools and many are from smaller towns.... far beyond what you would expect,... especially considering the population of the two groups.

** I am sure a lot of the kids that earned athletic schloarships from my old high school [brownwood} would have never even played in Allen or some other of the mega sized ones, they just were not large enough at sophomore level and would have never continued. During the time I was school, we regularly defeated schools 2-3 times larger. Size doesn't automaticly mean wins. Southlake is rather small for AAAAA, they seem to win a lot.

A 600 person band is pretty ridiculous. But I know plenty of fine musicians that have come out of that band. They seem to be doing something right.

I much prefer the larger school. Offers students a chance to become extremely specialized with what they want to to post-high school. At the small schools- students can only get a small sampling of what they can do at a high level.

[TIgreen01]

--- No doubt.... more schools is more expensive than than one mega sized one. They should also be able win more in athletics**.... but that is not what education is all about and I love football. Schools need to be large enough to offer a lots of programs and a good curriculum but not so large that kids just get lost and don't really feel part of the school and should be able to find some activities to do. I have a son that lives in Allen and claims that he would never live there if he had a kid about to enter high school.. Apparently the band is so large they do about nothing but shuffle around a bit.

--Repeating .. Check out very successful people, most had the opportunity to be leaders in HS and often attended smaller schools and many are from smaller towns.... far beyond what you would expect,... especially considering the population of the two groups.

** I am sure a lot of the kids that earned athletic schloarships from my old high school [brownwood} would have never even played in Allen or some other of the mega sized ones, they just were not large enough at sophomore level and would have never continued. During the time I was school, we regularly defeated schools 2-3 times larger. Size doesn't automaticly mean wins. Southlake is rather small for AAAAA, they seem to win a lot.

A 600 person band is pretty ridiculous. But I know plenty of fine musicians that have come out of that band. They seem to be doing something right.

I much prefer the larger school. Offers students a chance to become extremely specialized with what they want to to post-high school. At the small schools- students can only get a small sampling of what they can do at a high level.

I'm friends with SE-66's son that lives in Allen and lived just down the street from him up until about a year and a half ago. We moved to take advantage of market conditions and didn't move far, but we purposely avoided staying in the Allen ISD footprint. We didn't want to have to choose between sending our kids to Allen HS or finding alternatives. Now, some would argue that the large size affords them the ability to offer programs that no other (or very, very few) HSs can offer....just not in sports. They have near college level programs in some areas---an in-school restaurant that the school kids work at, for example. I have no doubt that they have plenty of programs to keep just about any kid from getting lost in the numbers...and I know plenty of people who move to Allen explicitly FOR sending their kids to that high school. I just don't share their enthusiasm for a high school that size. Either way, I can see both sides of the argument, for and against the single-large high school model.

I moved just before the vote was taken, but know that it was bundled with a new library and arts programs among other things. I think the total bond package was $150 million---enough that over 50% was spent on academic programs/buildings so that it would be impossible to mobilize a vote against it. While I don't like the message it sends by building such a magnificent football palace for a high school, I also don't necessarily agree that this is the product of a one high school system. This could very easily be shared amongst 2-3 smaller high schools within AISD if they ever chose to build another high school and divide. I just think that the city has their priorities out of whack...

Edited April 2, 2012 by TIgreen01

[kalebschumann]

I'm friends with SE-66's son that lives in Allen and lived just down the street from him up until about a year and a half ago. We moved to take advantage of market conditions and didn't move far, but we purposely avoided staying in the Allen ISD footprint. We didn't want to have to choose between sending our kids to Allen HS or finding alternatives. Now, some would argue that the large size affords them the ability to offer programs that no other (or very, very few) HSs can offer....just not in sports. They have near college level programs in some areas---an in-school restaurant that the school kids work at, for example. I have no doubt that they have plenty of programs to keep just about any kid from getting lost in the numbers...and I know plenty of people who move to Allen explicitly FOR sending their kids to that high school. I just don't share their enthusiasm for a high school that size. Either way, I can see both sides of the argument, for and against the single-large high school model.

I moved just before the vote was taken, but know that it was bundled with a new library and arts programs among other things. I think the total bond package was $150 million---enough that over 50% was spent on academic programs/buildings so that it would be impossible to mobilize a vote against it. While I don't like the message it sends by building such a magnificent football palace for a high school, I also don't necessarily agree that this is the product of a one high school system. This could very easily be shared amongst 2-3 smaller high schools within AISD if they ever chose to build another high school and divide. I just think that the city has their priorities out of whack...

At a large school- I was able to have over half of my day be devoted to music. There is no way any student in my 2AA district could devote half of their schedule to anything (even Ag or athletics).

Teachers are left fighting for students to share. Groups are left fighting for one day a week to rehearse, practice, or meet up because all the students are in drama, athletics, FBLA, band, Spanish Club, underwater basket weaving.

To me, the benefits of a large school greatly outway the benefits of a small school. To the small percentage of kids that "falls through the cracks"... There's that small percentage of students at every school. 5% of 200 students just doesnt seem as offensive as 5% of 4,000 kids.

The large stadium also offers venues for marching contests, soccer tournaments, football playoff games, and who knows what else.

[UNTDude]

Video update of Allen Eagle High School new stadium...undeniably high school football rules our state! LInk:

[Rudy]

When we were looking to move, we looked into Allen. Didn't like the one giant high school concept for our kids.

Take a look at Prosper. Their middle school looks like a community college.

--- I hate these mega sized schools... They are so few opportunities for kids to be involved in activities. There are a lot of kids there that would do well in activities other places and feel more worthwhile... I actually prefer large AAA and smaller AAAA size schools. Look around and see where a lot of the most successful people came from.... Example... who was the last President that attended a large high school or even lived in a very large town. I spend 30 years in public schools..

I know I will get blasted for this, but as much as I love high school and college football, hockey is THE BEST sport for kids to play. In most sports, if you are not any good, you may get in at the end of the game. But you don't get your time and money's worth. In hockey, every kid on the team plays, usually you go in every couple of minutes. Just my .02

[outoftown]

I just wpnder what being the star playerin a home stadium like this does for building the charachter of a 16-18 year old... and I just don't come up with a lot of good things.

[Quoner]

I just wpnder what being the star playerin a home stadium like this does for building the charachter of a 16-18 year old... and I just don't come up with a lot of good things.

Seems like a good place to hold a spelling bee, though.

[MDH]

I don't begrudge you that. Place just wasn't for me.

Don't you live in Lewisville?? I'm not sayin'

[Censored by Laurie]

Seems like a good place to hold a spelling bee, though.

Jurk.

[All About UNT]

> FIU, ULM, ULL, USA, MTSU (discounting size of course)

= Troy and WKU

< FAU and North Texas

[All About UNT]

Seems like a good place to hold a spelling bee, though.

you and these two have something in common...

[UNTDude]

> FIU, ULM, ULL, USA, MTSU (discounting size of course) = Troy and WKU < FAU and North Texas

Agreed...but note the building behind the large end-zone scoreboard is a 60 yard indoor practice facility......that takes it over the top verse most D1 stadium complexes.

[oldguystudent]

Don't you live in Lewisville?? I'm not sayin'

In my former life, in my former career, with my former wife, I was a minivan driving big house Friscoan. Was never more miserable than during those years.

I'd like to move closer to Ft. Worth now that I work downtown there, but I don't want to uproot the kid from her school and friends right at the point she's going into middle school and hitting "the change."

Edited May 29, 2012 by oldguystudent

[Baby Arm!]

This makes me sad. Sends the wrong message.

Im trying to figure out what message it sends and why it's wrong?

[untgirl04]

Im trying to figure out what message it sends and why it's wrong?

That we spend millions of dollars funding a football stadium, but every year more art and music programs are cut and teachers are laid off?

[GreenBat]

I love me some High School art, music and drama programs, but Football revenue pays for many of those programs. I was in drama in HS and one of my couisins is a starving artist. But some HS Football games earn more revenue on one Friday night than all the art, music and drama programs earn in one year.

[kalebschumann]

I love me some High School art, music and drama programs, but Football revenue pays for many of those programs. I was in drama in HS and one of my couisins is a starving artist. But some HS Football games earn more revenue on one Friday night than all the art, music and drama programs earn in one year.

This isn't college where the athletic programs generate enough millions of dollars that they have enough to spend on other kids. Sure, our very own Phunky Phresh Basketball band is funded by the athletic department, but the GB isn't.

Most high school athletic programs have new uniforms to buy, new helmets to buy, charter busses to rent, new name brand cleates to buy, and fancy jumbo trons to put in before a single penny ever even has the smallest chance in a million years of going to the HS arts program.

The only time I've ever heard of HS Athletics paying for band stuff is when the band budget got cut, and they wouldn't have been able to go to an away game. Athletics magically found some money to take care of that.

I love big time football and fancy stadiums- but lets not kid ourselves by thinking the 'surplus' goes to the arts. In HS football, there is never 'surplus'.