Newark Reds sports programs get the community fired up on Friday nights, but some parents argue that arts, STEM, and college-prep resources are quietly being underfunded. Where should the district be putting its money?
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Add your commentI taught at Newark Central for 11 years before I retired. The pressure on teachers to accommodate athletic schedules — early dismissals, grade leniency during playoffs, the unspoken expectations — is real and it is systemic. I never felt that same institutional urgency around getting kids into college prep programs. That's just the honest truth.
Born and raised in Newark, class of 2003. The football field got new turf TWICE in the time it took the science wing to get functioning fume hoods. Twice. My daughter is in AP Chemistry right now sharing textbooks that are older than she is. This isn't even a close call.
People keep acting like this is either/or. It's not. A well-run district funds both. The real question nobody's asking is WHERE the budget is actually going and why the school board hasn't released a transparent line-item breakdown in over a year. Follow the money, folks.
To the person who said athletics teaches discipline — okay, sure, I'll give you that partially. But can you name the last Newark graduate who got a career-track job because they played high school football? Now ask me how many kids from this ZIP code would benefit from a properly funded dual-enrollment college credit program. I'll wait.
The drama department did Mamma Mia last spring with a budget of like $400. Do you know what $400 gets you? A few yards of fabric and a prayer. Meanwhile the football banquet alone probably costs more than that. I'm not making this up — my wife chaperoned both events.
ok but can we talk about how the robotics club has been fundraising for THREE YEARS just to go to one regional competition while the baseball team got brand new equipment last spring without blinking. its not even about hating sports. its just the math doesn't add up
someone explain to me why the guidance counselors are covering like 400 kids each when colleges want personalized recommendation letters and individualized planning. my nephew applied to four schools last year and met with his counselor exactly twice. twice for a life-changing decision. but sure, let's talk about the new scoreboard
Genuine question for anyone who's been to a school board meeting recently: has anyone actually brought budget numbers to the table or is it all just vibes and feelings on both sides? I want to be outraged but I'd like to be outraged at the right thing.
I moved here from Rochester about two years ago specifically because housing was affordable. What I didn't expect was a school district that felt like it was still operating on a 1987 playbook. My son wants to do computer science. The district has one — ONE — programming course. One. In 2024.
My kid got a full ride to Syracuse because of lacrosse. Athletics absolutely prepares kids for careers AND college. Not every career path runs through a chemistry lab. I'm tired of the arts-and-STEM crowd acting like sports parents are somehow anti-intellectual.
Hard disagree. Athletics teaches discipline, teamwork, time management — things employers actually want. You think a kid who's never had to push through adversity in a fourth quarter is gonna thrive in a real job? The sports programs here build character that no STEM elective can replicate.
used to live there, moved to Geneva five years ago. honestly one of the reasons we left was feeling like the school had its priorities scrambled. good people in that community deserve better leadership on this. hope it gets figured out for the kids still there
Actually the lacrosse program here was only started in like 2018 so it's not even that established of a tradition. People talk about Newark Reds sports like it's this century-old sacred institution but a lot of these programs are newer than people think. The academic legacy of this school goes back way further and deserves the same respect.
Nope. Hard disagree with the whole framing of this debate. Newark is a small town. Friday night football is community glue. You pull that and you pull something that keeps this place together. Not everything valuable shows up on a college application.
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